Robert Whittaker has revealed how he ended up working with Israel Adesanya.
The former UFC middleweight champions have shared a bitter rivalry over the years, but they put that aside to train with each other in 2025.
Israel Adesanya knocked out Robert Whittaker to take his title in 2019, before defending the title with a unanimous decision when they met again in 2022.
Three years later, they teamed up after defeats that saw them drop 185 pounds in the rankings.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Robert Whittaker explains images of shock training
Everyone asked the same question when Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker were training together. “How did this happen?”
'The Reaper' has now explained how he ended up crushing his beef with Adesanya before traveling to New Zealand to train with his former rival's team.
“It's a funny world, to be honest,” Whittaker said during an interview with Fox Sports. “If you had asked me a few years ago if I would have ever seen this coming, the answer would have been, 'Not in 100 years.'
“I think where we were with the team at home, one of my training partners got injured, a few guys were tired and had other commitments that they wanted to focus on.
“I sat down with the team and Alex [Prates] said, “We need some bodies. How are we going to get them?' We started looking globally. I think I'm lucky that I can train in most places and get along with most people.
“We started looking around and then like a bolt of lightning we realized: 'Mate, City Kickboxing is only a 2.5 hour flight and they have the bodies.'
“It's New Zealand, the place of my birth. Everything just started lining up, right? So Alex contacted Eugene [Bareman] and had a conversation. Me, Alex and a few training partners came here to test the waters to see if we get along, and we get along well.
Whittaker's problem with Adesanya stemmed from competitive rivalry, rather than deep hatred.
Still, he admits that dealing with “Stylebender” has been a bit surreal.
Whittaker added: “I don't know if I hated him, but I'm pretty sure I would have hit him with my car 10 years ago if I could have. It was that kind of relationship.
“It's funny, I just left his house. I sat on the couch with him and worked on his YouTube stuff.
“I'm still recovering a bit. It's a funny world. You have to be open to his stuff and have an open mind to be able to work through that so that everyone can get better. I think this is a good path to growth.
“We get along. Even when I was just chilling and talking to him before, you can see that a lot of the common interests make that really easy.
What's next for Robert Whittaker?
Whittaker hasn't fought since bowing out when Khamzat Chimaev crushed his face in a first-round submission at UFC 308 in October.
The 34-year-old always wanted a third crack at Adesanya, but he says they will never fight again now that they have become the unlikeliest of training partners.
“I think we can close that door,” Whittaker responded when talking about a potential trilogy fight with Adesanya. “I don't think the odds were great just because of where we are in our careers and the division as a whole.
'Yes, that door is closed. I don't fight with people I eat with.”
As for the future, Whittaker is working towards a comeback fight in the summer.
“I've been training for a while,” he concluded.
“I've been training here with the boys for a while. Honestly, I have a few things I'm working on early this year. I want to focus on that in the coming months.
“I'm probably looking to return in June.
“I want to make a flying start. I want to perfect and really put the finishing touches on some of the things I'm working on, so when I step back into the Octagon after a loss, you see me level up, you see me take the next step to be better than That was I.”
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