Israel Adesanya makes final UFC 243 vow on Instagram ahead of Robert Whittaker clash
Israel Adesanya will challenge Robert Whittaker for the undisputed middleweight title in the main event of UFC 243.
Israel Adesanya has vowed to “back up” all his “s**t talk” in his eagerly-anticipated middleweight title unification clash with Robert Whittaker.
The Nigerian-born New Zealander will challenge Whittaker for the undisputed 185lb title in the main event of UFC 243 in Melbourne, Australia in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Adesanya, 30, will bid to become the UFC’s second African-born champion with a victory at Marvel Stadium.
The flashy striker hasn’t been shy in sharing his predictions for his second title fight of the year, vowing on multiple occasions to provide fireworks.
Talk your s**t and back it up... every damn time!!
The interim middleweight king has also fired his fair share of shots Whittaker’s way, though most of them have been brushed off by the Aussie.
Adesanya’s pre-fight trash talk has undoubtedly heaped further pressure on his shoulders, which he seems to be relishing.
“Put it all in the line. Speak your truth,” ‘The Last Stylebender' wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of himself and Whittaker at Friday’s weigh-ins.
“Talk your s**t and back it up... every damn time!! #neverbackdown #oneouts #thatsus #UFC243.”
Whittaker vs Adesanya will see Australia and New Zealand renew their famous sporting rivalry, with the former representing the Aussies and the latter the Kiwis.
Adesanya is brimming with confidence ahead of his clash with his undisputed counterpart and believes he’ll make light work of ‘The Reaper’.
“I think he’s a guy I can pick apart easily,” Adesanya said of Whittaker. “But as a challenger, I haven’t faced (him) before, (but) I don’t think [he poses a lot of challenges].
“I think he just does what he does very well. But there’s going to be a certain amount of awkwardness that he has that I feel like I haven’t seen before, but he can try and prove me wrong. From what I see, I’ll pick him apart quite easily."
UFC 243 fight card
Robert Whittaker vs Israel Adesanya - middleweight title unification fight
Dan Hooker vs Al Iaquinta - lightweight bout
Tai Tuivasa vs Sergey Spivac - heavyweight bout
Luke Jumeau vs Dhiego Lima - welterweight bout
Prelims
Jake Matthews vs Rostem Akman - welterweight bout
Justin Tafa vs Yorgan De Castro - heavyweight bout
Callan Potter vs Maki Pitolo - welterweight bout
Megan Anderson vs Zarah Fairn dos Santos - women’s featherweight bout
Jamie Mullarkey vs Brad Riddell - lightweight bout
Nadia Kassem vs Ji Yeon Kim - women’s flyweight bout
Khalid Taha vs Bruno Silva - men’s bantamweight bout