The rivalry between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker appears to have ended after nearly six years. The pair recently collaborated on a video uploaded to 'The Last Stylebender's' official YouTube page, during which Adesanya extended a peace offering, which Whittaker graciously accepted.
They reminisced about their time at the top of the sport and how few fighters could relate to their shared experience of dominating the middleweight division for years. Because of that, they have developed a healthy amount of respect for each other, with Adesanya describing how self-destructive grudges can be.
"I don't like to hold on to things. When you hold on to stuff like anger or bitterness or envy or whatever, it just... You think it's hurting the other person, it's not, it's hurting yourself. So after fights are done, people think I'm still salty with certain things. I'm like, bro, why would I hold on to that? Like, for me, it's only gonna poison me."
After a brief moment of Whittaker adding his two cents, Adesanya said the following to his old rival:
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"Our house is your house, because of what we've done, you know? Like I said, ANZAC united. I love that. Whenever we take on the world, no matter what. Even when you fought [Yoel] Romero, I was f***ing screaming both times. I've always been a fan and I've been backing you since then."
Check out Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker burying the hatchet (1:36):
Not only did the two men collaborate to create content, they also trained together and will undoubtedly help each other for their next bouts. Adesanya is set to take on surging middleweight striker, Nassourdine Imavov on UFC Fight Night 250 on Feb. 1.
Meanwhile, Whittaker is likely still recovering from the jaw injury he suffered against Khamzat Chimaev, who ran right through him at UFC 308 last year.
Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker have fought each other twice
The first encounter between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker was at UFC 243 in October 2019. 'The Reaper' was the middleweight champion at the time, while Adesanya was an undefeated title challenger. It was a relatively easy win for Adesanya, who knocked Whittaker out in the second round to become the middleweight champion.
Their second bout at UFC 271 in February 2022, though, was far more competitive. Whittaker implemented a more well-rounded gameplan that included his wrestling. While some, including Whittaker himself, believed he had done enough to win, Adesanya still beat him via unanimous decision.