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Two great co-main event interim title bouts in Max Holloway vs Dustin Poirier & Israel Adesanya vs Kelvin Gastelum.
Max Holloway coming off one of the best title matches I've ever seen in the beat down he gave Brian Ortega at UFC 231, moving up from Featherweight to Lightweight to rematch against Diamond Dustin Poirier who beat him early in his career way back at UFC 143.
Poirier coming off a 3 fight win streak vs the likes of Eddie Alvarez, Justin Gaethje & Anthony Pettis, Holloway dominated Ortega & had great performances with back to back wins vs Jose Aldo & another asswhoopin of Pettis.
I got Holloway winning this fight by stoppage in the 4th, his stand up game is just too much to deal with & even though Poirier beat him already that was way early in Holloway's career in just his 5th professional fight. He's much different fighter now & is an absolute high level striker, Poirier will have to take the fight to the ground in order to keep it close, if he stands in the middle of the octagon & tries to exchange with Holloway he'll get KO'd much faster than expected.
Then in the other co-main you got Israel Stylebender Adesanya vs Kelvin Gastelum for the interim 185lbs title.
Stylebender is one of my favorite fighters in the UFC right now, an elite tactical striker with a legendary Kickboxing background & has become a rising Superstar. Coming off a wins bs Brunson & Spider Silva he's looking to put himself in position to take on Robert Whittaker for Middleweight title belt.
Gastelum coming off the win vs Jacare Souza & would've had opportunity to fight Whittaker straight up until the fight got canceled. Gastelum has lost to Weidman, Magny & Woodley in his career.
I got Stylebender winning this convincingly with a TKO. His precision striking will be the edge imo, he has the reach advantage & has a much higher fight IQ than Gastelum, he'll control the distance work KG with leg kicks softening him up to set up for the head kick.
IMO this fight will look like the 185 version of Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier. KG will try to get on the inside & look for a haymaker KO, but that long reach & advanced striking of Adesanya will keep him at bay. Adesanya will use the jab & that spinning elbow to keep KG off rhythm & not allow him to charge in recklessly looking for takedowns.
Who yall got?