This weekend will be, perhaps, the biggest fight of Israel Adesanya’s combat sports career.
He’ll fight in the main event of the UFC 243 on pay-per-view (PPV) against Robert Whittaker.
The winner taking home the undisputed 185-pound championship. However, speaking to MMA Junkie at open workouts recently, Adesanya admitted that the victory over Whittaker means more to him than the gold itself.
“Look, (expletive) the belt,” Adesanya said. “For me, the real gold is beating him because he’s a warrior, he’s got that Maori blood in him. He’s not the first Maori I fought, trust me. So Sunday, Oct. 6, if you don’t have your tickets, don’t steal, don’t do nothing crazy. Just make sure you get your tickets because trust me, we’re going to blow that place up.”
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The matchup between Whittaker and Adesanya is one of the most exciting of the year. Both men are some of the most dynamic strikers under the UFC’s banner, and given the fight is taking place “down under” near where both men reside, it’s going to be an explosive environment.