"The thing that makes 'Izzy' tick is something inside" - Chael Sonnen explains Israel Adesanya's mindset to be successful in his fights
Chael Sonnen is of the opinion that Israel Adesanya fights with an inner emotion that's deeply personal to him every time he fights his opponent.
Israel Adesanya is all set to face his longtime kickboxing nemesis, Alex Pereira, at UFC 281 this weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City. 'The Last Stylebender' will be looking to defend his middleweight belt for the sixth time inside the octagon, except this time he will be doing it against the only man to ever knock him out.
Chael Sonnen recently shared his thoughts on Adesanya's state of mind and what makes him the fighter he is:
"The thing that makes 'Izzy' and all those wonderful techniques, all of that, the thing that makes 'Izzy' tick is something inside that each opponent has evoked. And it's personal. Every single one of those guys has got Adesanya in such shape that he's never faded. Adesanya's never faded in a fight no matter how hard it gets."
Watch Chael Sonnen's full interview below:
Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira will meet inside the octagon for the first time in an MMA bout. The two rivals share a history having previously met twice in the sport of kickboxing. The Brazilian came out on top both times, knocking 'The Last Stylebender' out in their second outing. With the Nigerian-born Kiwi effectively lapping the division, 'Poatan' saw a fast track to his title shot after beating Sean Strickland at UFC 276.
Georges St-Pierre gives his take on Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira
UFC legend Georges St-Pierre has predicted that Israel Adesanya will prevail against Alex Pereira. 'GSP' claimed that he sees Adesanya as the better fighter overall but also gave credit for Pereira's power and strength as a striker.
St-Pierre said:
"However, I believe Adesanya is too smart. He's not going to get caught. He's going to be able to somehow overwhelm his opponent and somehow he's going to finish his opponent before the end of the fight. Hopefully with a beautiful submission... because they are two fighters coming from kickboxing backgrounds and I would like to see a beautiful finish."
My breakdown for UFC:281 Adesanya v. Pereira Click the link below to bet with me on @Bet99Sportsbook bet99.com/en/sport-betti… https://t.co/KDccPAgS3T
While it remains to be seen if St-Pierre's prediction does indeed come true, fans are certainly in for a treat with UFC 281 this weekend showcasing a stacked card.
Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira for the middleweight title, Carla Esparza vs. Weili Zhang for the women's strawweight title, and Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler for a lightweight throwdown are just some features of the highly anticipated event on November 12.