Ahead Saudi Arabia bout in February Adesanya trains with former rival

The UFC middleweight division was once ruled by Robert Whittaker. Whittaker held the belt before losing it to Israel Adesanya in October 2019.
Following the loss, Whittaker spent time working his way back to the top of the division, getting a rematch with Adesanya in February 2022. Once again, Adesanya would defeat Whittaker, making the pair bitter foes, in terms of the middleweight division.
Though there has always been respect between Whittaker and Adesanya, it appears the former foes are now friends. Also, they appear to be training together.
Adesanya took to X to showcase some images and a short video of him and Whittaker sparring with one another.
"New year, new friends," Adesanya wrote in the post on X.
Being opponents in the same division can often lead to bitter feelings toward one another, and it would be believed that both Whittaker and Adesanya were hated rivals. Even though the respect is always given, they were both angling to secure a belt in the middleweight division.
Both Adesanya and Whittaker also held the belt at one time, and now they are both hoping to climb their way back up to a title shot.
Whittaker most recently lost to Khamzat Chimaev, in what many perceived to be the fight to decide the No. 1 contender. Chimaev easily routed Whittaker, submitting the former champion in the first round.