Kelvin Gastelum breaks down former opponents Israel Adesanya and Jared Cannonier's upcoming fight at UFC 276
Kelvin Gastelum has chimed in with his take on the highly-anticipated fight between Israel Adesanya and Jared Cannonier. Gastelum, who’s currently recovering from a knee injury and is targeting a return in late fall, is no stranger to Adesanya and Cannonier.
The Arizona native lost to Adesanya via unanimous decision in their interim UFC middleweight title matchup at UFC 236 in April 2019. Additionally, Gastelum’s most recent fight was a unanimous decision loss against Cannonier at UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Gastelum in August 2021.
WHAT A FIGHT.
The war between Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum is two years old today! https://t.co/ESNPGdlfun
Needless to say, Kelvin Gastelum boasts a unique perspective to expertly break down the upcoming fight between two of his former opponents. In an interview with Helen Yee, Gastelum suggested that both Adesanya and Cannonier pose a threat to one another.
The 30-year-old recalled that he recently spoke to Cannonier in Arizona and that 'The Killa Gorilla' appeared to be in great spirits. Revisiting their fight, Gastelum said:
“He [Cannonier] kept throwing that jab, the jab, the jab, until finally, it wasn’t the jab, it was that hook which knocked me down. So, if he does a good job hiding his punches, hiding his offenses like that, I think he’s gonna do a good job of hopefully coming out with that belt.”
Upon being asked whether he sees Jared Cannonier dethroning Israel Adesanya to become the new middleweight kingpin:
“You know what, at the same time, he [Cannonier] has got to deal with a very, very smart fighter, a very intelligent fighter. I think Israel has gotten even better in his last few fights. So, it’s going to be hard to say, to be honest.”
Watch Kelvin Gastelum’s conversation with Helen Yee in the video below:
Israel Adesanya’s coach explains what makes Jared Cannonier both dangerous and vulnerable
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is scheduled to defend his belt against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276 on July 2nd. Ahead of their much-awaited showdown, Adesanya’s coach Eugene Bareman lauded Cannonier for his ability to change his strategy mid-fight and for possessing a strong mindset.
Speaking to Submission Radio, Bareman recently highlighted that unlike other fighters such as Paulo Costa, 'The Killa Gorilla' isn’t reluctant to mix things up inside the octagon. Indicating that Cannonier’s calculated risk-taking tendencies make him simultaneously dangerous and vulnerable:
"So that is something that people underestimate about Jared. He is willing to, I don't wanna say take risks, but take calculated judgments when the fight is not going his way and he needs to change something. And he's willing to take a sharp turn to change it. That's what makes him dangerous and that's also, at the end of the day, what makes him vulnerable."
Watch Bareman's full interview with Submission Radio below: