Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson has expressed concerns about a potential fight between Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis at UFC 300, suggesting that Adesanya needs more time to develop his skills and alter his style to be successful.
UFC 300’s main event is rumored to be Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya. That’s what most MMA enthusiasts believe, at least. Any whispers of a different matchup? Probably just smoke and mirrors. You know, the usual tricks when folks are trying to keep big news hush-hush.
The middleweights? Oh, they’ve got a score to settle. They would’ve squared off last year if it wasn’t for Sean Strickland‘s curveball. But not everyone’s on board with this fight. One of them is Demetrious Johnson, former UFC flyweight champ and current ONE champ.
Johnson’s not a fan of this fight for Adesanya. He expressed his concerns on The MMA Hour. “Izzy hasn’t taken enough time,” he said. After Strickland’s surprise victory, Adesanya took a break. He announced a hiatus to change his lifestyle and recover from injuries.
Then du Plessis snatched the belt from Strickland. UFC 300 was left without a main event. Adesanya saw a chance and hinted at an early return. Du Plessis, however, has since retracted the possibility of fighting Adesanya at UFC 300. He does expect Adesanya to be his next opponent. Johnson believes Adesanya needs to tweak his style to win.
Johnson’s got a question for Izzy. “Have you added more tools to your toolset?” He’s concerned about Adesanya’s strategy. Izzy likes to back up, counter a punch. But DDP doesn’t overextend. He holds the center of the cage, moves forward, switches between southpaw and orthodox.
Izzy’s a kicker. He likes to poke, poke, then hit. He’s done it in past fights. But Johnson thinks Izzy needs to work on his clinch game, his wrestling game. If his opponent doesn’t overextend, Izzy needs to be comfortable enough to force the clinch, force the wrestling.
During his title run, Adesanya faced criticism for not engaging enough. His fights were more like sparring sessions than title bouts. Johnson thinks adding or improving grappling skills is the key to beating du Plessis and holding onto the title.
Johnson’s got another question for Izzy. “Have you taken time off to develop that skill set?” If Izzy says no, Johnson’s advice is clear: don’t take the fight. But if Izzy’s ready to force the fight, get in the clinch, take him down, then Johnson’s all for it.
But if Izzy hasn’t, Johnson wouldn’t recommend the fight. DDP’s style is tricky. He doesn’t back up, doesn’t overextend. He’s clunky on his feet, but Johnson doesn’t like the matchup. He’ll always root for Izzy, though. He’s a big fan. But as a martial artist, he thinks Izzy needs time to develop those missing skills.