![Israel Adesanya (left) and Robert Whittaker (right) react ahead of their main event this weekend [Image Credit: via @ufc on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/02/edaaf-16447421632948-1920.jpg)
![Israel Adesanya (left) and Robert Whittaker (right) react ahead of their main event this weekend [Image Credit: via @ufc on Instagram]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Robert Whittaker believes he will have his trilogy fight with Israel Adesanya sometime in the future.
Adesanya defeated Whittaker via KO at UFC 243 in October 2019 to claim the middleweight belt. On Saturday, 'The Last Stylebender' won the rematch at UFC 271 inside Houston's Toyota Center.
However, in the main event, 'The Reaper' put up a much better performance and lost by a unanimous decision (47-48 x2 and 46-49).
Speaking to media members following his bout, Whittaker insisted that a third encounter with Adesanya "is inevitable."
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"Honestly, a third fight between me and Izzy is inevitable. It's inevitable because I am gonna stomp anybody who comes in front of me again and he knows that too. That is why he said I will be seeing you in the future. And I don't see him losing the belt anytime soon. He is good. I think I am the person to beat him. Yeah, my mission stays the same. Beat the next guy in front of me... Get back in the gym and do what I do with a great team," said Whittaker.
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Watch Robert Whittaker in conversation with a host of combat sports reporters below:
In his professional mixed martial arts career, Adesanya currently holds a 22-1 win-loss record, while Whittaker is 23-6.
Robert Whittaker has only lost to Israel Adesanya in the UFC middleweight division
Ever since Robert Whittaker made the jump into the middleweight division, he has been phenomenal. 'The Reaper' has racked up wins over fellow contenders Uriah Hall, Derek Brunson, Darren Till, Jared Cannonier and Kelvin Gastelum.
The only person he hasn't beat is titleholder Israel Adesanya. Whittaker is now determined to get past a few more 185-pound weight class contenders in an attempt to make his way back to the pinnacle.
See journalist Spencer Kyte's recent Twitter post about Whittaker being among the UFC middleweight greats below:
'Bobby Knuckles' is still just 31 years old and younger than Adesanya. Hence, he could earn another title shot. However, it is to be seen if it's a trilogy against Adesanya or not.
