Dana White Eyeing Trans-Tasman Rematch Between Robert Whittaker And Israel Adesanya

For fans in Australia and New Zealand, it's the news we've all been waiting for.

UFC president Dana White says the prospect of a rematch between Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya is 'very appealing'.

Kiwi sensation Adesanya won the middleweight belt off Whittaker back in October of 2019 in front of a packed-out Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.

And since then, fans (mainly us Aussies) have been praying that the two fighters will get another opportunity to go toe-to-toe for a second time.

Well now, it appears those prayers have been answered.

Since capturing the belt, Adesanya has successfully defended his title twice after fending off Yoel Romero and most recently Paulo Costa.

The undefeated star has well and truly catapulted himself into superstardom has quickly become one of the most well-known fighters on the current roster.

His success has even seen him go back and fourth with former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones via social media.

As far as potential super-fights go, you couldn't get much bigger than that.

As for Whittaker, he hasn't exactly been keeping quiet either.

Since his damning defeat to Adesanya, the Aussie has gone on a path of utter destruction by adding Darren Till and Jared Cannonier's scalps to his lengthy resume.

And it was Whittaker's recent victory over rising middleweight contender Cannonier that really put his name back in contention for a title shot.

The man simply known as 'Bobby Knuckles' dismantled Cannonier with relative ease at UFC 254, leaving UFC president White thoroughly impressed.

"It's very appealing to me," White told reporters when discussing a potential rematch between Whittaker and Adesanya.

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"It's the fight that makes sense right now. Adesanya has a lot of options right now, but the fight that makes the most sense right now is Whittaker.

"I thought Cannonier was going to be a much tougher challenge for him. (Whittaker) looked good tonight, so the Adesanya rematch makes sense."

Their first trans-Tasman bout shattered all existing UFC attendance records.

And while it may be a while until we see 57,127 people at a UFC event, there's no doubt that the rematch between Whittaker and Adesanya would draw huge viewing numbers.

Topics: New Zealand, Robert Whittaker, UFC, Australia, MMA, Dana White, Israel Adesanya

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry