Adesanya v Strickland UFC 293 betting tips – Sunday, September 10

The eyes of the sporting world will be on the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney this Sunday for UFC 293 when reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya defends his title against a willing challenger in Sean Strickland. While the top UFC betting sites are siding strongly with the incumbent, a path to victory exists for the contender. Read on to see our UFC 293 main event preview and betting tips.

Israel Adesanya v Sean Strickland fight preview

Israel Adesanya vs Sean Strickland

Israel Adesanya (24-2-0) regained his UFC belt in spectacular fashion when he knocked out long-time nemesis Alex Pereira in April 2023. The Brazilian kickboxer had landed a fifth-round TKO to claim the silverware five months earlier and was widely expected to retain the belt and dominate the division. The bounce-back win cemented Adesanya’s status as the greatest middleweight in UFC history, but he is beatable when sufficiently pressured by a fearless opponent.

Given the Kiwi’s height, reach, and long-range striking abilities, many opponents struggle to solve the Adesanya puzzle and end up reactive, cautious, and almost starstruck in his presence. We saw this when Yoel Romero failed to land any significant attacks across five rounds, and when Paulo Costa appeared lost and confused before capitulating. The only way to beat Adesanya is to get in his face, back him up against the cage, and apply unrelenting pressure.

Sean Strickland (27-5-0) is a fan favourite because of both his no-nonsense fighting style and his wit and humour out of the cage. The American has earned this title shot by remaining active with five UFC appearances since February 2022. The challenger does employ the type of pressure strategy that might worry the champ in Sydney, and this should be a high-level battle of combat skills and octagon smarts.

Strickland likes to walk down his opponents, often taking shots on the way in but delivering snappy combinations once inside close punching range. This approach overwhelmed Abusupiyan Magomedov when the pair met in July 2023, and it will take something similar for Strickland to land the upset here.

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Israel Adesanya v Sean Strickland UFC 293 predictions

The best UFC bookmakers give Strickland almost no hope of emerging with the belt, but this may be an oversimplification. The challenger will not be overawed by the occasion, and he might just have the tools to deliver a competitive back-and-forth main event. Adesanya’s kicks will be vital to his chances, especially a straight kick to the body that may stop Strickland’s progress in its tracks.

This fight can go one of two ways: either Strickland successfully applies his trademark pressure and out-hustles Adesanya, or the champion uses his long-range advantage to control the fight from a safe distance. It is hard to tip against the champ, and we are expecting the fight to last the full five rounds.

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