Israel Adesanya, the former two-time UFC middleweight champion, has turned to an unlikely ally, ex-rival Robert Whittaker, to prepare for his highly anticipated comeback against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia next month.

Adesanya recently shared training footage with Whittaker, captioned “New year, new friends,” highlighting the duo’s unexpected partnership. The two previously faced off in the octagon twice, with Adesanya securing victories on both occasions.

The collaboration sparked reactions from the MMA community. Former UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira commented, “Chama,” meaning passion in Portuguese, while analyst Laura Sanko joked, “Now we need a buddy cop movie.” Fighters Aljamain Sterling and Alexander Volkanovski also praised the pairing, expressing their excitement.

Whittaker, who lost his title to Adesanya at UFC 243 in 2019 and was defeated again in their 2022 rematch, believes Adesanya remains the favorite against Imavov. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Whittaker noted, “Izzy is so good at what he does, but Imavov’s striking and endurance make him a tough challenge.”

Adesanya’s return marks his first fight since consecutive losses, including a title defeat to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305. A win on February 1 could bring him closer to reclaiming the middleweight crown.

Meanwhile, Whittaker is recovering from injuries sustained in a loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308, as he eyes his own comeback.