Welcome to The Weekly Takedown, Sports Illustrated’s in-depth look at MMA. Every Thursday, this column offers insight and information on the most noteworthy topics in the fight world.
Israel Adesanya defends his middleweight title this Saturday against Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC 271.
The first meeting between the two took place in October of 2019, when Adesanya knocked out Whittaker in a title unification bout at UFC 243. Part of the broadcast team that night was UFC color commentator Joe Rogan, who is scheduled to be back on the headset for the rematch on Saturday.
Rogan has built himself into one of the most famous podcasters in the world, with views expressed on his show about COVID-19 generating immense amounts of controversy. He faced harsh criticism for using racial slurs throughout his career, which were compiled into one video, prompting an apology from Rogan.
As a UFC broadcaster, Rogan has also shined an extraordinarily bright spotlight on mixed martial arts. Adesanya addressed whether any of the recent contention surrounding Rogan would make him not want Rogan calling this Saturday’s 271 card.
“F--- no,” said Adesanya. “F--- cancel culture. Joe Rogan is the man. We all know what they’re doing to him. He’s the biggest voice in media, and they don’t like the fact they can’t control him. So f--- cancel culture.”
Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
Adesanya (21-1) has been making headlines all week as he approaches his next title defense, most recently because he signed a new multi-fight deal with the UFC. He looks forward to building off that momentum by defeating Whittaker (23-5) for a second time. That will not be an easy task, as Whittaker is a such dynamic, complete martial artist. Whittaker is entering the bout with confidence, stating he is a “vastly different person” than the fighter on display in their first bout.
“Well f---, I haven’t been sitting here twiddling my thumbs, either,” Adesanya said. “I’ve been evolving as a fighter, as a person, as a martial artist. I’ve evolved at a rapid rate, and he’s going to be in for a rude awakening when he realizes that his plans have already been foiled before the fight has begun.”
The only blemish on Adesanya’s record occurred when he fought Jan Blachowicz for the light heavyweight title in March of 2021. Blachowicz used his size to pin Adesanya down to the mat, which was the only way he could win that fight. Adesanya remains undefeated in the middleweight division, and if he is victorious against Whittaker again, there is every reason to believe he will once more run through all the top contenders in the division.
In what amounts to a No. 1 contender’s bout, No. 3 Jared Cannonier matches up against No. 4 Derek Brunson on this Saturday’s card. The winner will be next in line for a title shot. Sean Strickland, who just defeated Jack Hermannson this past weekend, is also tightening up his credentials for a shot at the belt.
“I didn’t watch last weekend’s fight, but I saw the highlights on Instagram,” Adesanya said. “I know Cannonier and Brunson are fighting on my undercard. I’m not focusing on any of them. All I’m focused on right now is Robert Whittaker. I’m just practicing patience until we’re locked together in the cage.
“I stay true to myself, and that’s when it becomes all about martial arts. Even though I’m doing this for money, it’s not just about money. It’s about beating every single person in my era who’s supposed to be a straight-up killer. I’ve already done that in my division, and I plan on doing it again. That’s the inspiration, that’s my motivation. I’m going to do it again to further cement my legacy as the best to ever do it.”
Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports
Now residing in rare territory as one of the most elite athletes in the world, a profound strength for Adesanya is that he remains humble about his otherworldly success.
“I know I’m the s---, but I know I ain’t s---,” said Adesanya. “I’m supremely confident in my abilities, but I also know I’m human. I’m not immune to the laws of the universe, so I stay humble. Experience has taught me so much. Trial and error, and not making the same mistake twice.”
Adesanya also shared that he is honored to fight for his loyal fan base, planning to put on a show in the 271 main event.
“Contrary to popular belief, I do care about my fans,” said Adesanya. “I give a f--- about the ones that invest in me and really care about my story. I really appreciate them, the ones that are inspired and entertained by my journey. I thank them from the bottom of my heart.”
Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones is the right bout for 2022, but it comes with caveats
Last week, Jon Jones tweeted an idea about pitting the greatest heavyweight of all-time–namely, Stipe Miocic–against the greatest light heavyweight (himself).
And that is a perfect fight.
It would be the biggest box office fight of Miocic’s career. At the age of 39, far closer to the end of his career than he is the beginning, the timing works out exceptionally well. And although Jones is one of the greatest to ever step foot in the cage, the jump to heavyweight is a gamble.
Jones’ last fight was two years ago in February of 2020, and perhaps it would behoove him to test out this new heavyweight terrain against Miocic, who is a much more favorable matchup for him in terms of size than, say, reigning heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. And with Ngannou out for the foreseeable future due to injury, Jones-Miocic would make an outstanding headline bout for this summer.
Of course, there are drawbacks. If Miocic loses, he is less likely to see a trilogy fight against reigning heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. And if Jones were to lose, that would take a considerable amount of meaning away from a highly anticipated bout against Ngannou. But both of those fights could still happen, as there is not much depth atop the top of the division–and Miocic and Jones have each reached a point of greatness where one more loss is not going to ruin their legacies.
The interest in this fight would exceed anything currently on display in MMA. It wouldn’t even need an interim belt at stake, as there would be no doubt that the winner’s next move would be a title bout against Ngannou.
The Pick ‘Em Section:
Here are my picks for this weekend’s fights:
UFC 271 middleweight title bout: Israel Adesanya (c) vs. Robert Whittaker
Pick: Israel Adesanya
UFC 271 middleweight bout: Jared Cannonier vs. Derek Brunson
Pick: Jared Cannonier
UFC 271 heavyweight bout: Derrick Lewis vs. Tai Tuivasa
Pick: Derrick Lewis
ONE Championship: Bad Blood interim heavyweight title: Anatoly Malykhin vs. Kiril Grishenko
Pick: Anatoly Malykhin
Legacy Fighting Alliance 124 main event: Jussier Formiga vs. Felipe Bunes
Pick: Jussier Formiga
Last week: 4-2
2022 record: 15-5
More MMA Coverage:
• Derrick Lewis' Climb Back into Heavyweight Title Contention Starts Where It Last Ended
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
