Twice going through Robert Whittaker in title settings, Israel Adesanya has drafted the Auckland-born favourite into his coaching camp forward of his comeback combat at UFC Saudi Arabia on the flip of subsequent month, as he prepares for a pivotal pairing towards the surging, Nassourdine Imavov.
Adesanya, a former two-time middleweight champion, returns to motion on February 1. in a visit to the Center East, in a bid to forestall a career-first three-fight shedding run.
Sidelined since final August, Metropolis Kickboxing star, Adesanya most just lately headlined UFC 305 in a championship grudge match problem towards the incumbent, Dricus du Plessis, dropping an eventual neck crank submission loss to the South African.
The defeat got here as Nigerian-Kiwi striker, Adesanya’s second consecutively following a previous resolution shutout loss to Sean Strickland the September prior in an enormous upset defeat to the outspoken striker.
And simply weeks out from his return to motion at UFC Saudi Arabia in a visit to the Center East to tackle the streaking middleweight drive, Imavov, Adesanya has employed the skills of former two-fight rival, Whittaker into his coaching camp.
Israel Adesanya trains with Robert Whittaker pre-UFC Abu Dhabi return
“New year, new friends,” Israel Adesanya posted on his official X account accompanied by images and movies of himself coaching with Robert Whittaker just lately.
First assembly Whittaker again in 2019, Adesanya — the then-interim middleweight champion efficiently unified the divisional crowns with a blistering second spherical knockout win within the pair’s first matchup.
And three years later, Israel Adesanya was this time pressured the 5 spherical distance by the surging challenger, earlier than prevailing in a unanimous resolution success in Houston, Texas.
But to be booked since October of final 12 months, Whittaker has remained sidelined since his grotesque face crank submission loss to the unbeaten middleweight star, Khamzat Chimaev — by which he suffered a nasty facial and jaw damage within the course of.
