UFC 248 Predictions

Following his impressive victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 last October, Israel Adesanya has emerged as the promotion's latest superstar. His flamboyant, yet efficient striking scale and relatable personality has quickly made him a favourite among fans. However, his first title defense will certainly be a tricky one as he'll have to figure out the puzzle that is Yoel Romero.

Although he's shown glimpses of his other skills, make no bones about it, Adesanya is a striker first and foremost. His long limbs and scarily accurate punches and kicks make him an absolute nightmare for pretty much every middleweight in the division. When it comes to striking, the 30-year old is really operating at a different level compared to pretty much everyone else in the UFC.

That being said, Yoel Romero has the sort of skill-set that could completely stifle Adesanya's biggest weapons. Not only has he got elite wrestling mixed in with exceptional athleticism, he's also a devastating power puncher who can end a fight in a split second.

Although the 42-year-old has been described as the scariest man in the 185lb division, he is prone to slowing down in the later rounds. That's something that Adesanya and his team at City Kickboxing will prey upon, eventually causing Romero's downfall in the later rounds.

Adesanya via knockout