Jon Jones: Israel Adesanya ‘way more calculated’ than Sean Strickland, should win at UFC 293

Everything Sean Strickland does Israel Adesanya can do much better. A minimum of that’s how UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones sees it.

Adesanya will put his middleweight champion on the line versus Strickland on Sept. 9 next week at UFC 293 in Sydney. Adesanya is starting his 2nd reign as 185- pound champ after knocking out competing Alex Pereira in a rematch to recover the title in April, and he’ll get in the very first defense of his 2nd reign as a frustrating wagering preferred, with oddsmakers noting him as high as -650 to win and Strickland a huge underdog at +475

The method Jones sees things, it’s not that Strickland (27 -5 MMA, 14 -5 UFC) is a bad fighter. It’s simply that Adesanya (24 -2 MMA, 13 -2 UFC) is too excellent and too exact in the cage.

” I got Izzy winning even if he’s more flexible,” Jones stated on the OverDogs Podcast “He does whatever that Sean does, simply way more computed.”

Strickland wasn’t the initial UFC 293 challenger for Adesanya, who was dead set on battling in Australia near his house nation of New Zealand. Bitter competitor Dricus Du Plessis was expected to get the title shot, however he could not make a two-month turn-around due to injury after completing previous champ Robert Whittaker at UFC 290

Strickland is getting the title shot on the strength of back-to-back wins over Abusupiyan Magomedov and light heavyweight Nassourdine Imavov. Prior to those wins, he lost his 2 most prominent bouts– a split choice to Jared Cannonier and a ruthless knockout versus Pereira

Jones, now on excellent terms with Adesanya after an as soon as bitter fight, has actually seen enough to feel great about choosing “The Last Stylebender.”

” Izzy might beat Strickland in a boxing match if he needed to,” Jones stated. “I believe he’s more computed, and I believe his power is a couple of actions up about Strickland also.”

For more on the card, check out MMA Junkie’s occasion center for UFC 293