I expected Anderson Silva, arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the history of The UFC, to get knocked out in the first round of this fight. Silly me. Even at 43, which is old for the sport, he’s got skills. The Spider is long past his prime; he’s slower and more tentative; but is able to hang with a top newcomer.

Israel Adesanya is, in essence, a younger version of Anderson Silva; a man he once idolized. Silva does some Matrix-style dodges in the first round and actually outstrikes Adesanya in the second, but it isn’t enough. Adesanya wins mostly by staying busier, particularly in the third, where Silva seems to fade.

my rating : 3 of 5

2019