Israel Adesanya has defeated Robert Whittaker with a unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) in the main event of UFC 271 on Saturday night at Toyota Center.
This is the second time Adesanya will clash with Whittaker, his arch-rival at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Whittaker got a chance at revenge on Sunday morning but failed. Adesanya employed his length and reach to counter Whittaker’s boxing, ensuring he left the Octagon with his middleweight belt.
But the fight was very close, so much so that the crowd booed the decision, thinking Whittaker was the rightful winner.
“I didn’t feel any threat at all,” said Adesanya, 31, after getting a comfortable unanimous decision.
Adesanya suffered the first loss of his MMA career in March after moving up a division and finding himself outmuscled.
But Saturday saw him down to a weight class where he is noticeably more comfortable. The Nigerian-born fighter’s speed around the cage and his precision striking, with low kicks and jabs, was too much for Vettori from the first bell.
The Italian tried to use his bigger bulk to get Adesanya to the mat, but each time the New Zealander slipped out and got up to his feet again.
Adesanya dedicated the fight to his friend and laid his belt down in the middle of the cage in tribute.
Before Adesanya’s masterclass, the 18,000-odd fans in attendance raised the roof when flyweight challenger Brandon Moreno laid on a rear-naked choke in the third round that saw Brazil’s Deiveson Figueiredo first tap out and then hand over his belt to the Mexican.
