Israel Adesanya against Robert Whittaker middleweight title rematch on tap for UFC 271
- IAdesanya beat Whittaker by knockout to win UFC middleweight title in 2019
- Adesanya will look for fourth title defence against Whittaker at UFC 271 in February
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is expected to attempt his fourth title defence at UFC 271 on February 12, and standing across the cage will be a familiar face: the division’s former champion, Australia’s Robert Whittaker.
MMA Fighting was first to report this compelling middleweight title rematch, citing multiple sources and noting that contracts are not yet signed.
Adesanya and Whittaker first met at UFC 243 in October 2019. On that night, Adesanya picked up a second-round knockout win to capture the promotion’s middleweight strap.
Both men have accomplished some impressive feats since.
Adesanya (21-1) has defended the middleweight title three times, first defeating Yoel Romero by decision, then knocking out Paulo Costa, and most recently dashing Marvin Vettori’s championship dreams with a decision win at UFC 261 in June. Adesanya also challenged Jan Blachowicz for the light heavyweight title earlier this year, but came up short via decision.
