So, who’s going to be the winner? Across several corners, the debate has been raging. Will Magomed Ankalaev and Merab Dvalishvili retain their titles? Or will Alex Pereira reclaim his belt and Cory Sandhagen become the bantamweight’s new champion? With discussions and debates rife over potential outcomes, social media is on fire. It didn’t take long before Israel Adesanya joined the conversation with his two cents.
The former two-time middleweight champion suffered defeat at the hands of Nassourdine Imavov in February, marking his third consecutive loss since relinquishing the crown to Sean Strickland. However, the Nigeria-born fighter has remained active on social media. His YouTube channel, *FREESTYLEBENDER*, where he provides updates on upcoming events, now commands a dedicated following. In the latest episode, *Israel Adesanya* weighed in on the fights lined up at *UFC 320*, particularly the headliner and co-main, which may surprise some fans.
Ankalaev, Pereira, Merab, and Sandhagen: Full-Round Thrillers Await at UFC 320
As expected, Adesanya saved the best for last. Discussing *Merab Dvalishvili’s* title defense against *Cory Sandhagen*, the former champion made his prediction clear: the Georgian would retain his belt. However, his American adversary would not make it easy. In recent interviews, Dvalishvili spoke about hurting Sandhagen. Yet Adesanya doesn’t foresee the bout playing out the way Dvalishvili hopes. “*I’m going to go to Merab,*” he said, noting that he closely follows Sandhagen. His fighting style resembles Adesanya’s own.
Still, Adesanya acknowledged Dvalishvili’s stamina and skill. “*I’m impressed with Merab, though, because it’s something I can’t do, which is just wrestle, wrestle, wrestle, wrestle, wrestle forever. I can wrestle, but not at the pace he does. So, it’s impressive to watch. But regardless, fk my feelings. Fk what I think. I’m going with Merab in this fight. I’m going to go decision cuz Cory’s hard to finish,*” Adesanya said.
It was time to review *Magomed Ankalaev* vs. *Alex Pereira*. However, unlike the co-main, where he picked the champion, Israel Adesanya felt the challenger would come out stronger in the grand finale. “*For this fight, I’m going to go to Alex Pereira,*” he said.
Like many, he expressed doubt that Pereira could do the unthinkable and finish Ankalaev inside the distance.
No upset: The title remains with the champ
“*I don’t know if he finishes Magomed cuz I’ve never seen Magomed finished,*” he added before concluding, “*But, I don’t. It’s not going to be an easy fight based on the first fight from what I’ve seen. Alex will have to gain Magomed’s respect heavily straight away for it to be a finish.*”
This is an interesting perspective, especially considering that another reigning champion believes Ankalaev would retain his title. On his YouTube channel, Alexander Volkanovski discussed Pereira’s skills but doubted whether the Brazilian could make adjustments to break Ankalaev’s winning streak.
“*I’m gonna have to go with the favorite on this one. I think Ankalaev does it again,*” he said, predicting a wrestling-heavy bout. “*Can Pereira get the knockout? One hundred percent, but I think Ankalaev wins.*”
Fans will have to watch closely. The outcomes of these two fights could set the tone for their respective weight classes in the months to come.
What are your predictions for the main and co-main events of *UFC 320*? Share your insights in the comments below.