Sean Strickland wins the UFC
middleweight title after defeating Israel Adesanya
Sean Strickland wins the UFC
UFC 293 got here to a stunning conclusion when Shawn Strickland pulled off the closing upset to take the middleweight title from Israel Adesanya. Before that, some outstanding performances on the foremost card set Alexander Volkov and Manel Kapi on an interesting path. Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi, and Jeff Wagenheim react to the biggest moments of the night.
Israel Adesanya has the whole lot geared up for him. He was once hostilities in Sydney, a quick outing throughout the Tasman Sea from his domestic in Auckland, New Zealand. This was Adesanya's first match Down Under because she won the UFC Middleweight Championship in 2019. In that time, he is put in an amazing overall performance internal the cage and throughout a gritty comeback. Now, once again, he was in a function to entertain audiences in his corner of the world.
Instead, Shawn Strickland became the principal event of UFC 293 into his exhibit on Saturday, walking Adesanya for 5 rounds beating him to a clear unanimous decision, and turning into the 185-pound champ in an actual shocker.
The event at Qudos Bank Arena was once designed to be a show-off for Adesanya. Strickland used to be a Plan B opponent who used to be solely booked for a title battle after Dricos du Plessis, who became the top-rated contender at 185 pounds two months ago after defeating former champion Robert Whitaker, was unable to make that date. Strickland was once a ways behind in the middleweight rankings and solely had a prevailing streak. The biography of the American does not exhibit a single victory over everyone in the pinnacle five.
But Strickland used to be prepared and willing, and even at 5-1, he was once the best competitor for Adesanya. Strickland is a fighter who pushes forward, besides being concerned about taking a hit. Hitting is what Adesanya is recognized for.
Sean Strickland celebrates after defeating Israel Adesanya at UFC 293. Chris Anger/Zova LLC by Getty Images
But that night, Adesanya is beaten. The worst of it came late in the first round when Strickland landed a straight proper hand that dropped the champion and then pounced with a flurry of left-handed haymakers to the canvas. Adesanya survived the horn and won the 2D spherical on the scorecards, but the champion bought lots extra than he gave for the relaxation of the fight.
Adesanya connects on solely 34% of his shots. Strickland wasn't difficult to find. The challenger started transferring forward, and the champion could not stop him.
How many miles did Strickland run in 25 minutes of combat? It's challenging to estimate. But one component is for sure: none of these steps had been backward. He beat Adesanya, and as the closing seconds ticked off the clock in the fifth round, Strickland sensed the moment and commenced speaking to the champion as he walked him. When the horn sounded, Strickland raised his fingers in triumph.
