Fight Preview
While Israel Adesanya was hoping to face Dricus du Plessis, they were unable to make the fight happen. At UFC 281, his longtime rival Alex Pereira defeated him in the middleweight division, ending his streak.
In his first mixed martial arts bout, he was knocked out, but five months later, at UFC 287, he showed incredible courage by returning for a rematch. He knocked out the Brazilian in the second round to win back his championship and is now making his sixth title defense.
Sean Strickland is his next dangerous opponent. No one predicted that he would be challenging for a championship less than a year ago. Last year, he was defeated by a knockout from Pereira and a split decision from Jared Cannonier.
However, less than a month after his bout with Cannonier, he stepped up on short notice to battle the surging Nassourdine Imavov. A couple of months ago, he knocked out the promising Abusupiyan Magomedov and won a unanimous decision.
For good cause, Adesanya is a fan-favorite fighter. Strickland is a striker, but the champion’s technique is far superior. Since losing his strap would require extreme carelessness on his part, he may do whatever he likes to Strickland with complete assurance.
We all know that if Strickland lacks in skill, he more than makes up for in tenacity and constant pressure. Although he will stand directly in front of Adesanya, his defense is so strong that it will be difficult to land a clean blow.
He also has wrestling in his arsenal, and given that this may be his lone shot at gold, we anticipate that he will shoot in as soon as possible having learned his lesson from the Pereira bout.
It’s possible that after just one shot from Adesanya, Strickland will have to change his strategy. It’s hard to imagine him having the patience to chase the takedown and smother the champion in order to win.
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Israel Adesanya vs Sean Strickland Fight Information
- Date: 09/09/2023
- Time: 11:50 PM ET
- Location: Qudos Bank Arena.
- How to Watch Israel Adesanya vs Sean Strickland: ESPN+
- Live Stream: BT Sport.com
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