“I like Elijah’s boxing, he has some striking wins by knockout, but he does it when he manages to push his opponent back to the net,” Adesanya said in a video posted on his Youtube channel. “Alex won’t stare at the net. He moves great, controls the distance, and won’t allow himself to be pressed. Elijah is a great fighter, but Aleksander Volkanovski is great. I’m betting on an early win for Alex by knockout in the fourth round.”
“By this time he will have worn down Elijah. When you find yourself facing Alexander Volkanovski in the championship rounds and he keeps coming at you, it’s impossible to prepare for that. No sparring partner can mimic that. I’ve seen it in my life, both in training and in fights – it just wears people down. Elijah’s only chance is to catch Alex in the first or second round. After that, his chances of winning will diminish precipitously.”
Recall that the featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Elijah Topuria will be the main event of UFC 298, which will take place on February 17 in Anaheim.