Whittaker thought he beat Adesanya, says 3rd fight 'inevitable'
Robert Whittaker thought his hand should have been raised after he went five rounds with Israel Adesanya on Saturday.
Whittaker challenged Adesanya for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 271. It was a chance at redemption after Adesanya stopped Whittaker to win the belt in 2019. Adesanya won their second bout by unanimous decision in a much more competitive fight.
"I thought I did enough," Whittaker said at the postfight press conference, according to MMA Fighting. "Breaking it down, I think I lost the first round. And then I put myself back together. I think I beat him to every punch, I got takedowns. I thought I did enough. But it is what it is."
Adesanya remained undefeated at 185 pounds and defended his title for the fourth time. Whittaker doesn't think anyone - besides himself - can take that belt anytime soon.
"Honestly, I don't see anybody else getting close to beating him," Whittaker said. "He's a phenomenal fighter. He's got good eyes, he's got good timing, and his physical makeup just makes him dangerous."
But Whittaker had a different stance on Adesanya's invincibility when assessing their rematch.
"Honestly, I thought he looked very beatable," Whittaker said, adding: "He didn't land anything that really hurt me bar that one shot in the first."
Between his fights against Adesanya, Whittaker bounced back with wins over top contenders Darren Till, Jared Cannonier, and Kelvin Gastelum, making it clear he was the UFC's second-best middleweight and ready for another title shot. The 31-year-old Australian is prepared to do what it takes to prove himself worthy of a trilogy bout with Adesanya.
"A third fight between me and Izzy is inevitable. It's inevitable," Whittaker said. "Because I'm going to stomp anybody who comes in front of me again. And he knows that, too. That's why he said, 'I'll be seeing you in the future.' And I don't see him losing the belt anytime soon.
He added: "I think I am the person to beat him."
Whittaker appeared to make improvements - both physically and mentally - between meetings with Adesanya. His wins following his first loss to the 32-year-old were some of the cleanest performances of his career. Confident he can continue to "evolve," Whittaker doesn't think a second loss to the reigning champ - usually a bad spot to be in - negatively impacts his career trajectory that much.
"You can see in this fight I just had with him how much I've come - to the point where I think I beat him," Whittaker said. "So I'm excited for the future. The ceiling is nowhere in sight. There is no ceiling for me."