"He's the favorite for a reason" - Michael Bisping predicts winner of Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira

Michael Bisping picks Israel Adesanya to win his bout against Alex Pereira this weekend at UFC 281. Adesanya faces his old kickboxing rival for the first time in an MMA bout as they headline the highly anticipated event on November 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Michael Bisping recently spoke about the middleweight title fight on his YouTube channel, backing 'The Last Stylebender' to get the better of 'Poatan':

"It's a close one and I'm not confident, but I'm going to say Israel Adesanya. He's the favorite for a reason. This is the sixth time defending his title. He has lapped the entire division and he's one of the best strikers in the UFC."

Bisping continued to praise Adesanya's skills by saying:

"When you look at Israel, he's phenomenal. The reflexes, the instincts, the reach, the range, the shot diversity...He knows how to use his length. He knows how to use his speed and he knows how to stop a takedown."

While Bisping recognized Pereira's physical abilities, skills and experience as a fighter and kickboxer, 'The Count' does not believe that he has what it takes to beat Adesanya in MMA. He also stated that in this particular fight, takedowns will not be a major feature and expects the majority of the fight to be fought standing up.

Watch Michael Bisping's full prediction video below:

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Michael Bisping backs Dustin Poirier to beat Michael Chandler at UFC 281

Michael Bisping has predicted that Dustin Poirier will defeat Michael Chandler when they face each other at UFC 281. Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler are all set to throw down this weekend in the co-main event, with the winner of the fight potentially getting a shot at the title.

In a recently posted video on his YouTube channel, Bisping spoke about why he thought 'The Diamond' would triumph against 'Iron'. He said:

"I think Dustin Poirier. I think Dustin Poirier has better boxing and longer reach...I think he puts together better combinations and very very fluid footwork. He likes to switch stances and glide in and out. Of course, he's a black belt in BJJ [Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu] so that's a threat for Chandler."

'The Count' further added:

"Poirier is obviously looking for a TKO but Michael Chandler is very tough, however, he has been dropped. He's been shown to be a little bit chinny...I think he can put Michael Chandler away."

Watch Michael Bisping's full video below:

While it remains to be seen who will prevail come November 12, fans are certain to be treated to fireworks within the octagon as the two lightweight contenders go to war.