Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya shared his prediction for Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250.
Pereira and Gane meet in the co-main event of the UFC White House card on Sunday for the interim UFC heavyweight title.
Since Adesanya has fought Pereira twice in the Octagon, plus twice in kickboxing, there is no better person to ask about how his first UFC fight at heavyweight will go than his longtime rival, Adesanya.
Israel Adesanya Shares Prediction for Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Adesanya said he is leaning toward Pereira to defeat Gane, as he believes it’s the Brazilian’s destiny to become the first three-division champion in UFC history.
“I want to see Alex do it. I honestly think it’s going to be good for the sport. It’s going to be great for him to achieve something that’s never even been attempted. It’s like seeing the first person climb Everest. I just want to see him do it. … It’s not about me. This is bigger than me. This is history. To see someone achieve this and then you play a part in helping them get there, it’s (expletive) cool, man,” Adesanya said (via MMAjunkie.com).
“I want to see him do it, and this (Gane) is not a slouch. It’s not a tomato can at all. This is a new-age heavyweight, a guy with the footwork who can grapple, strike, power, speed, head movement. It’s a hard fight. It’s a (expletive) hard fight – at heavyweight. First time at heavyweight in MMA, so it’s not going to be easy. But, like I said, I want Alex to get it done. I really believe he’s going to get it done. It’s just destiny.”
Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane Odds
With the fight just days away now, the betting odds for Pereira vs. Gane have mostly held steady, with Gane as a -115 favorite and Pereira as a slight -105 underdog.
The tightness of the betting odds shows how hard of a fight this is to predict, as both men can knock each other out or win a decision. But with Gane being the natural heavyweight and having a theoretical grappling advantage, he’s a small favorite heading into this bout.
The matchup should be very interesting to see how it plays out. It’s possible that it could be a very tactical bout that goes the five-round distance, with the fight being determined on the judges’ scorecards.
But both men have power, so someone could get knocked out here, as there is so much on the line.
With a win, Pereira would become the first three-division champ in UFC history, while for Gane, he would cement his place as the next-best heavyweight in the world behind Tom Aspinall.
The winner of this interim UFC heavyweight title bout between Pereira and Gane is expected to take on Aspinall later this year for the undisputed UFC heavyweight belt.
It all goes down Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount+, so don’t miss it.
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