UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya made it 2-0 against his biggest competitive rival Saturday night.
Adesanya defeated Robert Whittaker via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) in the UFC 271 main event in Houston to retain the 185-pound title for the fourth time.
Adesanya previously beat Whittaker by second-round knockout in 2019 to claim the belt.
The rematch was much more competitive, but Adesanya ultimately edged Whittaker again with his stand-up skills. Some of the champion's best work were his low kicks, and he also used consistent pressure throughout the five-round contest.
Whittaker had success with his jab, and he also landed multiple takedowns on Adesanya, but Adesanya's defense largely held up. He did not allow Whittaker to advance on the ground and returned to his feet quickly.
After the fight, Adesanya expressed interest in a matchup against top contender Jared Cannonier, who defeated Derek Brunson earlier on the UFC 271 main card.
At the postfight press conference, UFC president Dana White confirmed Cannonier will get the next title shot.
"I'm not going to say no to Cannonier," White said, according to MMA Fighting.
"The Last Stylebender" remained undefeated in the middleweight division with the victory. He's now riding a two-fight winning streak. His only career loss came in a March 2021 light heavyweight title fight against then-champion Jan Blachowicz.
Adesanya has defended his belt against Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori, and now Whittaker since becoming champion in 2019.
Whittaker won three fights in a row against Darren Till, Cannonier, and Kelvin Gastelum to earn a rematch with Adesanya.
