UFC 293: Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland preview and prediction
The UFC makes their second trip down south for another massive numbered pay-per-view card. On Saturday, September 9th, UFC 293 is live from the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, hosting a lot of big names and up-and-coming talents from the region.
No fight is bigger than the main event. The man who the card was built around, UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (24-2), will be looking to make the first title defense of his second reign as undisputed champion.
His opponent was meant to be the rising Dricus Du Plessis in a rivalry that has escalated way beyond expectations. Unfortunately for fans hoping to see that matchup, Du Plessis' injury sidelined him for the time being. In comes the controversial Sean Strickland (27-5), the No. 5 ranked middleweight contender, for his first ever shot at becoming a world champion.
As UFC 293 draws near, it is time to predict and preview the colossal main event. Will we see Adesanya continue his dominance over the 185-pound division? Or can Strickland shock the world and leave the hostile environment as an undisputed world champion?
UFC 293: Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland prediction
For fans that dislike to watch grappling, this is the fight for you. We all know all about Adesanya's impressive kickboxing career and the two-time middleweight champion has never won a fight via submission.
Strickland is a much more accomplished grappler, holding a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, but anyone who has tuned into his fights knows that he likes nothing more than to stand up and cause damage. He does have four wins by submission but the last one of these victories was all the way back in 2014 in his UFC debut.
Saying that, it is clear that Strickland's path to undisputed glory is using his grappling skills. Him actually using these skills is highly unlikely. Strickland refused to do so against Alex Pereira, whose wrestling is way below Adesanya's level, and paid the price for it.
Expect a similar result as the Strickland-Pereira fight. Although Adesanya is not really fighting at home, Australia is the closest he'll get to a homecoming and he'll want to give his fans a show. Strickland is tough but he has shown to be prone to biting on feints, one of Adesanya's strongest skills to open his opponents up.
Although expecting Adesanya to knock Strickland out in the 1st round is a tall task, this fight is very unlikely to go the distance. The champion gets his hand raised amidst a massive roar from the crowd when he knocks Strickland out in the third round, setting up the highly anticipated matchup against Dricus Du Plessis.
Prediction: Israel Adesanya by 3rd round KO/TKO
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