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Israel Adesanya has admitted there are some nerves in the air heading into his rematch against Robert Whittaker.
For years now, ever since their UFC 243 showdown, fans have been eager to see the second chapter in the Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker rivalry. Both men have done some incredible things in this sport up to this point but, as the saying goes, there can only be one undisputed champion of the world.
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On that night in Australia, it was Adesanya who managed to knock Whittaker out and claim the belt. However, many believe there's a good chance things could go differently this time around.
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In a pre-fight interview with BT Sport, 'The Last Stylebender' was asked whether or not he's feeling nervous heading into the rematch.
“I get nervous for every fight. It’s all about how you use those nerves. Nerves are good, they’re supposed to happen, it’s part of the human animal’s natural instincts. You can either use it to your advantage or let it use you to your disadvantage. I know how to use my nerves and channel it in the right way.”
Catch BT Sport's interview with Israel Adesanya below:
How much better is Robert Whittaker?
The real difference maker for Robert Whittaker in this fight is going to be how patient he is compared to their inaugural meeting. From the way he threw his strikes to fight week itself, 'Bobby Knuckles' clearly wasn't himself when defending the belt against Adesanya in October 2019.
Alas, since then, he's taken some time away from the sport to really reassess where he was at and what he needed to do in order to improve.
Subsequently, he was able to prove how far he'd come with three fantastic wins over Darren Till, Jared Cannonier and Kelvin Gastelum. While he wasn't able to get the finish in any of these fights, he did drop all three, and looked impressive and accurate in doing so.
Adesanya has managed to defeat Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori in that time too, showcasing once again just how deep the 185-pound division is.
