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“Who Let This Guy In”- Robert Whittaker Makes Israel Adesanya Comparison Against ‘Giant’ Alex Pereira

Published 11/16/2022, 8:45 AM EST

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Alex Pereira, becoming the new UFC middleweight champion, has opened the door for a lot of contenders like Robert Whittaker, Marvin Vettori, etc. Meanwhile, these contenders had given up their title aspirations because they had lost to the former champion, Israel Adesanya, twice. However, with a new champion in the division, their hopes have been lit up. 

Fans are most excited for the former champ, Whittaker. The Aussie is a fan favorite. Moreover, in their second fight, a lot of people thought that he won. However, apart from that, ‘The Reaper’ has defeated everyone except ‘The Last Stylebender’. Furthermore, there was also a narrative that he would have been the champion had Adesanya not been there. 

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Now that the Nigerian-born fighter has lost his belt, fans are keen to see what’s in store for the Aussie. Recently, in an interview, Whittaker talked about how he sees himself matchup against Pereira. 

Robert Whittaker was in awe looking at the size of Alex Pereira

In a recent interview for the UFC 284 event that is supposed to take place in Perth, Australia. Whittaker was sitting with the media along with the current pound-for-pound king, Alexander Volkanovski. During the interview, the reaper was asked about how he sees Pereira as an opponent. 

Meanwhile, Whittaker, who acknowledged that his next opponent is Paulo Costa, replied, “As I said before, I’m not planning past Costa. But I can say that I think Pereira is a better match for me than Israel, just cause of the way he stands and the way he likes to push forward. The way he likes to fight, I feel gives me a better edge.”

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However, The Aussie also mentioned that Poatan’s size could be a massive threat. He said, “But in saying that, did you see the size of the fella? Why is nobody mentioning that? The dude’s a giant. He’s an absolute giant.”

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While comparing the Brazilian’s size with Adesanya’s, the Aussie said, “I’ve been face to face with Israel and it’s surprising to see, Israel is pretty big. He looks talk and lengthy, but he’s a pretty big dude. And then you see Pereira up against him and he’s just, his facial features are bigger, his feet, hands, and forearms are massive. And I’m thinking like, ‘who let this guy in?’ But still, I think I can take him.”

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With Pereira as the new champ, fans might get to see some explosive fights in the middleweight division.

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Do you think Whittaker has a better chance against Alex Pereira than Israel Adesanya? Let us know. 

WATCH THIS STORY:  WATCH: Five Times Alex Pereira Mocked Rival Israel Adesanya Ahead of UFC 281

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Written by:

Afshan Khan

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Afshan Khan is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. After completing his graduation in Mass Communication, Afshan pursued his passion for sports, especially MMA, and transcended it into his profession. He has been following the sport for the past 6 years, and with his nuanced knowledge and his content, wants to attract more fans to the various mixed martial arts promotions around the globe.
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Edited by:

Rohini Kottu