The UFC has officially announced the main event for UFC 293, which is set to take place in Sydney, Australia on September 9th. Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will defend his title against Sean Strickland. This announcement comes as a surprise to many, as it was initially anticipated that Adesanya would be facing top middleweight contender Dricus Du Plessis. However, due to injuries sustained by Du Plessis, the UFC has opted for Strickland as the challenger.
UFC 293 Lineup and Dana White’s Comments
In addition to the main event, three other fights were confirmed for the UFC 293 card: Alexander Volkov vs. Tai Tuivasa at heavyweight, Kai Kara-France vs. Manel Kape at flyweight, and Austen Lane vs. Justin Tafa at heavyweight. UFC President Dana White expressed his excitement for the main event, stating, “This will be Adesanya’s 11th consecutive title fight. What I love about Israel is he’s always ready to take on the best in the world — anyone, anytime, and Strickland is an absolute maniac who doesn’t back down from anyone. This will be a great fight.”
Adesanya’s and Strickland’s Recent Performances
Adesanya’s most recent performance saw him regain the middleweight title with a second-round KO of Alex Pereira at UFC 287 on April 8th. Pereira is the only middleweight to have defeated “The Last Stylebender” in UFC competition. Adesanya boasts notable wins over fighters such as Robert Whittaker (twice), Anderson Silva, Yoel Romero, Marvin Vettori (twice), Paulo Costa, Jared Cannonier, Kelvin Gastelum, and Derek Brunson.
On the other hand, Sean Strickland is coming off of a second-round technical knockout victory against Abusupiyan Magomedov in the UFC on ESPN 48 main event on July 1st. Previously, he kicked off his 2023 campaign with a five-round verdict against Nassourdine Imavov in the UFC Fight Night 217 main event on January 14th. The former King of the Cage champion has won eight of his last ten Octagon appearances, dating back to October 2018.
With this exciting lineup, UFC 293 is shaping up to be an event that fans won’t want to miss. As the anticipation builds, both Adesanya and Strickland will undoubtedly be preparing for a battle that could potentially go down in the history books as one of the most memorable title fights in recent times.