Whittaker Confident Adesanya Will Defeat Magomedov

Robert Whittaker, a middleweight contender, has backed Israel Adesanya to defeat Shara Magomedov in the main event at UFC Saudi Arabia on December 5 at the ANB Arena in Riyadh. Whittaker, who has fought Adesanya twice, stated on the MMArcade podcast that he expects Adesanya to deliver a dominant performance, emphasizing that the real challenge for Adesanya is within himself.

Adesanya is currently on a four-fight losing streak, having lost to Sean Strickland, Nassourdine Imavov, Dricus Du Plessis, and Joe Pyfer, with three of those losses resulting in finishes. After his defeat to Pyfer, it was uncertain if the 37-year-old would continue fighting, but he has since signed a new UFC contract and made significant changes to his training camp, which he described as one of the best experiences of his career.

Adesanya has promised “blood in the sand” for his return. Whittaker has moved up to light heavyweight and is scheduled to face Bogdan Guskov in Australia in February.

Magomedov is noted as a rising star in the UFC.