Robert Whittaker believes that Israel Adesanya’s KO loss to Alex Pereira could help him in their upcoming UFC 287 bout

UFC middleweight Robert Whittaker has suggested that Israel Adesanya’s knockout loss to Alex Pereira, could actually help him in their upcoming rematch.

In November of last year, Pereira capped off his sensational first 12 months in the UFC, stopping Adesanya In the final round of their fight. Pereira had been hurt in the first and was down on the card, but managed to land his signature left hook – which was the beginning of the end for Adesanya.

The loss took Adesanya to 0-3 against Pereira (including two kickboxing bouts) and marked his first stoppage loss in his MMA career. The 33-year-old will rematch Pereira in April and certainly has a tough task ahead, but former opponent, Whittaker, says that the outcome of the last fight could help Adesanya going into the next fight.

“If we look at the fight just from a mental perspective,” Whittaker said on the Believe You Me Podcast. “I believe Adesanya had a better chance last fight,” Whittaker said. “But in saying that, maybe now that the worst has happened again, it frees him up for the next one. You see where it can swing both ways really easily. It can either swing one way where it frees him up: the worst has happened, whatever, he gets in there mentally free. Or, he’s worried about it happening again with the small gloves because it has happened.

Honestly, skill-wise, he could have beat him skill-wise last time.” (H/T MMAFighting)

Robert Whittaker wants to fight Pereira and Adesanya

Although Whittaker has already faced Adesanya twice, losing both, the Australian still wants another crack at the former champion, as well as a showdown with Pereira.

“I’m chomping at the bit to get at both of them,” Robert Whittaker said. “I truly do feel that I can take myself to a new level. I feel that I can get in there and put on a better performance. I kind of understand where Adesanya was mentally, I guess, going into the rematch after losing twice to the same guy.

“It was a very similar predicament with me and Adesanya, and I do believe that him getting through the fights the way he did and the way everything has gone, the next fight is the best one. But then, it is what it is. I do want that fight. I do believe that I use mixed martial arts better than both of those guys. I do believe I can utilize my wrestling and grappling to make it a hellish match for both of them.”

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