Israel Adesanya puts more weight behind defeating Robert Whittaker than being recognized as the undisputed UFC middleweight champion.
Adesanya and Whittaker will collide this Saturday night (Oct. 5). Whittaker holds the UFC middleweight gold, while Adesanya is the interim title holder. They’ll do battle in the main event of UFC 243 inside Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.
Adesanya Values Win Over Whittaker More Than UFC Gold
Following an open workout session, Adesanya explained to media members why he values beating Whittaker more than becoming the undisputed middleweight king (via MMAJunkie.com).
“Look, (expletive) the belt,” Adesanya said. “For me, the real gold is beating him because he’s a warrior, he’s got that Maori blood in him. He’s not the first Maori I fought, trust me. So Sunday, Oct. 6, if you don’t have your tickets, don’t steal, don’t do nothing crazy. Just make sure you get your tickets because trust me, we’re going to blow that place up.”
Adesanya went on to say that he has envisioned this moment for years.
“If you’ve been following me for a long time, everything I’ve done, I’ve been calling it,” Adesanya said. “And even at UFC 193, right here, back when it was Etihad Stadium, I remember walking the streets and tweeting, ‘If you see Dana, just mention me, drop my name,’ and now here we are.
