Israel Adesanya defeats Whittaker, retains UFC middleweight belt

Nigerian-born New Zealand professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and former boxer with multiple championships in all three disciplines, Israel Adesanya has defeated Robert Whittaker via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) at #UFC271 to retain the middleweight crown.

Adesanya and his arch-rival, Whittaker, clashed for the second time at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Sunday morning.

Robert Whittaker got a chance at revenge on Sunday morning but failed.

The clash between the two best middleweights in the UFC was the main event for UFC 271 from Houston’s Toyota Center.

The fight is Adesanya’s fourth title defence after wins against Yoel Romero, Paolo Costa and Marvin Vettori.

Adesanya emerged victorious in their first fight at the Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia in 2019 to claim the middleweight title and he is confident of retaining the belt against a much improved Whittaker.

Widely regarded as one of the best strikers in mixed martial arts, Adesanya scored a thunderous second-round knockout of Whittaker in Melbourne, Australia to claim the title in October 2019 to cap an amazing run in just his seventh fight with the promotion.

Whittaker rebounded with three straight victories to earn a second shot against Adesanya after his brief stay atop the division. Adesanya is 3-1 since their first meeting with the lone defeat coming in a failed attempt to earn a second title at light heavyweight against Jan Blachowicz.

Before taking up fighting, Adesanya regularly competed in dance competitions across New Zealand. He highlighted his passion for dance in a choreographed walkout at UFC 243.

Adesanya is a fan of anime and has stated he would like to start an anime production company after retiring from fighting. His nickname “The Last Stylebender” is a reference to Avatar: The Last Airbender, an anime-influenced cartoon series. Adesanya has the image of one of the show’s main characters, Toph Beifong, tattooed on his forearm.

In September 2020, he became the first mixed martial arts athlete to sign a sponsorship deal with Puma. Adesanya was also signed as an ambassador for Stake.com in January 2021