Kiwi superstar Israel Adesanya has been quick to reject Robert Whittaker's claims the Australian was unjustly denied victory over his rival by the judges in their main event rematch at UFC 271 on Sunday (NZ time).
After losing their first bout in emphatic knockout fashion, Whittaker put on a much more patient display in Houston, having some success with his takedown-heavy approach.
But Adesanya's elite takedown defence limited the effectiveness of the majority of those takedowns, and the champion was able to dictate terms on the feet with a varied kick-based attack. He also scored the only knockdown of the contest, sitting 'The Reaper' down with a
Immediately after the fight, Whittaker said he felt he had done enough to win back his title.
"I know I started off rocky in that first round, but I feel like I took every round after that," Whittaker said in the Octagon.
"It is what it is. I'm happy I fought my heart out... but I'm gutted. I felt I did enough, I thought I took that."
At the post-fight press conference, Adesanya addressed Whittaker's comments, likening them to those made by Marvin Vettori, after the Italian had been convincingly beaten in his rematch with 'The Last Stylebender'.
"I heard that he thought he won the fight or some sh*t," Adesanya said post-fight.
"I don't know what he and Vettori were sipping on to think they won.
"But f***ing hell, he did not win that fight. He knows it.
"He needs to have a shower, and reflect and realise that is not true."
Adesanya assessed his sophomore effort against Whittaker as a "seven out of 10", giving his opponent credit for the improvements he'd shown from their first bout, which he won by devastating knockout in 2019.
"Not bad," he said of his display. "Good night in the office, good chess match.
"I wasn't really looking past Robert. I took him very seriously. Right all the way to the last bell. I knew he was dangerous.
"He caught me slipping one time… I was really aware of it on the clinch, when we'd break away from the clinch, he was going to hit me. He caught me one on this side and I was like 'good one'. I acknowledged it. I had fun in there."
Whittaker later doubled down on his belief he'd won but appeared to accept the loss, insisting the two would meet again for a trilogy fight.
"I thought I did enough," he said during his post-fight press conference.
"Breaking it down, I think I lost the first round, I put myself back together. I think I beat him to every punch. I got takedowns.
"I'm not taking anything away from him. Literally, he won. He got the belt, that's how it works. The judges gave it to him. That's the game, that’s the business.
"I have nothing but respect for his skill set. I'm proud of myself for getting back on the horse after that first loss, putting myself together the way I did, and taking it to him again. I don't think there are a lot of people that could have done that."
"A third fight is inevitable, because I'm going to stomp anybody that comes in front of me again, and he knows that too."
Adesanya agreed a third fight was "maybe" a possibility, adding he now has his sights set on some new challenges.
"You rack up some good wins, and I'm sure I'll see you down the line. I say that to kind of just pat them on the butt – 'Ah, good job, kid'.
"But we'll see. I mean, the division's filled with killers, but I'm looking forward to fresh meat."
That first dose of "fresh meat" seems set to be American Jared Cannonier.
Long touted as a potential title contender, Cannonier scored a statement second-round finish of Derek Brunson on Sunday's card to put his name at the front of the middleweight queue, which is rapidly shortening.
Since his debut in 2018, Adesanya has torn through the division with 11 consecutive wins, leaving precious few legitimate foils remaining.
UFC president Dana White wasted no time in announcing Cannonier would be Adesanya's next opponent, and the City Kickboxing product acknowledged he's the logical choice as his next challenger.
"He made a statement," Adesanya said of Cannonier's win. "I even told him after the weigh-ins…'please take this guy out so I can get some fresh meat.'
"He said 'I'm trying to work' and I'm like, 'me too'. I'm a man of my word."
