The UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, looks jacked in the latest photo posted by him on social media.
The #4 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC hasn’t fought since his fight against Marvin Vettori at UFC 263 on June 12, 2021. The COVID-19 restrictions in his country, New Zealand, are the reasons for Adesanya’s absence.
However, ‘The Last Stylebender’ looks ready to return to action at UFC 271. The long-awaited rematch between him and former UFC middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker, is being scheduled for February 13, 2021. Initially, it was rumored that Adesanya vs. Whittaker would headline UFC 270, along with Ngannou vs. Gane. Still, because of Adesanya’s inability to return to New Zealand in January because of restrictions, the UFC will potentially shift the bout to February.
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Robert Whittaker’s agent Titus Day confirmed the reports and said, “So UFC 271 is now the most likely date, very likely, in fact. And we’ve told the UFC to send the contracts. Rob is ready to go. He can fight December, January, February… he’s in great shape and ready to go.”
Even though the fight is possibly slated for February, the current middleweight champion looks raring to go.
Ta lo fe ku leni?! 😤😆 pic.twitter.com/y1uOJcp0wd
— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) October 18, 2021
He looks to have put on mass and looks bigger than before. By the looks of it, whenever his next fight will be, Adesanya will be more than ready to use his strength and try to dish out some punishment to Whittaker.
Can Israel Adesanya get the job done a second time?
Israel Adesanya and ‘The Reaper’ went head to head for the first time at UFC 243. Adesanya was the interim champion and was looking to unify the belt by beating Whittaker. He displayed some exquisite striking against the former champ and knocked him out in the second round. The win earned him his fourth ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus in the UFC.
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Since their first fight, ‘The Last Stylebender’ has defended his title three times. Earlier in 2021, he even moved up a weight class and challenged Jan Blachowicz for the UFC light-heavyweight title. The Polish native outclassed him and won by a unanimous decision. However, his reign as the middleweight champion has been dominant.
On the other hand, Robert Whittaker seems to have returned to action rejuvenated ever since he lost his title. He returned to the UFC against Darren Till at UFC Fight Island 3 and put up a clinical performance. ‘The Reaper’ won the fight via a unanimous decision. Since then, he has fought two more times, winning both the fights in impressive fashion.
It will be interesting to see how the two fighters will match up this time and if Whittaker will be able to challenge Adesanya.
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What do you make of Adesanya’s new look? Let us know your thoughts!
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