Former UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold counts the current belt holder Israel Adesanyu favorite to fight Jared Cannonier, which will take place on the night of July 3 at UFC 267 in Las Vegas.
“I think Adesanya is a great champion. I think he is a good character. I won't lie, I like Izzy. I definitely want to fight him. I think that I am the only one who can choose the right tactics and win this duel.
I think Adesanya will win this fight. Of course, Cannonier has a heavy blow. He can land a nasty leg hit or throw something wild. However, I think that Israel's work at a distance and his dynamism will not be up to Jared. If Jared tries to take him to the ground, he won't have good enough skills to keep him on the ground," Rockhold said in an interview with MMA Junkie.
Recall that Rockhold himself will return to the octagon on August 20 at UFC 278 in a duel against Paulo Costa. The 37-year-old American has not competed since July 2019, when he lost by knockout to Jan Blachowicz.
