'%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)
Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker locked horns at UFC 243 back in October 2019. The then-unbeaten Nigerian-New Zealander and interim UFC middleweight champion went into the fight to stake his claim for Whittaker's throne and emerged victorious as the new undisputed titleholder.
'The Last Stylebender' traveled to Robert Whittaker's backyard at the Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. He managed to dominantly outperform 'The Reaper', recording a win by way of TKO in the second round.
Watch Israel Adesanya take on Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 below:
According to the UFC's official website, Adesanya managed to record 40 significant strikes over the course of their clash at UFC 243. He landed 27 strikes to Whittaker's head, six to the body and seven to the leg.
Whittaker, on the other hand, recorded 32 significant strikes, landing 20 to Adesanya's head, three to the body and nine to the leg. The clash was extremely striking heavy, as neither fighter attempted a takedown throughout.
Adesanya dropped the Australian in the dying seconds of the first round. He likely would have brought the fight to an end at that point had Whittaker not been saved by the bell.
The New Zealand-born Australian went into the second round seeking to pressure Adesanya, as he had tried to do throughout the fight. Whittaker had been lunging in and leaving himself vulnerable to some stunning counters.
Adesanya's defense was just as impenetrable in the second round as it was in the first. Three and a half minutes into the second frame, the interim UFC middleweight champion cracked Whittaker with a right and followed it up with a left hook.
The combination sent Whittaker to the canvas for the last time, earning Adesanya the coveted UFC middleweight title.
Israel Adesanya hopes to surprise Robert Whittaker with his strength in the clinch
While in conversation with Combat TV, Israel Adesanya recently revealed that he was hoping to shock Robert Whittaker with his skills and strength while clinching.
Recalling the fact they barely clinched during their first encounter, Adesanya asserted he was going to approach this fight differently.
"[Robert Whittaker's] going to be in for a rude awakening when he feels me because the first time we didn’t clinch. I hope to clinch with him this time because every time they do it and they realize, ‘Oh he’s a lot stronger than...’ they all say that. They think they know how strong I am until they feel me, then they’re like, ‘Oh sh*t.'”
Catch Israel Adesanya's interaction with Combat TV right here:
The reigning middleweight champion is hurtling towards his rematch against Robert Whittaker, which is set to take place at the Toyota Center in Houston on February 12.
