Considered one of the best strikers in the MMA world, Israel Adesanya is expected to have an easy job on Saturday when he’s defending his UFC Middleweight Championship against Jared Cannonier. The two lock horns at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada on July 2 in the main event of UFC 276.
Odds suggest Adesanya is going to win, but we think Cannonier mustn’t be underestimated. After all, he wouldn’t be given a title shot if he weren’t good. So, can The Killa Gorilla upset the odds? Let’s find out!
Israel Adesanya vs Jared Cannonier UFC 276 Odds
All odds are per Bovada as of June 28.
Moneyline
| Israel Adesanya | -400 |
| Jared Cannonier | +300 |
Where and When to Watch
- Date: Saturday, July 2
- Time: ~9:00 PM EDT
- Location: T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada
- Watch: PPV
Izzy Defending His Championship Belt
Israel Adesanya is 22-1 in his professional career, with his only loss happening when he moved up a weight division. It happened in March 2021, when he switched from middleweight to light heavyweight in order to challenge for another title. Adesanya fought the reigning champ Jan Blachowicz but ended up losing by unanimous decision.
In the UFC Middleweight division, however, he is still undefeated. He won the interim title in this division in April 2019, then went on to unify the title a few months later. In March 2020, Adesanya defended the title for the first time, then went on to do the same three more times.
What’s interesting is that in three of those title defenses, he won by decision. The reason why this is strange is that Adesanya is famous as a knockout expert, who’s won 15 fights by this method.
Can Jared Cannonier Cause a Major Upset?
Cannonier is a huge underdog in the UFC 276 headliner bout, the main reason being that he’s fighting against one of the best fighters on the planet. His record isn’t bad with 15 wins and 5 losses, but that’s nowhere near Adesanya’s.
Still, there’s one thing that’s giving his fans hope. Cannonier has a strong chin, so Adesanya might struggle to knock him out. Even though he’s lost two fights by KO/TKO, both of those were light heavyweight fights.
Israel Adesanya vs Jared Cannonier Prediction
Izzy is the best fighter in the middleweight division, but he probably isn’t going to have a field day on Saturday. Finishing Cannonier early seems like a mission impossible. Instead, we are probably going to see the fight go the distance.
Pick: Israel Adesanya by decision