"This is not a Paulo Costa or a Marvin Vettori" - Eugene Bareman explains why Jared Cannonier is a "proper challenge" for Israel Adesanya

Israel Adesanya's coach Eugene Bareman feels Jared Cannonier will be a "proper challenge" for 'The Last Stylebender' when they face each other with the middleweight title on the line in the headliner of UFC 276. The pay-per-view event will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, on July 2.

According to the City Kickboxing head coach, Cannonier is a different beast compared to Adesanya's past opponents, Marvin Vettori and Paulo Costa. He believes 'The Killa Gorilla' is a much tougher opponent for the champ. Bareman explained that although Cannonier has dropped from heavyweight to middleweight, he still possesses the striking power of a fighter competing in a higher weight class.

During a recent interaction with It's Time For Sports, Eugene Bareman explained why Cannonier poses a greater threat to Adesanya compared to his previous opponents:

"What Jared's done and stripped a lot of that weight off and moved down and we know from that experience that a lot of those attributes that you have as a heavy heavier person, they don't go nowhere. You hit like a heavier person and you have the strength of that heavier person but in a smaller frame...We have to be tremendously prepared for this opponent... this is a proper challenge, this is right up there, this is not a Paulo Costa or Vettori. There's some very difficult problems that Jared Cannonier is going to put in front of us."

Watch the interview below:

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Israel Adesanya's next opponent could emerge from UFC 276 main card

If he manages to successfully defend the title against Cannonier, Israel Adesanya could go on to face either of the two fighters competing on the same card as him on July 2. Contenders Sean Strickland and Alex Pereira are set to fight in a main card matchup at UFC 276.

The fight's winner could potentially challenge the winner of Adesanya vs. Cannonier next. However, Marvin Vettori and Robert Whittaker are also set to clash later this year, and the winner of Strickland vs. Pereira might have to go through the winner of that fight to earn a title shot.

Apart from Sean Strickland, Adesanya has faced all the other fighters named above. Among them, only one has managed to beat 'The Last Stylebender', and that's Alex Pereira. The Brazilian has defeated Israel Adesanya in a pair of kickboxing matches in the past. However, MMA is an entirely different sport, and their clash inside the octagon could be very different than it was in the kickboxing ring.