Israel Adesanya has dismissed the idea he will face a new challenge in the shape of Robert Whittaker.
Adesanya will bid to win the UFC middleweight title in Melbourne when he takes on Whittaker on Saturday.
And he believes he has the Australian worked out.
“He’s a guy I can pick apart easily,” Adesanya said. “A challenge I haven’t faced before? I don’t think so. He just does what he does very well.
“There’s only a certain amount of awkwardness that he has that I haven’t seen before, but he can try to prove me wrong. From what I see, though, I’ll pick him apart quite easily.”
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Adesanya is seen as one of the rising stars in the UFC having beaten Derek Brunson, Anderson Silva and Kelvin Gastelum in his last three fights.
And the Nigerian insists he has improved since his back-and-forth war with Gastelum last time out.
“I have these attributes that I use very well, and I think what his camp might look at the last fight and think when Kelvin was able to get close,” he added.
(Image: Getty Images)
“That was just an error on our part and a good gameplan on their part. But we’ve taken care of those errors. I’m going to be able to use my height and reach like I always have.”
And should Adensaya prevail, he intends to be an active champion after Whittaker’s injury problems restricted him to four fights in three years.
“As a champion, I’ll be a lot more active as a champion than he’s been, and I’ll be a lot more active,” he said.
“Maybe not at the beginning because of timing and everything else, but I’ll be an active champion.”
