UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker isn’t convinced that Israel Adesanya’s wrestling is his biggest weakness.
Whittaker and Adesanya will do battle in a middleweight title unification bout this Saturday night (Oct. 5). The bout will headline UFC 243 inside Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. Whittaker is in search of his first successful middleweight title defense. While he defeated Yoel Romero in their rematch back in June 2018, it wasn’t considered a title bout as “The Solider of God” missed weight.
Whittaker Talks Adesanya’s Weakness & It Isn’t His Wrestling
Speaking to BJPenn.com, Whittaker revealed that he doesn’t believe Adesanya’s wrestling was an issue during his April war with Kelvin Gastelum.
“No, I don’t think it was the wrestling. I think it was the fact that Gastelum could put hands on him. I think people underestimate Adesanya’s wrestling,” Robert Whittaker explained. “Adesanya’s wrestling, he is a big guy, long arms, and he wrestles and trains in it a lot. I don’t underestimate that. But, what I took from the fight was Gastelum was able to close that gap and land shots on his chin. I am much quicker than Gastelum, taller than Gastelum, have longer arms than Gastelum. If Gastelum can hit him, I can hit him.”
Whittaker plans on closing the distance and stopping Adesanya.
“I definitely believe this is a fight I can finish and I have 25-minutes to go for it. That is all I am going to do,” he said.
“I will be able to close the gap. I’m faster, hit hard and I don’t go away,” he added.
