Last Saturday night at UFC 236, Israel Adesanya claimed the interim UFC middleweight title in a five-round classic against Kelvin Gastelum. It was a star-making performance from Adesanya and sets him up for a title unification bout against champion Robert Whittaker later this year. But for as good as the fight was, Whittaker also said it confirmed what he’s been saying all along: that Adesanya isn’t as good as he thinks he is.
Speaking with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani yesterday, Whittaker said he was impressed with Adesanya’s ability to overcome adversity but that Gastelum exposed holes in “The Last Stylebender” that he intends to take full advantage of.