Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker just wants to get back in the Octagon. Ideally, he’d like a rematch against Israel Adesanya, the man who dethroned him, or the new champion, Alex Pereira, who defeated Adesanya to claim the strap late last year. Whittaker told Michael Bisping on the Believe You Me podcast that he is “chomping at the bit” for a chance to face either fighter.
“I’m chomping at the bit to get at both of them. I truly do feel that I can take myself to a new level. I feel that I can get in there and put on a better performance. I kind of understand where Adesanya was mentally, I guess, going into the rematch after losing twice to the same guy. It was a very similar predicament with me and Adesanya, and I do believe that him getting through the fights the way he did and the way everything has gone, the next fight is the best one.
Whittaker “Chomping At The Bit” For Adesanya Or Pereira
But then, it is what it is. I do want that fight. I do believe that I use mixed martial arts better than both of those guys. I do believe I can utilize my wrestling and grappling to make it a hellish match for both of them.”
Whittaker also recalled his reaction to Adesanya vs Pereira, and pointed out the major flaw in the new champ’s game: his relative lack of grappling ability.
“They’re phenomenal fighters. Just the skill caliber of that fight. I expected to see that sort of fight, which was more or less a kickboxing match with small gloves, with a little dash of MMA thrown in. Just a dash, not too much. And that’s what we got, of the highest caliber. It truly was a really good fight to watch.
You saw Pereira fight through adversity in the first round, you saw the fight drag out, you saw how the fighters themselves started to change when they started landing shots. Honestly, I left the fight after watching it — it was a good fight to watch but I left the fight really understanding these two guys are absolute killers in the division.”
Another major takeaway for Whittaker was the sheer size of Alex Pereira. “That was the one thing I truly took away from that fight, is that Pereira’s a freaking giant. I don’t think the cameras do it justice, how big Adesanya is.
Adesanya’s a big dude, especially when you’re standing face to face. You’re always looking up him because he’s 6’4”, he’s a massive guy. And then Pereira, just like his bone structure! His hands were bigger, his feet were bigger, his head’s bigger. He looked much bigger than Adesanya.”
Would you rather see Robert Whittaker fight Israel Adesanya again, or do you think he can take Alex Pereira? Let us know in the comments.
