Robert Whittaker has set sights on a rematch with UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, saying “no other fight makes sense” as he eyes a stadium headliner in Australia or New Zealand later this year.
Whittaker, the division’s No 1-ranked contender, put on a clinic of a display against Kelvin Gastelum at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Sunday morning, dominating to earn a unanimous decision. All three judges scored the headline bout 50-45.
The victory was Whittaker’s third since losing the belt to Adesanya in late 2019, including two at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, with those coming against top-ranked opponents Darren Till and Jared Cannonier.
With another chalked off on Sunday, Whittaker is now targeting a chance to avenge his defeat to Adesanya – it marks his sole loss in the past seven years, a run stretching 13 fights – at UFC 243 in Melbourne in October 2019.
Adesanya, who prevailed by second-round knockout, is coming off a defeat having last month suffered his first reverse in professional mixed martial arts when he stepped up against light-heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz.
Speaking after Sunday’s win against Gastelum, Whittaker told the assembled media: "There's no fight that makes sense for me but that title shot, that's the fight that I want and that's what I'm getting.
“Nothing but respect. [Adesanya's] a great fighter. But I think it’s about time we crossed paths once again. They might just open up the borders for Australia in September. Let’s make that happen. Let’s see if we can get a stadium back home.”
Whittaker is a New Zealand-born Australian, while Adesanya was born in Nigeria but moved to New Zealand at age 10, giving a fight in that part of the world obvious appeal.
Whittaker beats Darren Till in Abu Dhabi
Adesanya, whose pro record reads 20-1, was quick to respond on social media to Whittaker’s latest triumph, although with more than a little hint of a jibe, posting: “Good job, my son.”
When told about the tweet, Whittaker (23-5 MMA) said: “It’s him. It is what it is. He had a win, he gets to trash talk, right? He beat me last time. But I’m going to work hard, and I think I’ve got some tricks he hasn’t seen yet.
“It was always a goal to fight for that gold because it was just one of the things… I take it one fight at a time. I never look into the future because it’s so uncertain when you have a dangerous opponent like Till, Cannonier, Gastelum in front of you. How can I try to plan things with Adesanya when I have those killers in front of me?
“The next fight for me is for the title. That’s the fight I’ve earned.”
Kevin Iole, the Yahoo! Sports columnist, reported that he had texted UFC president Dana White about making Adesanya-Whittaker 2 next, with White apparently replying: "That makes sense". Whittaker and Gastelum's match-up was named Fight of the Night on Sunday.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The biog
From: Upper Egypt
Age: 78
Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila
Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace
Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
ENGLAND%20SQUAD
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Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Final round
25 under - Antoine Rozner (FRA)
23 - Francesco Laporta (ITA), Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG)
21 - Grant Forrest (SCO)
20 - Ross Fisher (ENG)
19 - Steven Brown (ENG), Joakim Lagergren (SWE), Niklas Lemke (SWE), Marc Warren (SCO), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)
The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
Dr Graham's three goals
Short term
Establish logistics and systems needed to globally deploy vaccines
Intermediate term
Build biomedical workforces in low- and middle-income nations
Long term
A prototype pathogen approach for pandemic preparedness
UAE SQUAD
Ali Khaseif, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Khalid Essa, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Salem Rashid, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Mohammed Al Attas, Walid Abbas, Hassan Al Mahrami, Mahmoud Khamis, Alhassan Saleh, Ali Salmeen, Yahia Nader, Abdullah Ramadan, Majed Hassan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Fabio De Lima, Khalil Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Muhammed Jumah, Yahya Al Ghassani, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
Formula One top 10 drivers' standings after Japan
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 306
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 234
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 192
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 148
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 111
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 82
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 65
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 48
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 34
