"A sloppy chess match" - UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya gives his honest review of Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya recently provided his analysis of Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley.
He took to his YouTube channel to answer questions revolving around the boxing event. Speaking about how the fight played out over eight rounds, Israel Adesanya said:
"For me, [what] was entertaining in this is the matchup, I guess. The chess match, you know, a little but of a sloppy chess match at some points, but yeah, chess match nonentheless."
The fight was definitely a chess match, with Tyron Woodley and Jake Paul carefully picking each other apart to go the distance.
While Jake Paul was busier with his hands and executed more volume, Tyron Woodley remained more steadfast. While 'The Chosen One' had relatively more success with power shots, he could not produce enough activity to win on the judges' scorecards.
Israel Adesanya broke down the "chess match" in his own words. He said:
"Jake's speed in the beginning, like his combos, the three-pieces he was throwing, his shot selection... It was nice. I knew Tyron could close the gap well. Surprisingly, he didn't try and jump on him straight away, and surprisingly, he was just waiting. And sometimes, when Jake's resting or has a moment or few moments where he is stagnant, he's still doing something, showing something."
Shifting his focus to Tyron Woodley's performance inside the ring, Israel Adesanya said:
"Well, Tyron, he is just waiting. He's waiting for a counter. He's waiting for Jake to do something so that he can counter. Yeah, he was just waiting for one thing and it's like, you're waiting for this guy to make a move when you can make him make a move, make a mistake. When Tyron feinted or gave him a look, Jake did jump as well, but Tyron was jumpy anytime Jake made a feint, too."
Israel Adesanya picks his winner for Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley
The fight between Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley was undoubtedly a close contest. Jake Paul won the split decision with two judges scoring the bout in his favor (77-75, 78-74) and one judge scoring the bout in Tyron Woodley's favor (77-75).
Giving his own opinion regarding the bout, Israel Adesanya said:
"I thought Jake won. I don't know what the other judge gave it to Tyron for."
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