Picture Credit: Twitter
Israel Adesanya will lock horns for the middleweight title against Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 293 on September 10, 2023 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. The news of the same was confirmed by UFC President Dana White on August 9 in a video released message. Notably, the UFC will be visiting Sydney for the sixth time overall and for the first time since 2017.
The two-time middleweight champion Adesanya defeated Alex Pereira in their rematch at UFC 287 to win back his belt in April 2023. Adesanya had previously lost his title to Pereira at UFC 281 in November 2022 after the latter stunned him with a knockout in the fifth round. Adesanya has a record of 24 wins, 2 defeats, 16 knockout victories, and 1 submission victory. He is recognised as one of the sport's top strikers and has defeated renowned opponents including Jared Cannonier, Marvin Vettori, Paulo Costa, and Robert Whittaker (twice).
Strickland has been competing in the UFC since 2014 and is a seasoned fighter. His record reads 27 wins, 5 defeats, 11 knockout victories, and 4 submission victories. He now has a two-fight winning streak. He is coming after defeating Abusupiyan Magomedov by second-round TKO at UFC on ESPN 48 in July 2023 and Nassourdine Imavov by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 217 in January 2023. Both inside and beyond the octagon, Strickland is renowned for his combative and outspoken demeanour. He has also experienced some hardship in his professional life, such as overcoming a catastrophic motorbike accident that forced him to miss nearly two years of work in 2018.
The UFC 293 will also feature a heavyweight co-main event between Tai Tuivasa and Alexander Volkov.
