Robert Whittaker vs. Marvin Vettori doesn't excite UFC champ Israel Adesanya: 'I know who's gonna win'
Israel Adesanya isn’t invested in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 209 co-main event between Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori.
Former title challengers Whittaker (23-6 MMA, 14-4 UFC) and Vettori (18-4-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) will square off at Accor Arena in Paris in a pivotal middleweight clash.
Adesanya already has beaten Whittaker and Vettori each twice, but that’s not really the reason why he’s uninterested. It’s because Adesanya is confident that Whittaker gets the job done.
“I’m excited for the main event. The co-main event I’m excited for, as well, but actually I’m not,” Adesanya said on “The Blakamoto & Oscar Show.” “I’m not gonna lie. I’m not gonna bullsh*t you guys and give you the P.C. (politically correct) answers. I’m not actually excited for the co-main event.”
He continued, “I’ll watch it, meh. I know who’s gonna win. Rob’s gonna win, so that’s why it’s not exciting for me. But the main event, I don’t know who’s gonna win, and I like Gane, but I love Tai (Tuivasa). That’s my dog.”
Adesanya went on to explain that he’s 80 percent sure Whittaker wins, because has more tools than Vettori.
“Whittaker is more well rounded,” Adesanya said. “Also better striking, and I feel like he can grapple with Vettori and make him have problems.”
Middleweight champion Adesanya will aim to notch his sixth title defense when he faces former kickboxing foe Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 281 on Nov. 12 in Madison Square Garden.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.