Robert Whittaker can take a joke.
After three straight victories, the former UFC middleweight champion separated himself from the pack as the next challenger to Israel Adesanya's throne, with a rematch of their 2019 clash in the works for UFC 271 in February.
However, City Kickboxing head coach Eugene Bareman has had a running joke in recent months, suggesting Whittaker might not be next for Adesanya at every opportunity and subsequently sending Whittaker fans into a frenzy online.
"He's just doing his thing," Whittaker laughed. "I don't know what agenda he's playing; he's just being weird again.
"I didn't notice when it happened, and people through the grapevine let me know."
In a recent interview with the It's Time For Sports podcast, Bareman confirmed he was just having a bit of fun with his comments and confirmed the bout has been in the works for some time now.
"It's just a battle with the fans. I respect Robert; I respect that team a lot," Bareman said.
"But I can say what I want...don't overstate my influence on things. Trust me, that Robert fight has been in the works for a long time and I think some of the fans like to think I have a bit more influence than I actually do. Sorry for the wind-up, guys."
Initially targeted for a date in January, the bout is now expected to be announced as the headline act at UFC 271. The UFC is yet to announce specifics for the event, including the card, though it is expected to be held in the United States.
The first time the two met was in front of a record 57,127 fans at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium, where Adesanya took Whittaker's title with a second-round knockout victory. Since then, the Kiwi champion has defended his belt a further three times, with wins over Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori.
Reflecting on their first matchup, Whittaker said he had broken the fight down about 100 times and could probably spend all day talking about where things went wrong and the adjustments he could have made.
He did, however, indicate he is in a better headspace since that bout – with three straight impressive victories, a new arrival for him and wife, Sophia, and the pandemic affording him extra time to spend with his children.
"My headspace, where I'm at with my career and who I am and what I'm doing, I think that will change a lot of things," Whittaker said.
"That's something I've always stuck by – if I'm happy, I'm dangerous. The thing is, I'm going to go into this fight in a good headspace, full skill set, full tool belt and get in there and do my thing.
"If I go into a fight feeling the way I'm feeling, I'm going to be satisfied regardless of what happens. Not to mention, I'm good at what I do. I can beat him, I know this."
While Whittaker's rematch against Adesanya is expected to headline the card, Adesanya's City Kickboxing teammates Carlos Ulberg and Blood Diamond are also believed to be lined up to compete as part of the event.
