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Israel Adesanya is optimistic for his upcoming rematch with Robert Whittaker at UFC 271.
The UFC middleweight champion was recently featured in a video posted on the promotion's official YouTube channel. Adesanya predicted the outcome of his upcoming defense in the video. 'The Last Stylebender' is confident that his skill set is a notch higher than that of 'The Reaper'.
Adesanya also suggested he will knock Whittaker out just like he did in their previous fight at UFC 243. Back in 2019, the then-unbeaten Nigerian-New Zealander and interim UFC middleweight champion entered the bout looking to take Whittaker's place on the throne. He emerged triumphant as the new undisputed champion, beating Whittaker via second-round KO.
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Speaking about Whittaker on the UFC 271 Countdown, Israel Adesanya said:
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"Me and him, we are not the same. We are not on the same level. I've knocked him out twice in one fight... So, I'm going to finish him again. "
Watch Adesanya share his thoughts on his upcoming match below:
Middleweight king Adesanya is all set to defend his title against 'The Reaper' in a highly anticipated rematch at UFC 271 scheduled for February 12, 2022 at Toyota Center in Houston, United States.
Israel Adesanya could return to the light heavyweight division
In an interview with Stake, 'The Last Stylebender' stated that he wants to "lap" the UFC middleweight class. He's defeated top-tier middleweight challenger Marvin Vettori twice and hinted that he would try again with a few more middleweight opponents before moving up to a different weight class.
As a result, Adesanya said he'd have to fight three to four times a year, but owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the pace might slow down.
'The Last Stylebender' said:
“What keeps it fresh for me is lapping the division again, that keeps me motivated...I may return to the 205lb division, but I call that a side mission that may happen again down the line. I am just fully focused at 185lb right now.”
Last March, the Kiwi was defeated by Jan Blachowicz in his 205-pound debut by a unanimous decision. However, he's still willing to fight at 205 pounds in the future.
