Robert Whittaker’s middleweight belt will finally be on the line at UFC 243, when “The Reaper” faces interim titleholder Israel Adesanya in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 5. For Whittaker’s longtime jiu-jitsu coach Alex Prates, this contest might change the way the public sees the 185-pound champion.
For Prates, a black belt under Rolker Gracie and Royler Gracie, the ability to keep Adesanya guessing throughout the five-round fight will be the key to coming out victorious in his first UFC title defense.
“Maybe you’ll see Robert Whittaker using a style that I think is the one that suits him better but he never really needed it because it was always comfortable for him on the feet for most of his fights,” Prates told MMA Fighting.