Israel Adesanya has his next opponent ahead of him and it could be the toughest yet.
The UFC middleweight division is stacked with killers looking to dethrone the champion, Israel Adesanya. Next up will be Jared Cannonier, who takes his shot at the champ on July 2 at UFC 276.
Cannonier is currently ranked in the number two spot of the rankings and is riding a two-fight winning streak. Although Cannonier may be overlooked by fans and critics, Adesanya’s team sees the threat from a dangerous opponent in him.
Adesanya’s coach, Eugene Bareman spoke recently to Submission Radio about the differences between Cannonier and Adesnaya’s previous opponent Paulo Costa.
“Jared is not Paulo Costa… If Israel is picking him off, Jared has shown in the past that he has the mindset to change the strategy,” Bareman said via Sportskeeda. “He will start to press Israel a little bit. He won’t be as reluctant as Paulo Costa was. That’s just his mindset. He has a much stronger mindset and understanding, and he’s got a very good team behind him.”
The only loss of Adesanya’s professional career came when he made the leap to light heavyweight to take on Jan Blachowicz for the 205-pound title. At middleweight, Adesanya seems invincible, something that Cannonier is willing to test. Of his last five wins, four were by KO or TKO.
“So that is something that people underestimate about Jared. He is willing to – I don’t wanna say take risks – but take calculated judgments when the fight is not going his way and he needs to change something. And he’s willing to take a sharp turn to change it. That’s what makes him dangerous and that’s also, at the end of the day, what makes him vulnerable.”
This will be the fifth title defense for Adesanya. His last two defenses were by unanimous decision. Cannonier has only gone to decision twice in his last seven fights. If what Bareman says is true, they will be preparing for an aggressive Cannonier, and the fans could be in for a very exciting fight.
Do you think Jared Cannonier has what it takes to defeat Israel Adesanya?
Continue Reading Coach Explains Why Cannonier Is Tougher Opponent For Adesanya Than Costa at MMA News.