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“Dodging raindrops”- Israel Adesanya Ridicules Robert Whittaker’s Punching Skills

Published 09/19/2021, 2:04 PM EDT

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After a series of delays due to COVID travel restrictions, the rematch between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker will now take place in January 2022.

While the UFC matchmakers were hoping to have the long-awaited rematch on the UFC268 card in Madison Square Garden, several complications due to New Zealand’s strict COVID protocols left them with no option but to put the fight on the back burner.

Nevertheless, a day after UFC president Dana White mentioned they were aiming to book the rematch sometime early next year, Robert Whittaker took to Twitter to announce his return to the octagon in January.

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Now, infamous for being a troll on the internet, Israel Adesanya has put up a tweet of his own. A taunt for Whittaker with a photo of him slipping a punch against Marvin Vettori, the caption reads, ‘Dodging raindrops’.

Riding on a ten-fight win streak in the middleweight division, this will be Adesanya’s fourth title defense. In their first meeting, Adesanya came out on top with a second-round knockout to become the undisputed middleweight champion.

However, ever since losing the belt to ‘The last style bender’, Robert Whittaker has gone straight back to his winning ways. The 31-year-old is on a three-fight win streak, with wins against the likes of Kelvin Gastelum, and Jared Cannonier.

Despite all this, Israel Adesanya believes he is the superior fighter and will look to get another win against the former champion. A second win against Whittaker will further cement Adesanya’s legacy as one of the greatest middleweight fighters in UFC history.

On the other hand, If Whittaker comes in with a sound game plan and the right adjustments, we very well might have a trilogy on our hands.

What’s next for Israel Adesanya after Robert Whittaker?

The number three pound for pound fighter in the world, Israel Adesanya, has gone through a majority of the division. Decisive wins against top contenders like Kelvin Gastelum, Paulo Costa, and Marvin Vettori undoubtedly make him one of the most decorated champions in the history of the division.

However, luckily for the fans, there are several interesting matchups left for Adesanya to take on. First would be a showdown against Jared Cannonier, a fighter who Adesanya calls ‘The dark horse of the division.’

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An even more intriguing matchup down the line would be Adesanya, taking on Alex Pereira. The only man to knockout out ‘The last style bender’ during his kickboxing days. A vicious and decorated kickboxing phenom, Pereira recently signed with the UFC and has two wins against Adesanya.

If the Brazilian can make his way to the top of the division, a fight between these two would undoubtedly be on for the ages.

What do you think? What’s next for Israel Adesanya? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

David Andrew

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David Andrew is an MMA author at EssentiallySports with a background in English Literature from St. Stephens College. Prior to his current role, David, who combines his passion for writing and combat sports, contributed to the MMA divisions at Sportskeeda and The Sportsrush.
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