Israel Adesanya (24-6) shared an inside look at his preparation for UFC Seattle, revealing that former rival Robert Whittaker has become a cornerstone of his training camp.
Adesanya is preparing to headline against Joe Pyfer on May 16, as he looks to end the first three-fight losing streak of his career. The pair shared the Octagon twice at UFC 243 and UFC 271, with Izzy winning on both occasions. Adesanya enters this camp following a difficult run, most recently suffering a knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov in February 2025. Whittaker’s “championship IQ” will help him work on his defensive fundamentals. Whittaker’s experience in fighting power-punchers (like Yoel Romero and Jared Cannonier) will also be invaluable, as Izzy credited Whittaker.
“Rob, man, honestly, one of the best dudes in the game, not just fight-wise, one of the GOATs at middleweight, one of the GOATs from this area of the world and just a good human being. I knew he’s got a good spirit because when you fight someone, you know this. But then when you have to train with the guy and you actually (get to know him) he’s just a good dude, man. Overall it’s just been a good boost to have at the end of my training camp to have a world class fighter like Rob to push me right at the end of my training camp and get me to the finish line and I’m very grateful that he’s here,” Adesanya saidÂ