Robert Whittaker has revealed, that in his first bout with Israel Adesanya, he had let his emotions get the best of him, something he will avoid in their rematch
The former UFC middleweight champion will throw down with the last Stylebender on February 12. UFC 271 will take place at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. It will likely be the second time the pair have met because of their clash at UFC 243 three years in the past, which Adesanya won thru a devastating second–spherical TKO.
Whittaker, 31, admitted that his animosity in the direction of Adesanya encouraged his fight strategy, causing him to charge in like a headless chook most effective to be caught with the aid of a perfectly-timed counterpunch.
Whittaker’s recent interview with MMA Junkie
Whittaker had this to say:-
“I got in my own head so much and I had so much grudge towards him and gripe that I wore myself out,
“I had so much anger and hate, and I wore myself out.
“It got tiring being angry at him, and for no real reason. It’s not like he came to my house and stole my TV.
“You can see how of out of the ordinary I fought. How reckless, if you would, how I fought.
“I guess that’s the biggest regret I would have in that fight. I wish I fought like myself. I’m not satisfied with that.”
Whittaker went back to the drawing board losing to fellow Kiwi Adesanya, revealing that he had to undertake “a significant chunk of soul-searching.”
And New South Wales’ battling pride is keen to redress the wrongs in their rubber match.
Whittaker added: –
“After the first loss, I had a big chunk of soul-searching and trying to understand myself and my own headspace.
“That kind of set the foundation for everything else I can do. I get in my own head and try to dissect things to try and make things in my life easier, ever since that first loss.
“I find that if you focus on these little obstacles or why you’re feeling like this, you literally can make it better, and it makes the whole process easier.
“I got over it. Honestly, once I let that go, I started seeing him like everybody else. I don’t hate the guy anymore. If anything, I respect his skill sets.
“I respect him just doing his thing. That’s the thing. While I think his behavior’s a little [out there] sometimes, he’s staying true to it.
“He’s still doing it. He’s just him. I guess that’s the long answer: I don’t hate the guy.”
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