Robert Whittaker Open to ‘Kissing’ Coach Instead of Going With Israel Adesanya’s ‘Choice’

Would you paint your nails or kiss your coach after winning a combat outing? Difficult question isn’t it? Well, Robert Whittaker had to answer the same and choose one among the two. ‘Bobby Knuckles’ is going to take on division boogeyman Khamzat Chimaev in a blockbuster at UFC 308 and before that, he is doing his media promotions for the fight but little did ‘The Reaper’ know that he would have a bunch of uncanny choices to make in a recent interview!

Whittaker sat down with Full Violence MMA’s Aly Mac in the latest episode of The Kick Back series. He was asked a bunch of challenging questions and even though the full episode is coming out next week, the question in the teaser video on Instagram has garnered amazing attention from fans. He is asked whether he would paint his nails like Israel Adesanya or kiss his coach as Dricus Du Plessis did once. ‘The Reaper’ was ready with his answer and explanation in no time!

He chose DDP’s gesture and said, “Does DDP? he kisses on the lips aye? Probably kiss my coach.” To this, Mac jokingly exclaimed, “Love that because you are gay!” Whittaker continued the hilarious conversation and said, “Sorry babe. To all my friends and family surprise! Right? No, because like, it’s an act of intimacy but it’s not romantic intimacy just like just closeness. It’s like you kiss your kids on the lips. I don’t know except for when I want to annoy them. Whereas I feel like painting my nails is a choice. It’s like, I don’t know makes me feel funny inside. Yeah, I am not painting my nails. I’ll kiss a grown man but.”

It is interesting to note that even though he selected to go with Du Plessis’s gesture, the Australian has considerable history with both fighters. The former UFC middleweight champ has faced Israel Adesanya twice at UFC 243 and UFC 271 but was soundly put down on both occasions. After that, he took on Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 290, and after ‘Stillknocks’ knocked Whittaker out cold, he kissed his coach, Morne Visser to express his delight. However, Whittaker answered this question without any animosity. But do you know why the South African native kissed his coach square on the lips?

The main reason Dricus Du Plessis kissed his coach on the lips

Dricus Du Plessis’s first title defense against Israel Adesanya further propelled him to the top of the middleweight division. But his success is not solely attributed to his own talent. His coach, Morne Visser, has played an integral role in his journey. One notable moment that highlights their close bond was when Du Plessis, after defeating Robert Whittaker, kissed Visser on the lips.

This display of affection surprised many fans, with some expressing confusion. However, others explained that this gesture might be rooted in South African culture, where physical expressions of affection, including kissing on the lips between friends or family members, are more common than in some other cultures.

Cameron Saaiman, another UFC bantamweight fighter, has also shared a celebratory kiss with his coach. In an interview, Saaiman explained that this gesture is a common practice in his culture, reflecting the close bond between fighters and their trainers “Well, that’s how we were brought up, in African culture, we were brought up to greet our father or grandfather with a kiss, and a hug was considered a normal thing.” He also mentioned that this gesture could come out as odd to people outside the culture. But it was quite normal for him.

Even Du Plessis explained the same while speaking to Nina Marie Danielle when she asked if he would do the same celebratory kiss if he won against Sean Strickland. He said, “Yeah, I am going to kiss a lot of you. I am definitely kissing my coach. I am definitely kissing my brothers, my mom, my dad.”

It is safe to say that the gesture is quite a staple in African culture and the fighters are proudly embracing it. What are your views on the same? Tell us in the comments below.