UFC 319: Adesanya Weighs In With Unexpected Prediction for Du Plessis vs Chimaev

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya has shared his prediction for the upcoming highly anticipated UFC 319 main event between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev.

The match is scheduled to take place at the United Centre in Chicago, United States, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The South African MMA star, Dricus du Plessis, is the current holder of the UFC middleweight belt after defeating Sean Strickland in his last fight, which was held at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, in February.

The bout against Chimaev is arguably the biggest test for du Plessis, as the fight is considered a potential classic.

Du Plessis vs Chimaev: Adesanya predicts the winner

Many pundits and betting companies are shifting towards Chimaev, ushering in a new era for the middleweight division, as he's favoured to win against DDP. However, Adesanya thinks differently and believes that Du Plessis will get the job done against the Russian MMA fighter, just as he did when they fought last August.

Read also

Booed in Chicago: Du Plessis fires back ahead of UFC 319 showdown

"I think Khamzat showed me why he's a dominant force at 185 with his fight against Rob. But DDP [Dricus Du Plessis] finds a way to win. He's so stubborn," the 36-year-old former UFC middleweight champion said.

"He’s got strong willpower, and he finds a way."

Adesanya has yet to return to the octagon since being knocked out by Nassourdine Imamov in the second round of their bout in February, but he is still regarded as one of the greatest fighters in history.

The Nigerian-born fighter's prediction sparked varied reactions from fans on social media. While some agreed, others held an opposite view.

Reactions as Adesanya predicts winner in DDP vs Chimaev bout

Dalkilic Arslan said:

"Izzy always keeps it interesting with his takes! If Du Plessis pulls it off, wonder if we’ll see that Adesanya rematch. And yeah, @CharlesMooreX1 did say Chimaev’s wrestling could be the X-factor here. Either way, UFC 319’s gonna be fire."

Read also

Ouaddou promises fight back as Pirates prepare for MTN8 semi-final showdown

Soykut Akca wrote:

"Interesting take from Adesanya! I wonder what @MartinezX631MartinezX631 thinks about this matchup. He always has solid breakdowns of UFC fights."

TakeItIzzy__ shared:

"Izzy wants DDP to beat Khamzat so that he can have the slightest of hopes at UFC gold again."

GuildedMMA.34 commented:

"Israel is talking from experience, he knew what he encountered when he face DDP last year."

Hall_fame reacted:

"Izzy is not right on this one Chimaev is a beast and I see him knocking out Dricus in this one."

Source: Briefly News