‘He’s Harder to Track Down Around the Cage’- Luke Rockhold Explains Why Robert Whittaker Is a Harder Fight for Him Than Israel Adesanya
In an interview with Submission Radio, Luke Rockhold compared the current middleweight champion Israel Adesanya to former title holder Robert Whittaker. Having held the 185-pound strap in his own fight, Rockhold believes he’s successfully managed to access exactly what both men bring to the table in terms of raw talent.
Luke Rockhold has gone on record, saying that ‘The Last Stylebender’ is an easy match-up for him and that he’s the only one in the division who can dethrone Adesanya. As it stands, many top fighters like Robert Whittaker, Jared Cannonier, and Marvin Vettori have tried and failed.
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In his recent chat with the boys down under, Luke Rockhold explained how Robert Whittaker would in fact pose more problems for him than Israel Adesanya. He believes Izzy’s lankier frame would make it so that he would be easier to control and also talked about Whittaker having better wrestling defense.
These comments clearly indicate that Rockhold has no intention to stand and bang it out on the feet with Israel Adesanya.
“I know how to fight Izzy. It’s a straightforward fight. He’s a tough fight. He’s a big puzzle. He is the most complicated puzzle there is at middleweight and has been for a long time, so it’s gonna be interesting. I think the right game, and that’s my fight. I think the hardest fight for me right now is Whittaker, but if I play the right game with any of these guys, it’s my fight.”
He continued, “For me, Israel’s a lot easier. He’s a lengthier body, he’s easier to control, he’s not as much of a spark plug. Whittaker’s got better wrestling defense, he’s harder to track down around the cage, he springs in and out. On paper, he seems a little bit tougher for me.” [h/t mmajunkie.com]
Rockhold’s grappling is a thing of legend and the way he’s been able to control fighters like Chris Weidman on the mat. Moreover, he’ll be looking to utilize a similar strategy this time around as his chin has been tested in recent fights.
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