Ahead of the clash, Whittaker thanked those who stuck by him at his lowest, while UFC king Adesanya claimed nothing more than a win on Sunday.
UFC 271 Middleweight title rematch between Australian Robert Whittaker and New Zealander Israel Adesanya has stirred excitement among fans, with both mixed martial artists geared up for the main event. Ahead of the clash, Whittaker thanked those who stuck by him at his lowest, while UFC king Adesanya claimed nothing more than a win on Sunday.
Whittaker lost his middleweight championship belt to the Nigeria-born Israel Adesanya in a second-round knockout in Melbourne in October 2019.
The charismatic New Zealander has since defended his title three times to own the weight class. After signing a new multi-fight deal, Adesanya has also been touted as UFC's second-highest earner behind the legendary Conor McGregor.
32-year-old Adesanya has an impressive 21-1 mixed martial arts record and is 10-1 since joining the UFC four years ago. The New Zealander's only defeat so far has been against Jan Blachowicz when he stepped up to light heavyweight in a bid to become a rare double champion.
Meanwhile, 31-year-old Whittaker, who has a 24-5 record, has registered a win in his past three fights to earn another shot at Adesanya, which will take place at Houston's Toyota Centre tomorrow. Ahead of their fight, the duo came face to face once again. They both weighed in at 184 pounds, sparking excitement among fans of yet another epic UFC 271 clash.
Former champion Whittaker admitted his performance in his defeat to Adesanya took a beating due to the intense pressure he felt in the lead-up to the fight. However, the Australian has let all that go and is a different man now for their rematch. "You guys were here when I was at my lowest, and you believed in me, and I'm going to give you a good fight tomorrow," a relaxed and smiling Whittaker said at the pre-fight press conference.
As for Adesanya, the New Zealander sported a necklace in their address to the media and also had the display screen replaying the moment he knocked Whittaker out at UFC 243. However, the usually outspoken champion was more cautious, keeping his final comments short. "No more words; he won't win because I will not lose," the 32-year-old said. The stacked card also features Australian heavyweight favourite Tai Tuivasa against Derrick Lewis, with the winner a chance of earning a title shot.