"His jiu-jitsu needs more work" - AKA coach Javier Mendez breaks down Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier fight
American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) coach Javier Mendez has weighed in on the upcoming middleweight title fight between Israel Adesanya and Jared Cannonier. 'The Last Stylebender' and 'The Killa Gorilla' are scheduled to fight at UFC 276 on July 2.
#UFC276 officials were set earlier today, per an NSAC spokesperson.
Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier will be officiated by Herb Dean.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway 3 will be officiated by Marc Goddard. https://t.co/HUYK8nXp7U
Mendez has trained some of the best fighters of all time, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Daniel Cormier, BJ Penn, Cain Velasquez, and Luke Rockhold. Therefore, his knowledge of MMA will always be valuable.
During an interview with The Schmo, the legendary AKA coach had this to say about Adesanya vs. Cannonier:
"I don't know. Izzy's my guy. I love Izzy. He's just unbelievable. I like watching him fight. He's a showman. Obviously, he's shown his jiu-jitsu needs more work. Overall, that guy is a great fighter. I love watching him fight, so I can't go against him. Cannonier, can he take him out? Yeah, but it's gonna not be one of those easy outstrike him. It's gonna be one of those I landed a shot."
Adesanya's only flaw has been working off the back, which he struggled against Jan Blachowicz. With that said, his world-class striking has led to his dominance of the UFC middleweight division.
Most people believe Cannonier's best chance is landing a knockout punch, which he has the power to do so.
Watch Javier Mendez discuss Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier below:
Javier Mendez says Israel Adesanya is "right there" when comparing his legacy to Anderson Silva
Comparing UFC legends to current champions has always been an intriguing conversation for MMA fans. Now that Adesanya has defended the middleweight title four times, it makes sense to compare his legacy to Anderson Silva in his prime.
During the same interview, Mendez was asked about comparing 'The Last Stylebender's' legacy to Silva's and responded by saying:
"To me, he's right there. Right there with him. Look at what he's done. Look who he's beat."
Although Adesanya has nearly cleared out the entire middleweight division, it's probably too early to put him past Silva. 'The Spider' has the longest title reign in UFC history and won 16 consecutive fights at one point, which is another UFC record. With that said, 'The Last Stylebender' is 32-years-old and has time to become the middleweight GOAT.
Israel Adesanya wants to be in the "zone" like how Anderson Silva was against Forrest Griffin. https://t.co/Rx0MLhOyek