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Jared Cannonier believes Israel Adesanya will beat Derek Brunson if the two collide in a rematch for the UFC middleweight title.
It’s safe to say the top of the UFC middleweight division is looking pretty stacked right now, with Israel Adesanya leading the way. 'The Last Stylebender' has said before that he wants to lap the entire class of 185-pounders. If he’s going to achieve that goal, a rematch with in-form Derek Brunson may well be on the horizon.
Jared Cannonier, who Israel Adesanya has never faced before, had some thoughts of his own when discussing the idea of them running it back. During an appearance on Submission Radio, 'The Killa Gorilla' said:
“From what I saw outta Brunson in his last fight, I think Izzy tools him up all day long on the feet. I don’t think his striking has developed to the level to contend with a guy like Israel. We saw how successful Darren Till was and it was essentially some pressure with a one-two. It had Derek on his heels and had him thinking about shooting, and it worked out. The question is can he get Izzy down and hold him down like he did Darren? I don’t know. We ain’t seen nobody hold him down like that. Can Derek hold him down? Absolutely, he definitely has the skills to make it happen, but I think Izzy has his number in that fight.”
Catch Jared Cannonier's full appearance on Submission Radio below:
Israel Adesanya's dominance at middleweight
Israel Adesanya has had to deal with all different kinds of fighters in his UFC run. Now, at this stage in his career, it’s all about cementing his legacy as one of the greatest middleweights to ever pull on a pair of gloves.
Cannonier clearly wants to be the man who knocks him off of his perch. But that's much easier said than done with someone as wildly talented as Israel Adesanya.
Derek Brunson, meanwhile, has a chip on his shoulder. He wants the chance to exact revenge on the champion. However, their first fight at UFC 230 was pretty damning with respect to the gulf in quality on the feet.
Adesanya took to Twitter to respond to the 37-year-old's victory over Darren Till. The Nigerian-New Zealander is clearly confident he can breeze past Brunson again when the pair have their rematch.
