By: Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Two years ago, Israel “The last Style Bender” Adesanya was just one of those ordinary MMA fighters who watched his idols battle in the octagon, and it was almost two years ago when he watched Robert Whittaker take on Yoel Romero in the UFC middleweight title fight.
Adesanya still can’t believe it, it’s as if he was dreaming.
Adensaya is now the UFC middleweight champion of the world after knocking out that same guy he used to watch two years ago.
Labeled to be one of the most thrilling middleweight bouts in the history of mixed martial arts, both fighters didn’t disappoint as they traded blows from the start until the end.
It was a bloodbath, as Whittaker stood toe-to-toe against the kickboxing prowess of Adesanya.
Whittaker’s change of pace proved to be effective in the early rounds as he connected numerous times with his combinations, hitting Adesanya on the head sending him wobbling to the cage.
What Whittaker’s camp did not anticipate was Adesanya’s improved counter-punching, hitting Whittaker with counter bombs.
In the last seconds of the first round, Adesanya caught Whittaker with a beautiful counter that dropped him to the canvass but was saved by the bell.
Fans rose up to their feet as the action got tighter, with both fighters trading heavy hits and blows.
As Whittaker continued to press, Adesanya unleashed a wonderful right that sent the champion to the canvass, followed by a brutal left hand that handed him the victory.
