Chael Sonnen gives his prediction for Israel Adesanya vs Marvin Vettori 2 at UFC 263
Former middleweight title challenger and current MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has revealed who he thinks will come out on top in this weekend's 185-lbs title fight at UFC 263. The current champion, Israel Adesanya, is set to defend his belt against Marvin Vettori in a much-anticipated rematch this Saturday.
Chael Sonnen is the right person to make a prediction for such a fight. He has competed for the UFC middleweight title twice while also challenging for the UFC light heavyweight belt at one point.
Chael Sonnen makes his predeiction
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen was clear about who he believes will come out on top in this electrifying rematch.
"Official prediction. Izzy Adesanya vs Marvin Vettori. Guys, I'm taking the champ. I'm taking Adesanya," said Chael Sonnen.
Sonnen's reasoning is based on fighter development. When both men originally faced off, it was Adesanya who came out on top, winning the first two rounds until Vettori adapted his game and began utilizing takedowns in the final frame.
However, since that fight, Vettori and Adesanya have grown exponentially as martial artists, which Sonnen believes could make all the difference.
"All we have to ask ourselves is, what's going to be different this time. Generally, when you're talking about a rematch, you're asking yourself who's better. What's going to be different, who's better and what evidence do we have? What evidence do we have of who's gotten better?" said Chael Sonnen.
Chael Sonnen also highlighted the major changes Adesanya has made with regard to his takedown and wrestling defense. This may part of Vettori's gameplan as he had so much success on the ground in the third round of the first fight.
"Adesanya got taken down by Vettori. He got held down by Vettori. It seemed like the blueprint that we've seen since 1993. If a better grappler can take down a better striker and hold him there longer than he can get struck against, then he's going to win," noted Chael Sonnen.
"In Adesanya's next fight, he got taken down just as easily but he got back up. And that was very telling because now we're seeing that this guy has identified his own problems and has gone to the gym and fixed them," added Sonnen.
Adesanya and Vettori will meet in the main event of UFC 263 this weekend. The card also features another rematch in the co-main between Deveison Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno for the flyweight title.