Is This Izzy’s Last Stand?
Israel Adesanya is one of if not the greatest Middleweight of all time. His incredible kickboxing and charismatic personality have made him a fan favorite for a long time. However, all great things must eventually come to an end. Izzy is on a two-fight losing streak with his last loss coming from the current Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305. Does Izzy have one last run at the title in him, or will February 1st be the last time we see The Last Stylebender in the octagon?
UFC returns to Saudi Arabia for UFC Fight Night Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov. Izzy is taking on the number five ranked Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of the evening. Stylistically it should be a fantastic striking display by both men. Imavov has a power advantage against Izzy which isn’t uncommon but besides that, everything is in the former champion's favor. Izzy is accustomed to fighting five-round fights and using his range and distance to slowly pick his opponent apart. The most underrated part of Izzy’s game is his striking defense. He is always able to just get out of the way at any big strike coming in his direction. He has fought very similar opponents in the past and has done incredibly well.
I think Izzy will be able to pull this win off. I think he will utilize his leg kicks early and often to slow Imavov’s striking down significantly. Imavov has been known to gas during the championship rounds and I can see Izzy putting the pressure on and getting a finish in the latter rounds. Izzy looked great in his last fight and was arguably winning the fight until he got caught and submitted. Izzy is 35 years old but I don’t feel like his losing skid is a result of his age. I still think he can be one of the elites in the division and depending on who is the champion I feel like he can one day be a three-time Middleweight Champion.
If Izzy can win this fight some potential fights could be extremely interesting. The first opponent he should be offered is the rising Caio Borralho. That would be a tough fight in the grappling department for Izzy and would give him the motivation he needs late in his career to push himself. The next fight which is less likely but one every fan wants to see is Khamzat Chimaev. After what Chimaev was able to do to Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 people believe he will be able to run through Adesanya as well. That would be a big money fight and one you would not want to miss.
