Israel Adesanya looks to be in the shape of his life ahead of UFC 271’s headline clash against Robert Whittaker in Houston, TX this weekend.

Sharing a photo to his Twitter followers early this morning with the caption “Manimal,” The Nigerian-born Kiwi fighter looked every bit of the 185lb middleweight limit.

Whittaker and Adesanya previously met at UFC 243 back in 2019, which ended in a second-round KO by the latter. However, since their clash Down Under, both fighters have gone undefeated at middleweight.

The Last Stylebender is the favourite to emerge victorious this weekend, but given the recent form of both fighters, fans should anticipate a much closer contest this time around.

Whittaker has put on several impressive displays following his UFC 243 loss, proving The Reaper is fully deserving of a shot at revenge this weekend.

Speaking in the build-up to his title challenge this weekend, Whittaker feels he has the tools required to force a victory at the Toyota Center and will focus on executing his game plan.

Conversely, Adesanya is hoping for a statement win, showcasing some “new weapons” he has added to his arsenal in preparation for his fourth title defence.

Read more: UFC 271 - Adesanya vs Whittaker 2: Date, Fight Card, Tickets, Location, Rumours, UK Start Time And Everything You Need To Know

The champ does not appear to be concerned by Whittaker’s recent record whatsoever. Telling RNZ that he’s “…already whooped his a**” and going on even further to say, “I’m not even lying he’s f*****”.

Judging by Adesanya’s recent Twitter activity, he may well have a good reason for his confidence as he appears to be in incredible shape.

The contest this weekend is yet another example of the outstanding matchmaking powers possessed by the UFC. Whilst boxing continues to fail to deliver the big-ticket fights, this is another example of Dana White's company continuing to deliver the stellar clashes that fight fans clamour for.

UFC 271’s main card is set to commence at 3am on Sunday morning for UK fans and will be shown live on BT Sport.

Does a resurgent Whittaker have enough to overcome the dominant middleweight champion Adesanya? Or will it be a case of deja vu when the pair meet in Texas?

One thing we do know is that it will be well worth the wait.