Daily Debate: Did the UFC rush Israel Adesanya into a headliner too quickly?

Israel Adesanya is clearly a special talent, but is the 28-year-old striker being rushed into a UFC main event too quickly?

It’s a question worth pondering following the recent announcement that Adesanya (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will face veteran middleweight and ever-durable Brad Tavares (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) in the headliner of The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale.

After two “TUF 27” tournament champions are crowned on the undercard, Adesanya and Tavares close out the July 6 event, which airs on FS1 from Pearl Theater in Las Vegas.

Adesanya made his MMA debut in 2012, though his boxing and kickboxing experience dates back to 2011. However, he’s just two fights into his UFC career – with a TKO win over Rob Wilkinson and a split-decision victory over Marvin Vettori.

Is Tavares, who’s No. 14 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA middleweight rankings, too much too soon for Adesanya? Or is the eight-year, 16-fight UFC vet an appropriate test for the promising prospect?

It’s the question we asked in our Daily Debate feature for MMAjunkie Radio, and the results were close (via Twitter):

Check out the video above as MMAjunkie Radio hosts “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Dan Tom weigh in.

As you’ll hear, the booking may be a bit premature, but it’s certainly an intriguing matchup.

For more on The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Dan Tom. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

Gallery Israel Adesanya def. Marvin Vettori at UFC on FOX 29: Best photos view 14 images

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