"He showed a very nice performance" - Jiri Prochazka gives his prediction for upcoming middleweight title fight between Israel Adesanya and Jared Cannonier
Newly crowned UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka has given his prediction for the upcoming Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier matchup, which goes down on July 2 at UFC 276. 'The Last Stylebender' will look to defend the middleweight title for the fifth time against arguably the only current contender left in the division.
#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
Adesanya is the betting favorite at -365 and barely anyone is giving Cannonier a chance to win. 'Killa Gorilla' has the power to get a knockout, but 'The Last Stylebender' has cleared out elite title contenders with his world-class striking and evasive abilities.
During the MMA Pros Picks YouTube video, journalist James Lynch asked a variety of UFC fighters to give their predictions on upcoming matchups. When Prochazka was asked to pick the winner of Adesanya vs. Cannonier, he had this to say:
"Cannonier, he showed a very nice performance, but I think still Adesanya will be better. That's just my angle."
If Cannonier can pull off the upset, it could be among the top 3 UFC upsets of all time. Adesanya's dominance in the middleweight division can only be compared to Anderson Silva's run in the middleweight division from 2006 to 2016. With that said, the lack of support for 'Killa Gorilla' could lead to a surprising result at UFC 276.
Watch Jiri Prochazka predict Adesanya vs. Cannonier below:
Jiri Prochazka cuts off his fan-favorite hairstyle
Prochazka is known for two things: being an incredible fighter and looking like a modern-day samurai warrior. The second part mainly involves the antenna-like ponytail that he had for his last two UFC fights.
After beating Glover Teixeira to become the new UFC light heavyweight champion, 'Denisa' cut off his trademark hairstyle. Ariel Helwani asked him about the decision to which Prochazka explained by saying:
"I cut my hair because I needed to end one chapter of my life. So now I can start with new energy, new wave. Honestly."
At 29 years old, Prochazka has shocked the MMA world by becoming a UFC champion in only three fights with the promotion. Now that he has dethroned Teixeira, a potential matchup against Jan Blachowicz could be up next. Regardless of the opponent, 'Denisa' has a fighting style that tends to lead to must-see fights.
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