"A good example" - Israel Adesanya believes Diego Lopez can have Alex Pereira-like impact in his early UFC career against Sodiq Yusuff
Israel Adesanya recently posted a video alongside his friend and teammate Dan Hooker in which the pair broke down the historic UFC 300 card.
In one specific segment, the two dissected the fights on the prelims, and one fight they paid particular attention to was the featherweight clash between rising fan-favorite Diego Lopes and Sodiq Yusuff.
Lopes has gone on to win a lot of fans since making his UFC debut and a lot of that has to do with his offensive and aggressive style. Speaking on the bout, Israel Adesanya said:
"This is going to be, I think, one-sided either way. Lopes could just grapple him. I know Sodiq's shown some good grappling and whatnot, but he's [Yusuff] got them things [referring to Sodiq's Yusuff's striking]. That's the thing, he's got them things, and he has got to find a way to get from A to B and put it on Lopes."
The two also discussed the gap in experience between both fighters. For reference, Lopes holds a professional record of 23-6 while Yusuff's record is 13-3. When asked if the experience gap could play a factor, 'The Last Stylebender' said that it is unlikely to be much of a factor, explaining:
"His momentum right now is really high... experience gap as well, sometimes it means something, but for some guys, it doesn't mean anything. A good example is Pereira, not a lot of fights in MMA but experience in kickboxing and fighting in general just bridges that gap, so it doesn't always mean something. But this fight, I don't think it's gonna mean that much. I think it's gonna be a good scrap."
Check out Israel Adesanya's comments here (1:15):
Israel Adesanya breaks down Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandr Rakic bout
The last fight on the UFC 300 prelims will see former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka take on Aleksandr Rakic in what could very well be a number-one contender's fight.
Speaking on the bout, 'The Last Stylebender' said (8:47 of the same video):
"It's going to be explosive, chaotic. I think from the get-go. Once someone gets hit, it's going to be chaotic. There's going to be a little bit of a feeling out at first because they know one shot from either man and it'll be game over."
UFC 300 will be headlined by a clash for the light heavyweight title between Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill.