Israel Adesanya will probably be paying shut consideration to the UFC 308 co-main occasion between fellow middleweights Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev.
Whittaker and Chimaev will battle for a scheduled 5 rounds this Saturday in Abu Dhabi. Having confronted Whittaker twice, Adesanya is sort of conversant in what “The Reaper” brings to the desk. However Chimaev’s wrestling is an enormous level of rivalry for the previous champion, particularly early.
“I don’t assume Rob’s going to run by means of Khamzat,” Adesanya mentioned on his YouTube channel. “Lastly, we get to see [Chimaev] struggle a legit middleweight, one of many high middleweights, one of many biggest middleweights of all time.
“I feel Khamzat’s going to assault him with the wrestling so Rob’s going to must scramble for his life initially, climate the storm, and I feel it’s going to be a wrestling-based assault. I feel he’s going to attempt to submit Rob. I don’t assume he’s going to face with Rob. Yeah, [Chimaev has a chance striking], however I don’t assume it’s an ideal probability on the ft with Rob as a result of Rob will simply snipe him. Rob will simply transfer out and in, out and in, after which blitz.
“I feel whereas Rob is blitzing, Khamzat will take him down. … I feel Khamzat, if he’s going to win, he’s going to must do it within the first or second spherical and catch Rob early with a submission. I don’t see him dropping Rob. He’s obtained good standup, additionally, he’s robust on the ft just like the struggle with Gilbert Burns and Kamaru [Usman]. You’ll be able to inform, he’s all the way down to throw.”
With Dana White saying Sean Strickland is probably going subsequent for 185-pound champ Dricus du Plessis, the stakes are nonetheless extraordinarily excessive for each Whittaker and Chimaev, with the winner doubtless within the on-deck circle for an opportunity to seize the middleweight crown.
No matter who comes out victorious, Adesanya is assured the judges is not going to be wanted. In the long run, it comes all the way down to if Whittaker can get the struggle prolonged in direction of the championship rounds — which “The Final Stylebender” predicts will occur.
“Rob, simply climate the storm in rounds one and two, after which three, 4, 5, that’s all Rob,” Adesanya mentioned. “However once more, Rob has fought a man like Romero, twice. Romero was hitting him with these f*cking loopy takedowns, making an attempt to get him, and Rob was like, ‘Nah, I’m standing up.’ So Rob is aware of his shit on the bottom.
“How lengthy will he be capable to maintain Khamzat off of him, and can he be capable to cease Khamzat’s onslaught of takedowns and grappling exchanges within the first two rounds? I’d say, early on, Khamzat will submit him if he’s going to win, after which in a while, Rob will simply TKO him in spherical three, 4, or 5. I don’t know which spherical, however one in every of them.
“However which one do I need to go along with? I feel Rob is only a man to not be f*cked with. I imply, take a look at his final struggle so hopefully individuals bear in mind who he’s now. So I feel Rob will do it once more — possibly not as early, positively not as early. … I feel he’ll catch him in a while, however he’s obtained to climate the storm. He has to outlive till he can’t. I’m going to go Rob on this one with a late end.”
