"He's not ready for Gegard's level on the ground" - John McCarthy feels Gegard Mousasi has what it takes to beat Israel Adesanya
John McCarthy has touted Gegard Mousasi as the best middleweight alongside the UFC's Israel Adesanya. Mousasi is currently on the back of a successful Bellator middleweight title defense against Vanderford.
Adesanya, on the other hand, is fresh off a win over Robert Whittaker. The reigning UFC middleweight champion defeated 'The Reaper' in the main event of UFC 271 via unanimous decision.
While speaking on the Weighing In podcast, McCarthy detailed what a potential fight between Adesanya and Mousasi would look like. The Bellator MMA broadcaster believes Mousasi matches up well with 'The Last Stylebender' while standing up. McCarthy stated:
"He's still the best guy there is out there in the middleweight division, there's him and there is Izzy. Those are the two guys and I do believe that Gegard's style and Izzy's style match up. I'm not saying Izzy can't beat Gegard, he could, and I'm telling that Gegard could beat Izzy. All depends on the fight, who does what right but Gegard does match up well in the stand up well with Izzy."
However, McCarthy believes that the Bellator middleweight champion has an advantage over Adesanya on the ground. The former UFC referee added that Adesanya is not ready for Mousasi's level on the mat.
"On the ground, defensively as far as getting it to the ground Izzy's got great hips and he does a good job. I don't think it would be an easy takedown for Gegard but on the ground, there is no comparison. None, he's not ready for Gegard's level on the ground," added McCarthy.
Watch John McCarthy's assessment of a potential Gegard Mousasi vs. Israel Adesanya fight below:
Israel Adesanya has been on a dominant run as the UFC middleweight champion
Israel Adesanya has been unstoppable so far in the UFC's middleweight division. 'The Last Stylebender' is yet to suffer a defeat in the 185-pound division since signing with the UFC.
Adesanya's latest run in the UFC has seen him successfully defend the middleweight title against Robert Whittaker, Marvin Vettori, Paulo Costa, and Yoel Romero.
The reigning middleweight champion's only loss in the promotion was at the hands of Jan Blachowicz. Adesanya battled Blachowicz for the light heavyweight title. However, 'The Last Stylebender' came up short in his quest to become a two-division champion.