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Israel Adesanya believes he missed out on an easier path to victory against Robert Whittaker.
Back at UFC 271, Adesanya edged out Whittaker in a technical battle that many fans felt was a toss-up. The decision went the way of the champion, although Whittaker himself believes that he did enough to get over the finish line and reclaim the strap.
Whether you agree with that theory or not, it's no surprise to see many calling for a trilogy at some point down the line. It's also understandable for fans of the UFC middleweight champion to feel like he left a lot in the tank, especially after dropping 'Bobby Knuckles' in the first round.
During a recent interview with Sky Sports, Adesanya spoke about how he could've finished the fight:
“I haven’t watched the fight yet, but I wasn’t as impressed with my performance as I’d like to be, even though I won. I’m just hard on myself with these things... One thing I’ve said is I wish I’d asked Eugene [his coach] what dropped him in the first round, but I chose not to at the time because I didn’t want to focus on the past. But, in hindsight, I wish I had, because that would’ve given me an easier path to victory, put it that way.”
Watch Adesanya's interview with Sky Sports below:
Israel Adesanya - knockout artist or technical machine?
Many fans and pundits will put a great deal of weight into whether or not a fighter secures more finishes or more decisions en route to victory. In this regard, Israel Adesanya's career in the UFC makes for interesting reading.
The champion currently has 12 UFC fights to his name with an 11-1 record. Across his 11 victories, four have come via a finish and seven have been as a result of a decision win. The big note here is that he came within seconds of finishing Kelvin Gastelum in their five-round war at UFC 236.
Israel Adesanya may not always give the fans what they want, but this is a fighter who knows how to win.
