Kiwi UFC world champion Israel Adesanya insists he isn't buying what Robert Whittaker is selling, heading into their main-event rematch at UFC 271.
In their first encounter at UFC 243 at Melbourne three years ago, Adesanya put on the most definitive display of his career, twice sending NZ-born Aussie to the canvas in a second-round knockout that clinched the middleweight title.
With the benefit of hindsight, Whittaker now insists his performance at Marvel Stadium that day was completely out of character and caused by an irrational anger he'd held towards 'The Last Stylebender'.
Adesanya admits he was taken off guard by Whittaker's aggressive approach in that bout - where 'Bobby Knuckles' abandoned his trademark fleet-footed, measured striking in favour of planting his feet and staying in the pocket - but was happy to oblige.
"I called an audible without realising it, because we had a gameplan, but then I matched his energy," says Adesanya on his YouTube channel FreestyleBender.
"I was just like, 'right, you want to stand 10 toes down... I can stand 10 toes down and I can get buck wild', so I matched his energy and I just called an audible. I fought differently."
After some soulsearching, Whittaker claims he's now in a much better mental space and has let his disdain for Adesanya go. He is adamant he won't let it get the better of him, when they square off again at Houston's Toyota Center on Sunday (NZ time).
But as far as Adesanya is concerned, that's merely revisionist history from Whittaker, whom he claims has been forced to eat a healthy slice of humble pie he's still struggling to digest.
"I humbled him to the sense that he can’t say the sh*t he was saying the first time around," says Adesanya. "It's a hard pill for him to swallow.
"He's saying the right things, but he’s not believing it. His ego won't let him and that's his downfall - his ego.
"People tried to say that about me leading to the first fight. 'Oh, he's too egotistical. He's not humble like Whittaker.'
I'm like, bro, stop... I am extraordinarily humble. I know my limits as a human being and my capabilities.
"I know I’m the sh*t, but at the same time, I know I ain’t sh*t. He needs to check himself.
"He's got this new found mental clarity and it would help him positively, if it was true. I just don’t buy into it."
Since his resounding victory against Whittaker, 'The Last Stylebender' has reeled off three comfortable title defences, as well as an ill-fated tilt at the light-heavyweight belt.
Meanwhile, Whittaker has rebounded with three consecutive unanimous decision wins over fellow contenders Jared Cannonier, Darren Till and Kelvin Gastelum.
Reverting to the cerebral, clinical style that originally propelled him to the title in 2018, the 31-year-old has forced his way back into the No.1 contender position for an opportunity at redemption against his familiar foe.
While the Aussie's recent efforts have garnered plenty of attention, Adesanya has been less impressed by what he's seen, saying Whittaker's three-fight run has drawn excessive praise.
"Way too much [credit]," Adesanya exclaims. "To the point where I'm like, 'did he invent a new move or something? Did he reinvent the jab or I don’t know what'.
"He improved, yes, but not to the point where people have blown it up to be... the proportion. I think maybe people just have low standards, that's all, and I just have high standards.
"He played the game very well against all three opponents, I feel. At the same time, you put those three guys together, they don't amount to me.
"The way they play the game, it's not the same."
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