Rob Wilkinson credits Israel Adesanya for PFL success

Rob Wilkinson takes on Omari Akhmedov in a lightweight heavyweight bout on the PFL 2022 Championship on November twenty fifth.

It’s laborious to think about somebody having a extra profitable first season within the PFL than Rob Wilkinson has had this yr. After getting reduce by the UFC following a loss to Israel Adesanya in 2018, Wilkinson has slowly however certainly made his manner again to combating in one of many world’s premier organizations. Mockingly, Wilkinson attributes quite a lot of his post-UFC success to his relationship with Adesanya.

“I truly credit score it slightly bit to combating Israel, after which going and coaching with him and studying slightly bit off him. Simply how these guys turned down the UFC…His coaches turned down the UFC for him for a few years earlier than he was totally prepared,” Wilkinson informed FanSided’s Amy Kaplan throughout a pre-fight interview.

“It’s been some time since I’ve been launched from the UFC…Then clearly Covid occurred, and it was laborious to get some fights. However I sort of simply used that point making ready myself in order that after I did get my second shot, my shot on a giant promotion like this, I used to be gonna be prepared. Form of like how they (Israel’s crew) had been doing.”

Rob Wilkinson credit his post-UFC success with the PFL to combating/coaching with Israel Adesanya

It was a grueling course of to get again to the highest for Wilkinson; a course of that outlines the difficulties of creating it as knowledgeable fighter outdoors of a serious group.

“It was a protracted 4 years combating for just about no cash, not getting many fights in any respect, or getting again to a world stage. I simply was ensuring that when the chance got here knocking, I used to be gonna be one hundred pc able to take that,” mentioned Wilkinson.

Now given a second shot in a giant promotion, Wilkinson actually seems extra prepared than ever. After finshing his first three opponents in PFL in spectacular vogue, he’ll look to maintain his streak alive in opposition to Omari Akhmedov within the 2022 PFL gentle heavyweight championship.

“I really feel like I match up in opposition to him (Akhmedov) effectively. He’s a shorter man. A couple of of those gentle heavyweights in all probability ought to nonetheless be combating at Middleweight, and I consider he’s in all probability one in every of them,” notes Wilkinson.

“I’ve undoubtedly had my eye on him…one of many ex-UFC guys, very skilled…I feel he’s in all probability one of many hardest within the division. When he left the UFC, I feel he was nonetheless ranked within the prime 15. He had heaps of fights within the UFC.”

Rob Wilkinson faces Omari Akhmedov on the 2022 PFL Championship for a prize of 1 million {dollars}

Regardless of the bigger stage that the PFL gives in comparison with smaller organizations, Wilkinson insists that he isn’t feeling the strain of the second. In truth, he’s precisely the place he desires to be.

“These are the fights I’m in search of for the time being. I need to begin making a reputation for myself, and also you gotta beat respectable guys, you gotta beat good guys. I’m not anticipating any pushovers or any simple wins for the time being,” mentioned Wilkinson.

Usually talking, a step-up in competitors comes with a step-up in pay grade for fighters. That is very true within the PFL, the place championship fighters compete for a a million greenback prize. As good of a payday as that may be, Wilkinson isn’t involved with the cash; he simply desires to be the perfect.

“That’s my aim since I set out with combating. To be a world champion. Which means extra to me than the cash. Clearly, the cash is superb as effectively, and life-changing. However the world title…that’s one in every of my targets and that’s what im wanting ahead to reaching on the twenty fifth,” mentioned Wilkinson.

“As soon as I’m a world champion, nobody can ever take that away from me.”