ABU DHABI – Robert Whittaker was elated after his UFC in ESPN 14 victory.
In his first fight since losing his title to reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya last October, Whittaker (21-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) joked, laughed, and smiled during the post-press conference. Saturday night fight.
Jokes aside, Whittaker said he was relieved by the result, but reiterated that the fight itself was one of the most stressful tactical fights he has been involved in.
“(I feel) fine, I guess,” Whittaker told reporters, including MMA Junkie, on the Flash Forum. “Really, really relieved. Obviously, there was a lot of pressure and stress in this fight. I’m just happy. I am happy to have obtained the result for which we came here. I am happy that the work trip was successful. I am happy to be able to show some of my skills and open up. I have to fight adversity in the fight again. Yes, it is what it is. It was a great fight, a stressful fight. “
“… That was the most technical attack fight I’ve ever had. It was a chess match. I got a little restless in the first round, and he made me pay for it. I just remember thinking, ‘Oh, not like that. But honestly I went back up, and it was like, ‘I have to go back to work (and) change it a little bit. It was just a game of chess ever since. He was waiting for me to come in. I was waiting for him to come in “
For five rounds, Whittaker and Till (18-3-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC) separated. In the end, Whittaker was given the go-ahead by unanimous decision with three scores of 48-47. Despite how close he was, Whittaker said he was confident in making the official decision that he had done enough.
“I understood that it was a very close fight,” said Whittaker. “I think the second round was definitely mine, the third round, the fourth round could have been either way, but I think I showed my mentality and championship level experience in that last round, especially where I was so close to hands on the rostrum. ” -up game. Then, to finish, taking him down was a huge boom in scorecards for me. ”
With this victory still fresh, Whittaker’s fighting future is not at the forefront of his mind. He said he wants to go home and spend time with his family before getting ready for the fight again. However, when the time comes, Whittaker said he will be ready for his title fight.
“The most important thing right now is that I want to go home to my babies, to my wife, and that’s just why I do all of this,” Whittaker said. “So I can do what I do. It is for them.
“Honestly, I’m at the championship level. Everyone can see that. Everyone always knows it. It wasn’t me the last fight. I believe that. Don’t take anything away from (Adesanya). He is a great striker, but I was not the last fight. I think it was a good victory. I am a champion with the belt (or) without the belt. Never mind. It is what it is. I’m looking forward to going back to work and seeing how the next fight goes. ”
UFC on ESPN 14 took place on Saturday at Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The event was simulated on ESPN and ESPN +.
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