Israel Adesanya Responds to Robert Whittaker: You Don't Do 'Enough' to Win the Title

Israel Adesanya thought there was little room for doubt about his unanimous decision over Robert Whittaker at UFC 271 on Saturday.

Whittaker said he was "gutted" and believed he "did enough" to walk away with the victory.

Adesanya politely disagreed.

"He did not win that fight, and he knows it," the middleweight champion said, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi. "He needs to go have a shower as well and reflect and realize that's not true. ... You don't do 'enough' to win the title. You take the belt. That's how this works."

The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46 in favor of Adesanya. 

Whittaker secured four takedowns, but Adesanya had a clear advantage in striking. He finished with 98 total strikes and 79 signature strikes, with Whittaker landing 74 and 59, respectively. The champ also recorded a knockdown in the first round to gain an early edge.

Adesanya made a concerted effort to attack Whittaker's legs, with 29 of his signature strikes targeted at his opponent's lower body.

It was yet another efficient performance from a fighter whose only professional loss came when he moved up a weight class to vie for the light heavyweight title.

To the extent the champion's advantage provides any tangible benefit, it seems like the only shot of toppling Adesanya is for an opponent to submit him or knock him out.

The 32-year-old has now made four successful title defenses, the second-most ever in the middleweight division behind Anderson Silva's 10. He's so skilled and unflappable in the Octagon.

If you're fighting Adesanya and you wind up leaving it to the judges, you've already lost.