sport news Israel Adesanya is backing Jamahal Hill to KO his old nemesis Alex Pereira ... trends now
On paper, the UFC 300 headliner should provide the kind of fireworks befitting the tricentenary card in Las Vegas this Saturday night.
Both Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill are frightening knockout artists and it would be a major surprise if both men were to see out the 25 minutes.
Hill was champion before having to relinquish the belt due to his Achilles injury, a vacant title claimed by Pereira against Jiri Prochazka.
The bookmakers have Pereira as a narrow favourite but it is always revealing to see how fellow top UFC fighters past and present are predicting the fight.
Interestingly, the majority of them are going with the underdog, including Michael Bisping, who said on his "YouTube channel: 'I believe Alex Pereira loses the belt on this one.
Alex Pereira (left) is taking on Jamahal Hill (right) in a bid to defend his title at UFC 300
'It's going to go down on the feet. Alex Pereira is a better striker, I said this, but Jamahal Hill isn't intimidated, I think he hits harder and I think he can take a better shot than most of Alex's opponents.
'I think Jamahal Hill within five rounds is going to drop Alex Pereira, put him to sleep, get the knockout and reclaim the light-heavyweight championship of the world.'
Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker concurred on "FREESTYLEBENDER, with Pereira's nemesis, who eventually beat him last April having lost their first three encounters in kickboxing and MMA, predicting how it will play out.
He said: 'This fight Alex is going to try and kick Jamahal's legs, I don't think that's a secret. Jamahal I don't think is scared. Jamahal has KO power, scary KO power as well. Alex can get knocked out.
'Something Jamahal said, who has Pereira out-classed in a fight before he's knocked them out? That's why I knew I could beat this guy.
'Jamahal made the point that he's beatable and I've proven it. He's going to try and touch him at some point, avoiding the leg kicks is the tricky bit so I hope Jamahal has some remedies for that. I'm going to go with Jamahal by KO in the first two-and-a-half rounds.'
Israel Adesanya believes his old foe will lose by knockout during Saturday night's contest
Dan Hooker (left) agrees with Adesanya although he says the leg kicks could be crucial
Hooker added: 'Stylistically with the low kicks, Alex will be hard for Jamahal to deal with, he's already made fun about it on TikTok.
'You can't come out and make fun of the low kicks and then lose to someone's low kicks so he obviously has a plan in store for that. If it comes to a punching battle it's a 50/50.
'I think Jamahal is being overlooked a little bit in this fight, I think he has KO power and I'm going to side with him.'
But their antipodean friend Alexander Volkanovski went
