5 talking points going into UFC 276: Adesanya vs. Cannonier

#2. Will we see the best of Israel Adesanya, or can Jared Cannonier upset the odds?

During his rise up the middleweight ranks, Israel Adesanya produced one scorching performance after another to establish himself as a budding superstar.

His first two title fights – a barnburner against Kevin Gastelum and a dominant knockout victory over Robert Whittaker – led many to believe that Adesanya's championship reign will be just as exciting as his astronomic rise. However, he has blown hot and cold ever since, largely because he's been recycling opponents and admittedly getting "bored" as a result.

At UFC 276, Adesanya will finally have fresh meat when he takes on surging middleweight contender Jared Cannonier.

Adesanya vs. Cannonier Artist Series Poster [Image via @ufc on Twitter]

Israel Adesanya has been calling for a fight against Jared Cannonier for quite some time now. Cannonier is primarily a striker, just like Adesanya, which should make for a fun stylistic matchup. Moreover, 'Tha Killa Gorilla' is as tough and durable as they come, and possess legitimate knockout power.

Cannonier earned this championship opportunity with his resounding win over Derek Brunson earlier this year and is 5-1 as a middleweight. The former heavyweight and light heavyweight may not be as outspoken or boistrous as the other 185-pound contenders, but is ubiquitously regarded as the dark horse of the division.

Adesanya is expectedly a massive betting favorite going into the bout and will be looking to extend his reign at UFC 276. Meanwhile, for the 38-year-old Cannonier, this could be his last shot at a UFC title and he will be desperate to make it count.

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#1. Who is the best featherweight in the world?

Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway are clearly a tier or two above their peers in the UFC featherweight division.

Volkanovski has slowly but surely cemented himself as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters around in recent years. However, considering the nature of his two fights against Holloway thus far, the question still remains – Who is the better fighter?

Volkanovski vs. Holloway 3 Artist Series Poster

Alexander Volkanovski quite clearly won the first bout and was rightfully awarded a unanimous decision victory at UFC 245. The rematch remains one of the most hotly debated bouts ever, as Volkanovski eked out a split decision win following an evenly contested affair. Max Holloway arguably should have come away with the victory, but a case can be made for either fighter.

Since their two-fight series, Volkanovski and Holloway have gone their separate ways in their bid to clean out the upper echelons of the division. The champion defended his title in emphatic fashion against Brian Ortega and Chan Sung Jung, while 'Blessed' produced two exquisite performances against Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez.

Now almost neck-and-neck in terms of UFC title wins, Volkanovski and Holloway will be well aware of the high stakes riding on their upcoming trilogy bout.

If Max Holloway wants to be considered the best featherweight of the modern era, he cannot afford to go 0-3 down to Alexander Volkanovski, regardless of the debatable decision in the second bout. As for the reigning featherweight kingpin, this is a chance to fully solidify his claim to being the best 145-pounder on the planet.

It's very rare to see two fighters ranked in the top ten of the pound-for-pound ladder square off in a monumental legacy fight. Looking at how evenly matched they are in terms of skill, this will likely come down to the intangibles, primarily – Who wants it more?

Volkanovski vs. Holloway 3 [Image via @DaredevilUFC on Twitter]