Jared Cannonier says Derek Brunson can "absolutely hold down" Israel Adesanya, casts his prediction for a potential rematch
Number three-ranked UFC middleweight Jared Cannonier recently revealed his predictions for a potential rematch between Israel Adesanya and Derek Brunson.
In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Cannonier assessed Brunson's performance against Darren Till at UFC Fight Night 191 and predicted how he would fare against the reigning king of the 185-pound division.
"Well from what I saw out of Brunson in his last fight I think Izzy tools him up all day long on the feet," said Brunson. "I don't think his striking has developed to the level to contend with a guy like Israel. We saw how successful Darren Till was and he was essentially [using] some pressure with the one-two. But he had Darren on his heels, thinking about shooting and it worked out."
'The Killa Gorilla' believes Brunson's best chance of defeating Adesanya is by using his wrestling advantage to take the champ down. However, Cannonier isn't optimistic about Brunson's ability to keep Adesanya on his back in a potential five-round matchup. He added:
"The question is can he get Izzy down and hold him down like he did Darren? I don't know; we ain't seen any fighter hold him down like that... Can Derek hold him down? Absolutely. He definitely has the skills to be able to make it happen but, you know, I think Izzy has his number in that fight."
Watch Jared Cannonier breakdown a potential Israel Adesanya vs. Derek Brunson matchup below:
Israel Adesanya and Derek Brunson have crossed paths once before at UFC 230 in a bout that 'The Last Stylebender' handily won via first-round TKO.
Jared Cannonier and Derek Brunson solidify their case for challenging Israel Adesanya
Jared Cannonier and Derek Brunson have separated themselves as two of the most worthy contenders for a future title shot after Robert Whittaker.
Last Sunday, Derek Brunson racked up his fifth consecutive win after submitting Darren Till in the main event of UFC Fight Night 191. Brunson made it clear he wanted to fight for the championship next when he issued a callout to Israel Adesanya.
Meanwhile, Jared Cannonier claimed his fourth victory in five fights after dismantling Kelvin Gastelum. The 37-year-old outdueled Gastelum for five rounds to earn a unanimous decision nod.
However, it appears that Brunson and Cannonier will have to wait for at least one more fight before they can insert themselves into the title picture. Top-ranked middleweight Robert Whittaker is all but guaranteed a rematch with Adesanya in a championship bout that's expected to take place in early 2022.
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