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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Alex Pattle

UFC 271 press conference LIVE: Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker speak ahead of fight

UFC - Ultimate Fighting Championship via YouTube
Israel Adesanya dances during his walkout at UFC 243

UFC 271 takes place in Houston, Texas this Saturday, with the headline bout seeing middleweight champion Israel Adesanya defend the belt against Robert Whittaker in a rematch, more than two years after the current title holder dethroned the Australian.

Adesanya has antagonised Whittaker at every opportunity – both before their first fight and in the build-up to this weekend’s clash – and tonight the rivals will go face-to-face for the first time since their initial in-ring meeting. On that evening in October 2019, Nigerian-born New Zealander Adesanya knocked out Whittaker on the then-champion’s home soil in Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium. The seismic bout ended in the second round, with a UFC record crowd of more than 57,000 in attendance.

The pair will main event again this Saturday, with the co-main event featuring Whittaker’s compatriot Tai Tuivasa in an important heavyweight match-up against former title challenger Derrick Lewis. All four fighters will speak at a press conference tonight, as will UFC president Dana White.

Follow live updates from the UFC 271 pre-fight press conference below.

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