Robert Whittaker is a top-class fighter with a star-studded MMA resume behind him. Although the Aussie lost his middleweight strap to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243 in 2019, he has climbed his way back to a title shot that will go down at UFC 271 in Texas on February 12.

Being well aware of that, ‘The Reaper’ has started the preparations for the homecoming of his long-lost middleweight championship. And it all revolves around former light heavyweight champion, Jan Blachowicz.

Speaking with Ariel Helwani, ‘Bobby Knuckles’ laid out his plans for a successful middleweight championship campaign. He said, “I think Jan set the blueprint up to beat Izzy, quite, quite thoroughly, I think, if we’re looking at it, patience, striking, and takedowns when opportune. I think those three things are what leads you to beat someone like Israel. You want to avoid getting hit by his big counter-striking punches and his big levers.”

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“You take him down when you can to make him uncomfortable, to slow his arms and legs down. And you’ve got to be patient, because if you rush in – you get hit in the face, okay,” Whittaker told Helwani.

“But in saying that, you have to change the game plan Jan went into. To account for Jan’s pros and… special traits that are unique to him, such as his Polish power and Polish head.”

How did Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker 1 turn out?

Robert Whittaker versus Israel Adesanya was one of the most anticipated matches in the promotion’s history. ‘The Last Stylebender’ was coming off two consecutive victories over Anderson Silva and Kelvin Gastelum to challenge ‘The Reaper’ for the undisputed champion status. Likewise, Whittaker was also on a middleweight rampage with his winning streak.

However, the stars were in Adesanya‘s favor as the Kiwi gave his most dominant performance inside the octagon, blasting Whittaker with a second-round knockout.

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Now, it remains to be seen if ‘Bobby Knuckles’ can replicate Jan Blachowicz‘s strategy that handed Adesanya his lone UFC loss. Given Adesanya’s prowess on his feet, it would benefit him greatly.

Can Whittaker beat his compatriot to regain the middleweight strap? Let us know in the comments below.