Both Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya are at the height of their powers at the moment. With both Usman and Adesanya knocking on the door of potential greatness, there have been suggestions amongst the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) community that they should step inside the octagon for a super fight.
Kamaru Usman has defended his welterweight belt 5 times now. The latest came against Colby Covington at UFC 268. During this run, Usman has defeated Colby once via stoppage and by decision the second time. He did the same against Jorge Masvidal. Usman’s KO of Jorge is a career highlight for him as the latter never suffered a loss by knockout before. In between those 4 fights, The Nigerian Nightmare also defeated Gilbert Burns via TKO.
On the other hand, Israel Adesanya has 4 title defences in his career so far. Similar to his fellow Nigerian, Adesanya has run through the entire middleweight division. Izzy defeated a dangerous Paulo Costa via TKO. Although the rest of his championship victories came via judges’ decision, they were very impressive nonetheless.
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— UFC (@ufc) February 13, 2022
So ultimately, the question becomes who’s skills will trump the others? Will Adesanya’s striking get the best of Usman? Or does the 170lbs champion’s relentless pressure overwhelm Israel? Let’s take a look at how a potential fight may play out between the two.
Israel Adesanya vs Kamaru Usman: who wins?
Israel Adesanya is an elite striker. He is perhaps the best stand-up fighter inside the UFC at the moment. The Stylebender has phenomenal fight IQ and he’s ready for any adversity he may face inside the octagon. Hence, assuming Kamaru Usman will just maul him with wrestling is a mistake. As Robert Whittaker found out at UFC 271, taking Izzy down and holding him on the ground is incredibly tough.
The 32-year old is also very good at judging the distance and using his long limbs. However, Usman is unlike any wrestler Adesanya has ever encountered. Although Izzy has fought Yoel Romero before, the latter was the fag end of his career. Unlike Yoel, Usman will constantly threaten Adesanya with takedowns.
Before joining the camp of Trevor Wittman, Kamaru Usman primarily relied on his ground skills to capture the belt. However, he has improved significantly in the striking department and his KO of Masvidal is the evidence of it. Even if Usman fails to attain regular takedowns, his overhand rights will always be a big threat for Adesanya.
Hence, a fight between these two will undoubtedly be fascinating to witness. Although there is hesitancy from both parties to fight the other, a big-money offer can easily change that. Will we see a super fight between Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya in the fall of 2022? Comment below and share your thoughts on the fight.