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UFC - TUF 27 finale witnessed an action-packed fight between Israel "The Last Stylebender" Adesanya, and arguably his toughest mixed martial arts opponent till date, Brad Tavares. With Israel Adesanya clinically dominating the proceedings of the fight and eventually bagging a 5 round decision in his favor. Post this win for Adesanya, the UFC was quick to announce his next fight, on November 3rd, 2018, against number six ranked middleweight, Derek Brunson.
In a recent interview on the Ariel Helwani's MMA show, this is what Brunson had to say about his upcoming fight, against Adesanya:
“I’m not a guy who is going to let you dictate or do whatever you want to, I’m not impressed by this kid. His striking is okay. He’s long, which is the best thing going for him. Doesn’t hit hard. This is the fight I like. One of the easiest matchups I’ll have in the UFC. One of the easiest people to prepare for,” he added. “He’s bad on the ground. His wrestling isn’t good. I see holes in his game. He’s a little frail guy. I think I’ll get the finish early.”
With anticipation building up, as we draw closer to the day of the fight, fans can be assured to witness a war of sorts. Although Brunson has had the privilege of fighting some big names in the business, like Anderson Silva, Robert Whittaker, and Yoel Romero, he cannot afford to ignore what Adesanya brings to the table.
THE FIGHTER RESUME:
Israel Adesanya is a kickboxer from New Zealand, with 32 wins, and no losses, before he went to extend his fighting career to Australia and China. He is a multiple time, "King In The Ring" champion, and has also displayed his elite kickboxing skills, by being the Middleweight Contender Tournament Champion, for "Glory Kickboxing". He also has a professional MMA record of 14 wins and no losses.
Derek Brunson is a wrestler and a three-time Division 2 champion from the University of North Carolina. He also trains at "Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu" and "Jackson's MMA" along with Jon Jones.
THE BREAKDOWN:
Israel Adesanya is a complete fighter. Although he hasn't really been tested in the octagon, for his ground game (Jiu-Jitsu and Ground and Pound), his level of striking and the precision behind his plethora of kicks, speaks volumes about his ability. He also has a three-inch reach advantage over Derek Brunson.
Derek Brunson is an All-American wrestler with a 100% rate of takedown defenses. He is also well versed with Jiu-Jitsu and can prove to be a major problem for Adesanya if he manages to take him to the ground. He is also a relatively decent striker.
THE CONCLUSION:
This fight will be a grand spectacle. With both fighters looking to dominate and expose each other's weaknesses, we can expect a good show of wit and grit. Adesanya will be looking to finish Brunson with his striking and kicking prowess. While Brunson, on the other hand, will look to exploit Adesanya's ground game inexperience.
UFC 230, November 3rd, Madison Square Garden...
Let's get ready to rumble!
