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via Getty

via Getty

Israel Adesanya is all set to make his return to the UFC after a sabbatical of over half a year. ‘The Last Style Bender’ will take on ‘The Reaper’ aka Robert Whittaker, for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 271.

UFC 271 will take place on the 12th of February at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

In an interview with Conor McGregor’s media house, The Mac Life, Israel Adesanya made a shocking claim about the UFC president Dana White.

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When he was asked what he could ask White with no repercussions, Adesanya said,” Why haven’t I seen him with a mask on ever?

“I know he’s got covid now he’s beat it. But like I liked his confidence. Like, he just never had a mask on ever through this whole pandemic… It’s like this force field,” he added.

Adesanya and Dana White are close friends. The middleweight champion is not afraid to ask White questions in front of the media. We’ve seen Adesanya on tape discussing fighter pay cuts for missing weight with Dana White, and ‘The Last Stylebender’ has spoken to him without hesitation.

‘The Style Bender’ is raw and unfiltered and always talks his mind without thinking much about being judged. He’s called out the UFC before on social media as well.

Israel Adesanya will make his fourth title defense against Robert Whittaker this weekend at UFC 271.

READ MORE: “I Assume the Rock Won’t be Attending”- MMA Fans React as Joe Rogan Makes His Awaited Return to UFC 271 Commentary Booth Amidst Spotify Controversy

UFC 271: Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker – Prediction

This will not be the first time we will see Israel Adesanya take on Robert Whittaker in a title bout. The two met before at UFC 243 and Adesanya stripped Whittaker off of his title.

In their last fight, Adesanya absolutely outclassed the Australian fighter in every aspect of the fight. ‘The Last Stylebender’ won the bout via a second-round knockout. However, both fighters have come a long way ever since their last fight.

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From both of the middleweights, Israel is more advanced in the striking field and is one of the best strikers in the sport. Whittaker has very few chances of winning the fight if he doesn’t involve his grappling skills at UFC 271.

Whittaker showed great wrestling in his fight against Kelvin Gastelum, and if he uses the same tactics, maybe he’ll have a chance at winning the title.

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However, Adesanya has a great take-down defense, which will make this difficult for Whittaker. Overall, Adesanya is a better-rounded fighter than Whittaker, which will make him the favorite at UFC 271.

WATCH THIS STORY: Israel Adesanya Net Worth: Five Biggest Fight Purses of The Last Stylebender in UFC