Coach Eugene Bareman Left Concerned About Israel Adesanya’s Future After Latest Middleweight Update: “It’s Just What We Have to Do”

The world has begun talking about Israel Adesanya going against Robert Whittaker for the third time, following the announcement of UFC Sydney. However, Dricus du Plessis has also slithered into the conversations. With du Plessis and Whittaker set to land against each other at UFC 290, the world has gone into anxious mode. The victor would emerge as the contender to fight ‘The Last Stylebender’. 

Recently, Adesanya’s coach, Eugene Bareman, appeared in an interview on Sky Sport NZ. Without a doubt, they tackled him with questions about his thoughts on potential next opponents for Adesanya. He believed that ‘The Reaper’ didn’t deserve to get the title shot. Nevertheless, he seemed open to fighting him if necessary. However, he was also content with du Plessis being the next opponent for Adesanya. Nonetheless, his concern was clear.

Israel Adesanya’s coach outlines plans for defending the middleweight title

In an interview with Sky Sport NZ, the interviewer asked the City Kickboxing head coach about his opinion if Whittaker defeated du Plessis at UFC 290. He said, “Maybe he has to fight Robert a third time… To be honest, I really haven’t looked at that possibility because I just didn’t… How many wins has he got since we last ruled him? It’s basically just, we fought him and he’s been on the ring one time since then. Whereas we’ve just keep tracking on… Izzy and we are who we are, like you just put the opponent in front of us and then we will fight.”

Bareman reiterated that Whittaker is not a good matchup for Adesanya. He justified that Adesanya had already defeated him twice before. Instead, he believed that du Plessis would be a better opponent for ‘The Last Stylebender’. 

Read More: “I Didn’t Say the Word ‘More African’”- Dricus du Plessis Clears the Air Around His ‘Real African’ Statement Which Started the Whole Beef With Israel Adesanya

He said, “I mean, our preference is to fight Robert again because we’ve obviously already beaten Robert twice and he hasn’t really done anything since that loss… So, our preference would be the South African [Dricus du Plessis]. But then the South African has to get across the line and obviously he’s got a very tough opponent, and Robert to fight.” Thereafter, the coach declared that the team would get ready to fight Whittaker if they have to.

Nevertheless, the middleweight king had his own opinions on the matchup.

Adesanya thinks Whittaker has a better chance 

In a previous episode of ‘FREESTYLEBENDER’, Israel Adesanya analyzed the fight between ‘The Reaper’ and ‘Stillknocks’ prior to their bout at UFC 290. Although the fight would be competitive indeed, Adesanya believed that Whittaker would rise victorious.

However, he didn’t rule out the possibility of du Plessis winning the fight. The middleweight champion was doubtful of his ability to outlast his opponents.

Watch This Story: “He’s a F***ing Legend but I Can…”- Israel Adesanya Reveals Interest in Chasing Hollywood Legend’s Job After MMA Career

What are your thoughts on Adesanya’s next probable opponents? Let us know in the comments.