September 10, (THEWILL) – Sean Strickland pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history on Sunday, when he defeated middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, via unanimous decision at UFC 293 in Sydney.
The American was given little chance against the decorated Nigerian-born titleholder, but relentless pressure and effective striking saw Strickland emerge victorious after five gruelling rounds. The Las Vegas native set the tone early when he had Adesanya rocked in the opening round. ‘The Last Stylebender’ regained his composure but struggled to find any rhythm as Strickland continued to push forward and nullify his opponent’s dangerous striking game.
All three judges scored the bout 49-46 to crown a new middleweight king. “You guys motivated me,” an emotional Strickland said afterwards, acknowledging the vocal Australian fans. “I was doubting myself at times but in the fourth round, when I heard you yelling, it motivated me.”
In the co-main event, Alexander Volkov forced Tai Tuivasa to tap in the second round of their heavyweight clash. Elsewhere on the main card, wins for Manel Kape, Justin Tafa and Tyson Pedro ensured a successful night for the UFC’s first event in Australia since pre-pandemic times.
The promotion heads to Las Vegas next weekend for a Fight Night event headlined by women’s flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko, defending against Alexa Grasso. But for now, all the talk will be about Strickland’s shock dethroning of one of MMA’s pound-for-pound greats.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
