"Izzy is going to be so focused and so hyper aware of the power shot" - Anthony Smith predicts how Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira title fight will play out 

Anthony Smith recently previewed the upcoming UFC 281 headliner between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira.

In a recent episode of the Believe You Me podcast, Smith was asked about Adesanya's next title defense by his co-host Michael Bisping. Praising Pereira's skillset, size and power, 'Lionheart' said:

"Pereira is the only guy that can fight Adesanya on his feet and on his terms. There's no one else in the division that can do that. He's taller, he's bigger, he's significantly bigger. He's absolutely more powerful."

Speculating as to how Adesanya will counter the challenger's power, Smith added:

"What I am afraid of is that Izzy is going to be so focused and hyper aware of the power shot that he's never going to put himself out of position. I don't think either one of them is going to wrestle. I think Izzy's going to stick and move, hit him from the outside and fight at range."

Catch Anthony Smith's comments (11:26) below:

Just over a year after signing with the UFC, Alex Pereira has been fast-tracked up the rankings to set up a fight with the reigning UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya. The Brazilian knockout artist viciously stopped top-ranked 185-pounder Sean Strickland to earn his title shot.

In a kickboxing bout back in 2017, Pereira famously knocked out Adesanya. 'The Last Stylebender' will look to exact his revenge on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

---

Israel Adesanya backed by former foe to defend his belt

Robert Whittaker has shared the octagon twice with Israel Adesanya. The Australian came up short on both occasions, but still holds the No.1 spot in the middleweight rankings.

The former champion recently gave his take on his former foe's upcoming championship bout. In a recent interview with James Lynch, Whittaker backed Adesanya to emerge victorious:

"If I was a betting man, I'd have to go with Adesanya."

Whittaker went on to claim that Adesanya is the best defensive striker in the UFC. One notable factor heading into the UFC 281 headliner is the difference in the size of the gloves in kickboxing and MMA. Speaking on the same, 'The Reaper' added:

"The biggest factor and variable in this fight is going to be the small gloves and how does that play a role in the fight? Nobody can say until the night of the fight."

Catch Robert Whittaker's comments (0:10) below: