What makes fighting truly exciting? Is it the flashy knockouts, the skull-crushing head kicks, the technical ground game that can produce either submission or brutal ground and pound? Well, each fan finds something or the other attractive, but the actual intrigue truly arises from an exciting rivalry between two formidable fighters. However, the present-day situation in two key weight classes of UFC is telling a completely different story.

Robert ‘The Reaper’ Whittaker and Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway have found themselves in the same boat. Both mixed martial artists have conceded not just their title to City Kick Boxing members in Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski, respectively, but have also lost twice.

Holloway may have earned his way back to challenge the Australian fighter for the third time in the featherweight division, but ‘Bobby Knuckles’ is still gunning for the number 1 contender spot at 185. 

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Speaking with Fox Sports about his upcoming number 1 contender match-up against Marvin Vettori, Whittaker talked about the possibility of an Adesanya trilogy if he gets a win over Vettori. 

‘The Reaper’ said, “I definitely think a trilogy is possible primarily because of the Holloway-Volkanovski trilogy fight going ahead. Especially considering how close my fight was with Izzy last time, I definitely think that is a very real possibility.”

Robert Whittaker failed to mimic another UFC champion’s strategy against Israel Adesanya

In two separate instances, Whittaker failed to beat Adesanya. However, the former light-heavyweight champion, Jan Błachowicz, managed to do the impossible. At UFC 259, ‘Polish Power’ not only defended his title, but also handed the Kiwi fighter his first and only loss in mixed martial arts. Hence, the Pole left behind a wrestling blueprint for everyone to follow.

With two losses to ‘The Last Stylebender’, it seems like Whittaker’s best attempts to go for the takedowns have failed. Now, with no proper plan to squeak out a decision, ‘The Reaper’ has to come up with a fresh idea.

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Adesanya has been knocked out before, but never in MMA. However, this might serve as the lonesome solution, which definitely seems highly improbable on paper. But before he can test himself yet against the middleweight champion again, he must first go through ‘The Italian Dream’.

Will Whittaker be able to win, and will Adesanya still be the champion in the fall?