UFC 271 is all set to take place this weekend at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The long-awaited Israel Adesanya vs Robert Whittaker rematch will conclude the night in style. The 2 middleweights are clashing for the second time after the main event of UFC 243 in 2019, where Izzy took home a convincing second-round win.
The stats are in ☑️
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Adesanya’s fearless callouts
Ever since his arrival into the UFC, the aptly named Last Stylebender has taken the MMA landscape by storm and it is not only his skill inside the Octagon that has garnered him that reputation. His multi-cultural background and funky nature have appealed to masses of different preferences and ages. It probably only helps to have such an incredible record in the cage.
Part of his personality is his unabashed nature. Likewise, brazen declarations that are backed by unshakeable self-belief have also always been a feature of his press conferences or media interactions.
Ahead of his 23rd career fight, he had this to say about encountering fellow middleweight Jared Cannonier.
"I saw Jared (Cannonier) backstage. I said 'I like fresh meat'. And Sean (Strickland), that's easy money. And also he talks a lot so that's big money. That's big easy money."
Israel Adesanya on future potential opponents 👀 #UFC271
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“I saw Jared (Cannonier) backstage. I said ‘I like fresh meat’.”
Cannonier himself fights on the same card as Adesanya at UFC 271. He goes up against the #4 ranked middleweight contender, Derek Brunson, in what is sure to be a fiery matchup. And Izzy being Izzy, he had already mentioned rematching against Brunson too in another interview.
Another American middleweight is also in the champion’s sights.
“And Sean (Strickland), that’s easy money. And also he talks a lot so that’s big money. That’s big easy money.”
Strickland, who only has 3 losses in his career, is on a 6 fight win streak since 2018 and has slowly climbed the division rankings. He will be rearing to get an opportunity to go against Adesanya and prove his mettle against the division’s best.
The dominant champion, Israel Adesanya
Bear in mind, all the above-mentioned fighters are ranked #3 (Cannonier), #4 (Brunson), #6 (Strickland). It is a testament to Israel Adesanya’s dominance and confidence, that he welcomes any challenge and treats skilled athletes with disdain in a competitive context. Furthermore, the middleweight champion has beaten the #2 contender, Marvin Vettori, twice and is on his way to potentially record a second victory against #1 contender, Robert Whittaker, too.
Tune in to UFC 271 to find out if his dominance will continue unchecked.
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