"Most people believe he's the greatest middleweight champion of all time" - Jon Anik gives his take on the Israel Adesanya vs. Anderson Silva debate
Jon Anik has weighed in on the middleweight GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate. The UFC commentator first lauded reigning UFC 185-pound kingpin Israel Adesanya for his accomplishments.
However, he asserted that Adesanya has not surpassed Anderson Silva as the middleweight GOAT yet. During an interview with BroBible, Anik discussed Adesanya’s upcoming rematch against Robert Whittaker and stated:
“Two head-to-head wins over Robert Whittaker, given all that Whittaker has accomplished in the UFC, is a pretty big feather in your cap. But I think when you look at Anderson Silva as the consensus greatest middleweight of all time – and say what you want about some of the transgressions, right? – But most people believe he’s the greatest middleweight champion of all time. And a lot of that is rooted in the title defenses, not necessarily the style points with which he defended the title. So, I think, humbly, Adesanya has a long way to go. I also think it’s very difficult to put proper historical context on a fighter who might have 10 or 12 fights left in the UFC.”
Anderson Silva vs Israel Adesanya was wild 😍
#BestOf2019
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Anik noted that while some people make the proclamation that ‘The Last Stylebender’ has already cleaned out the UFC middleweight division, he disagrees.
The MMA analyst indicated that top-tier middleweights such as Derek Brunson, Jared Cannonier, Darren Till and others could challenge Adesanya in the future. Anik highlighted that if Adesanya defeats Whittaker again and has another title defense or two, he could perhaps enter the middleweight GOAT conversation.
Watch Jon Anik address the Adesanya-Silva middleweight GOAT debate in the video below:
John Kavanagh on why Israel Adesanya is likely to beat Robert Whittaker at UFC 271
Israel Adesanya defeated Robert Whittaker via second-round KO in their first fight at UFC 243 in October 2019. The UFC middleweight champion is scheduled to defend his title in a rematch against Whittaker at UFC 271 on February 12th.
Many believe Whittaker could adopt a grappling-heavy approach to win the rematch, using the blueprint laid by Jan Blachowicz who out-wrestled and beat Adesanya at light heavyweight last year.
Time for the rematch 🍿 #UFC271 https://t.co/Wmxcl7GMVx
Nevertheless, Conor McGregor’s head coach John Kavanagh – of the famed SBG Ireland gym – has predicted Israel Adesanya going 2-0 against ‘The Reaper.’ He praised both middleweights' fighting skills but picked Adesanya to win at UFC 271 due to “stylistic reasons.” Speaking to mainevent, Kavanagh explained:
"It's very, very close. Whittaker has had some great wins since that loss but Izzy is just, I think he's just very, very special... he just has an air of invincibility around him. He's a joy to watch, so I'd lean towards the Stylebender."