UFC middleweight prospect Joseph Holmes doesn’t think that UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya is an entertaining watch.
Holmes is now only one week removed from his win over Alen Amedovski at UFC Vegas 55. He earned his first UFC win after dropping his debut to Jamie Pickett back in January.
Win the victory, Holmes moved to 8-2 in his professional career and is considered by many to be one of the top middleweight prospects in the UFC. As he moves closer to a potential spot in the rankings, he has a thing or two to say about the champion Adesanya.
During an exclusive interview with MMA News, Holmes explained why he doesn’t find Adesanya to be an appealing fighter to watch.
“Israel’s kind of a point fighter, he doesn’t really look for finishes,” Holmes said. “He has some finishes, but he ain’t looking for no finishes. I think [Jared] Cannonier has a chance if he can press him up against that cage, take him down and drop some bombs on him…I think if it goes past the fourth, Cannonier doesn’t have a shot. Izzy’s just ‘pick and run’, he’s looking to fight 25 minutes every fight. That’s just boring as hell. Nobody’s trying to do that.
“Compared to his level, he’ll face someone who is a C+ fighter and just go to a decision with them. That’s ridiculous. I’d like to see a change in the belt holding but I’m not there yet, so there’s not much I can do.”
Adesanya will face Jared Cannonier in the UFC 276 headliner on July 2nd. He most recently earned successful title defenses over Marvin Vettori and Robert Whittaker.
Holmes believes Adesanya is a deserving champion but doesn’t feel that means he’s automatically an entertaining product for the UFC. Depending on how Holmes’ UFC career plays out, he may get a shot at Adesanya down the line for a chance to prove his point.
What do you make of our interview with Joseph Holmes?
Continue Reading EXCLUSIVE | Joseph Holmes Rips ‘Boring’ Fighter Israel Adesanya at MMA News.