Israel Adesanya has had his way with the UFC middleweight division for four years running. Eleven fights, 11 wins, the last 10 coming either in championship fights or against currently-ranked 185ers.
So when the current champion at 185 pounds says Jared Cannonier, his upcoming opponent in the UFC 276 pay-per-view main event on Saturday from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, isn’t the greatest challenge of his career — it comes across less as trash talk and more as analysis. At least Cannonier’s middleweight run has the look of a deserving challenger and not simply a default option for the 32-year-old Adesanya, who represents both his birth place and his home since adolescence . The Dallas native, originally a heavyweight and light heavyweight before settling at 185, is 5-1 at this weight with four finishes.
“His back is against the wall,” Adesanya said. “That’s why I have to respect him. This is his only shot at greatness, so I have to respect that.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.