How Whittaker changed after shock UFC loss

2 years ago 485

Two and a fractional years aft losing his satellite championship, Robert Whittaker's roadworthy backmost to the apical volition extremity successful Houston, erstwhile helium gets his rematch against Israel Adesanya.

Nobody knows however things are going to cookware retired when the 2 get their hands connected 1 different successful February, but 1 happening is for sure; this isn't the aforesaid Robert Whittaker.

"The magnitude of changes wrong the octagon, but chiefly extracurricular the octagon arsenic a antheral and arsenic a person, it's nighttime and day," helium told Wide World of Sports.

Whittaker spoke astir "getting successful his ain head" up of that nonaccomplishment astatine UFC 255; the hyping up of the fight, successful the consciousness that galore were billing it arsenic 'Australia vs New Zealand' didn't beryllium good with him.

"It's hard to explicate - I was disappointed that the media was trying to merchantability the combat successful a mode that I didn't needfully hold with," helium said.

"I'm a wholly antithetic idiosyncratic present to what I was then. I'm precise content, I cognize what I'm doing and wherefore I bash it - and going into this adjacent combat with that benignant of headspace and that benignant of assurance successful myself gives maine a batch of satisfaction."

Whittaker said that nonaccomplishment - which outgo him his middleweight rubric - was cardinal successful his ain reinvention.

"The nonaccomplishment to Izzy (Adesanya) was the catalyst for maine to instrumentality immoderate clip distant from the game, bash a small soul-searching and find those reasons why," helium said.

"From there, erstwhile things started moving, keeping going was conscionable a earthy thing. So present I'm conscionable ever introspective, looking astatine what I'm doing, wherefore I'm doing things and conscionable enjoying the journey."

He says helium tried meditation, but it didn't take. The cardinal has been juggling the important things.

"I don't similar meditating, it stresses maine retired much than thing else," helium laughs. "Kids, family, games, escaped time, enactment - I've conscionable recovered a bully equilibrium crossed the board."

The equilibrium includes working astatine his new, top-of-the-line installation successful Smeaton Grange - thing helium says means arsenic overmuch to him arsenic his in-ring success.

"The gym is perfectly amazing, the feedback from the members and seeing the classes and however blessed everyone is with the abstraction and facilities," helium said.

"It fills maine with a batch of pridefulness - it's thing that I tin permission down to my kids, it's with maine now, and tin support gathering up aft I'm done fighting."

UFC brag Dana White scoffs astatine Adesanya's accusations

Whittaker has rattled disconnected 3 awesome victories since that nonaccomplishment against Adesanya, which remains the lone decision successful 12 bouts astatine middleweight for the 30-year-old.

"I'm pumped to get the rematch, it's ever thing that you purpose towards but honestly, it's not thing I was pedantically trying to achieve," helium said.

"I was enjoying the process, I combat for a surviving and I was inactive fighting, truthful it is what it is.

"Adesanya's a phenomenal fighter, I'll springiness him that. But he's not unbeatable - and successful my adjacent fight, I deliberation I tin bash this. I person the accomplishment acceptable to bash it."

Both men would person liked the rematch to instrumentality spot successful Australia oregon New Zealand but successful a post-COVID world, that was ne'er truly an option.

Whittaker says it volition beryllium concern arsenic accustomed successful presumption of his question and preparation.

"I'm not excessively disquieted astir it, it looks similar things are starting to signifier up for the better. I'll woody with immoderate obstacles that originate arsenic they come, you've got to beryllium flexible."

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