After Dricus Du Plessis surprised almost everybody by stopping Robert Whittaker at UFC 290, he became the number one contender for the UFC middleweight title. The build-up to a fight with Adesanya was underway immediately, with the champion entering the octagon to face off with Du Plessis following his post fight interview.
With the two expected to fight in Sydney at UFC 293, the verbal tirades continued between the pair on social media. Unfortunately for Du Plessis, he suffered an injury that ruled him out of fighting Adesanya on September 10. The race was on to find a new opponent, and potential suitors were few and far between thanks to ‘Stylebenders’ recent dominance over the division.
Sean Strickland gets the title shot
The UFC confirmed earlier today that Sean Strickland had gotten the nod for the main event in Sydney. Some have criticized the announcement of his fight with Adesanya, who claim that Strickland doesn’t deserve a shot at the title as he is 2-2 in his last four fights. If you zoom out, his record looks much better – eight wins in his last ten bouts, with his defeats coming against former champion Alex Pereira and top contender Jared Cannonier.
Apart from Du Plessis, Adesanya has beaten everybody else ranked in the top seven, some of them twice. The #2 ranked Robert Whittaker lost to Du Plessis, which rules him out. #3 ranked Jared Cannonier lost recently to Adesanya, and #4 Marvin Vettori has been beaten twice by ‘The Last Stylebender.’ Next on the list is the #5 ranked Sean Strickland, so if he doesn’t get the next shot, then who else does?
It’s unfair to compare, as many people online are, Sean Strickland with Tony Ferguson. El Cucuy won twelve fights in a row from 2013-2019 and failed to compete for the title, but they were very different situations, not to mention fighting in different divisions. Also, Ferguson was offered a title shot against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223 but had to withdraw due to injury. Strickland has been given this opportunity as a combination of Du Plessis’ misfortune and the fact Adesanya has beaten every other contender in the division – that’s not Strickland’s fault.
Regardless of whether the opponent was Strickland or not, the star of the show is Israel Adesanya. UFC 293 sold out in thirteen minutes before the champion’s opponent was even announced – quite remarkable. Adesanya is a massive star, probably the biggest on the active roster, and many fans tune in to see him fight, regardless of the opponent. People who aren’t necessarily fans of the UFC know who Israel Adesanya is; therefore, a victory for Strickland would catapult his profile no-end.
What can we expect from Strickland?
If Strickland can take Adesanya down, it could make for an interesting fight. Strickland has great cardio and an effective jab, so he will look for openings to grapple and take the fight to the ground. A problem he will have is that Adesanya has a great fight IQ. The champion doesn’t leave himself open very often, and asides from Jan Blachowicz, who had a significant weight advantage, fighters have struggled to keep Adesanya on the ground for a meaningful amount of time.
When Adesanya’s been taken down, he gets back to his feet more often than not, so Strickland may be forced to engage in a stand-up battle for long periods of the fight. Adesanya will be comfortable with this; he is very versatile on his feet and will utilize his kickboxing mixed in with unpredictable striking, which Strickland may struggle with as he tends to stand in the range of his opponents.
Adesanya will be a huge favorite going into this one, and a win for the challenger will be one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. The same was said before Matt Serra defeated GSP and also prior to Julianna Pena’s victory over the female GOAT, Amanda Nunes, so anything is possible.
Israel Adesanya will fight Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia, on September 10.
Discussion about this post