UFC 324 will serve as the first card in the seven-year, $7.7 billion (USD) deal between MMA’s No. 1 promotion in the world and Paramount Plus. Israel Adesanya is curious to see how the interim lightweight championship fight will play out at T-Mobile Arena in Enterprise, NV.
As has become common among MMA fighters currently in the sport, Israel Adesanya recently adopted his YouTube page to give his thoughts on the card as a whole, as well as the Saturday show’s headlining affair.
Israel Adesanya predicts a big test for Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324
During his YouTube video, “The Last Stylebender” elaborated on the anticipated UFC 324 main event scheduled for Saturday night. He said the stakes will be highest when the cage door closes on Pimblett.
“You don’t want to be ‘The Highlight’, that’s what I mean, and ‘The Highlight’ that one not Get tired,” Israel Adesanya began. “I think this is Paddy’s biggest challenge yet, a perfect opponent, a perfect fight for them. Old dog, new dog.”
Adesanya said Justin Gaethje would do best to use his kicking game to advantage against Paddy Pimblett this weekend in Las Vegas, looking at videos of previous matches where leg kicks played a major role in his path to victory.
“The [leg kicks] he objected [Edson] Barboza, oh, a leg kick for the sake of a leg kick, they were both fighting,” he said. “Tony Ferguson too, the way he handled him with the leg kicks, (power removed.) It was gangster.”
Adesanya expects Gaethje to push the momentum against Pimblett at UFC 324
Israel Adesanya then pointed to Justin Gaethje’s ability to use his footwork as something that could be crucial to his success on Saturday night.
“I just love the style,” he said of “The Highlight.” “Come forward! This is getting crazy! This could be a roll of the dice.”
Justin Gaethje has spent quite a bit of time during fight week discussing the fanbase’s opinion that the main event of UFC 324 will be a historic match, something Israel Adesanya knows about from his past experiences in the legendary Octagon.
“Same, same, ‘legacy reclamation fight,’” he said. “You can’t take it personally, like I told Ariel [Helwani,] you should know the game. I’ve been watching this game for years. I have seen the great ones rise and fall and rise again and then slowly erode. This is just how the flow of the thing goes. This is just the nature of the beast.
Israel Adesanya analyzes the strengths of both men
When the time came for “The Last Stylebender” to make a prediction on the winner of the night’s main event at UFC 324, he again mentioned Gaethje’s leg kicks, but did not say that his game plan will be based on such strikes.
“Gaethje has a nice jab,” he said. ‘He likes to stay in the mid-range so he can jab Paddy, but Paddy has [a jab,] also. If he uses his shot right, he’ll be fine. I think Paddy will be first on the back foot and if he cracks Gaethje then he will be the one to dictate the pace, but Gaethje in my opinion will be the first to dictate the pace in the first few exchanges in the first round. Gaethje has to be careful because Paddy hits hard, but Gaethje can eat them.
From there he discussed the betting side with Paddy Pimblett on Saturday evening.
“There’s a reason why Paddy is the favorite in this fight,” Israel Adesanya continued. “I’m just going to follow the script today. I’m saying Paddy in this fight, I just think it’s going to be five rounds. Gaethje can do five rounds, we know that. I’m looking at the Inclusions Again, Paddy said people haven’t seen him in deep waters and he said that’s where he comes alive so I want to see it. I want to see it. Show them who you are.”
Israeli Adesanya’s pick to win the UFC 324 main event
When making his choice, he referred back to his own interim championship match.
“People thought I was going to drown,” Adesanya said. “I showed them. That’s why I’m coming alive. I believe it. I want to see it, but again, there’s only one man who can make it an early night for Paddy and that’s Gaethje.”
Ultimately, Adesanya chose “The Baddy” as his pick to win.
“I’m just going to stick to the script in this fight, in this card, and I’m going with Paddy Pimblett by decision,” he said. Israel Adesanya quickly changed his prediction about the method when reminded of Pimblett’s tendency to chase submissions.
“That’s a good one,” he said. “I [forgot,] he likes to jump on people’s backs. I say that I also think submission.’
Final thoughts
We’ve heard what Israel Adesanya is thinking. Our staff has made picks for the Gaethje vs. Pimblett fight and the entire main card of UFC 324. Find them here.
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