Israel Adesanya
Backwards with Win: Big. In addition to continuing one of the great championship reigns in recent UFC history, a victory on Saturday would tie the record for middleweight winning streaks (13) held by one of its heroes: Anderson Silva.
Disadvantage with loss: Minimal. Outside of Pereira, Adesanya holds big wins over every top-five middleweight, including two wins over former champion No. 1 contender Robert Whittaker.
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Alex Pereira
Backwards with Win: Huge. Winning the middleweight championship just four fights into his UFC career would allow him to leapfrog tough exits like Whittaker, Marvin Vettori and Jared Cannonier. Already boasting two professional kickboxing wins over Adesanya, a third would cement him as the proverbial kryptonite of the current champion.
Disadvantage with loss: Down. On the heels of a meteoric rise up the middleweight rankings, the former Glory champion would likely still be right in the mix of fighters trying to dethrone ‘The Last Stylebender’.
