Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker shared his reaction to Israel Adesanya’s return bout at UFC Saudi Arabia.
Riding a four-fight losing skid, Adesanya returns to the Octagon against Shara Magomedov at UFC Saudi Arabia, which takes place on December 5 at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ahead of the fight, Adesanya’s long-time rival-turned-friend Whittaker shared his take on this five-round middleweight main event.
Robert Whittaker Shares Thoughts on UFC Saudi Arabia Headliner
Speaking on the “MMArcade Podcast,” Whittaker shared his thoughts on the upcoming UFC Saudi Arabia headliner.
“I don’t like this. I don’t like it. But it’s also like, if Israel comes on like he did at the beginning of Imavov, if he comes on, this is a technical fight he can win. He can beat Shara across the park. Shara’s not going for a takedown. Shara’s not going for a takedown. If this is in pure standup ability, Israel’s phenomenal. His standup is so good. It’s just, he’s got to sustain that vision throughout the fight, the entire fight. Like (Nassourdine) Imavov, he started so well. I can’t help but feel he didn’t sustain that vision; he didn’t sustain the focus for the entire fight. I don’t know,” Whittaker said (via MMAFighting.com).
Israel Adesanya is His Own Biggest Enemy
In Whittaker’s opinion, Adesanya’s biggest enemy is himself, and he hopes that his former middleweight title foe can enter the Octagon focused and put on the performance of his lifetime against Magomedov, who is getting a huge step up in competition for this fight.
“I think the real fight here is Israel vs. himself. I want to see Izzy come in the way Izzy of old (did); his head switched on, focused, laser-focused, and I think he beats the brakes off Shara, to be honest. Yeah, I have Israel all day,” Whittaker said.
With four straight losses riding into UFC Saudi Arabia, this is very much a must-win fight for Adesanya, as a fifth straight UFC defeat may convince him to lay his gloves down, making this one of the biggest fights of his mixed martial arts career.
Robert Whittaker Reacts to Israel Adesanya’s UFC Return