Whittaker has fun with Adesanya, mocks Poatan and refuses light heavyweight fight: 'No way!'

Former champion joked about a challenge outside the octagon, but made it clear that a fight with Poatan is far from his plans

Whittaker turns down fight with Poatan in the light heavyweight division. Photo: SUPER LUTAS montage

Whittaker turns down fight with Poatan in the light heavyweight division. Photo: SUPER LUTAS montage

Israel adesanya e Robert whittaker They met for a relaxed conversation that, although it started off lightly, reflected the respect and admiration they both feel for Alex Poatán. The atmosphere gained a new dimension when the pair discussed not only the Brazilian's brutal blows, but also something quite unusual: the current light heavyweight champion's talent for 'ping pong'.

During a relaxed chat on Adesanya's 'Freestylebender' channel, the Nigerian joked about the possibility of a new rivalry, this time outside the octagon.

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“Me and Poatan were talking about playing ping pong yesterday. That’s going to be our next rivalry. I’m good at it, I thought it would be a chance to finally do well against him. But he thinks he’s good at that game too,” he said.

The light-hearted comment, which could have gone unnoticed, generated laughter and even an unexpected reaction from Whittaker, who joined in the joke.

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“Is he (Poatan) good at ping pong? He doesn’t look like he would be good at it! I’ll look at him and think, ‘Is this the guy? Give him the paddle and let’s see what he can do with it.’ I think he must be good, yes, but I don’t know if it’s what I imagined,” Whittaker responded.

Poatan vs Whittaker at light heavyweight?

But if ping pong is a game, in the octagon, Poatan is seen with serious eyes by both champions. With a touch of humor, Whittaker was emphatic in saying that, although he does not rule out moving up to light heavyweight (up to 93kg), there is no chance of facing the Brazilian.

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“Do the calf kicks hurt? I look at him and think, that must hurt a lot. He’s not a guy I’d be excited to fight. At middleweight? I’d fight him. Facing Poatan at light heavyweight? No way!” added the former champion.

Poatan's history in the UFC is remarkable. After moving to MMA and experiencing a meteoric rise, the Brazilian arrived at the UFC with a clear objective: to face Adesanya. And that's what happened in 2022, when Poatan won the middleweight belt. However, in the rematch, Adesanya recovered and, with a devastating knockout, regained the title.

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