The Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker rematch has now officially been announced for UFC 271 in the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, officially putting an end to the initial report that the bout would take place at UFC 270 in January.
It is worth noting that Adesanya reacted to the announcement with a cap, which is modern slang for “lying.”
Adesanya’s reaction could mean nothing, he could be trolling, or it could be a sign that all is not what it seems.
Here is what Adesanya’s manager Eugene Bareman said about the rematch with Robert Whittaker just last week:
“Rob and his people, his wonderful manager, can’t secure this fight and they’re panicking,” Bareman said in an interview with Submission Radio. “So, they put out these stupid tweets and this and that. It’s like, mate, just relax, boys. Just train. That’s all we’re doing. You guys do the same. Let us handle the business because you guys are incapable. That management team’s incapable.
“So, we’ll just handle the business side of things, and if this is the direction that the fight is going to go, towards Robert, then we’ll secure it for you. We’ll do your job for you. But stop with the social media stuff. Like, that doesn’t mean anything, it doesn’t do anything. It just shows your insecurity about the fight. Don’t worry. We’ll sort the fight out.”
Assuming the UFC has, in fact, locked in the bout, it will be a rematch from the 2019 bout between Adesanya and Whittaker that saw Adesanya capture the middleweight strap due to a second-round KO/TKO.
Adesanya has gone on to successfully defend the title against Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, and Marvin Vettori to prove he is the top dog at 185 pounds at the moment.
As for Whittaker, he brought himself right back into a title fight by stringing together three straight wins over Darren Till, Jared Cannonier, and Kelvin Gastelum.
MMA News will keep you posted on any further on this story and if there is any “capping” happening in connection to it.
Who do you think wins this rematch: Israel Adesanya or Robert Whittaker?
