UFC 293 will feature Israel Adesanya defending his middleweight title, but not against Dricus Du Plessis. Instead, Adesanya will take on Sean Strickland when the promotion heads to Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.
UFC 293: Israel Adesanya To Defend Vs. Sean Strickland
Reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will indeed defend his title at UFC 293, just not against the expected challenger.
The UFC confirmed that Adesanya will meet Sean Strickland when the promotion heads to Australia in September.
UFC 293 is set for September 10 from the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Adesanya was expected to face to challenger Dricus du Plessis, but du Plessis could not make the date.
The 34-year-old from Nigeria is a two-time champion in the middleweight division, regaining his title earlier this year with a finish of Alex Pereira. He won five consecutive defenses the first time through, including two wins over Robert Whittaker.
Adesanya suffered a stunning 2022 loss to Pereira where he was finished in the fifth round. Prior to that, only Jan Blachowicz for the light heavyweight title got the better of him inside the Octagon, as he is 24-2 overall.
Along with that record, Adesanya also went 75-5 as a professional kickboxer, with two of those defeats coming at the hands of Pereira. He also won is last five professional boxing fights after losing his debut.
Strickland made his move with wins over Nassourdine Imavov and Abusupiyan Magomedov, improving to 27-5 overall. He has also topped the likes of Uriah Hall and Jack Hermansson.
His recent win streak came on the heels of back-to-back defeats at the hands of Jared Cannonier and Pereira. Prior to that, Strickland had won six in a row.
Other Fights Set For UFC 293
Tai Tuivasa will face Alexander Volkov in a heavyweight co-main event along with the championship main event. Kai Kara-France, a recent title challenger in the flyweight division, takes on Manel Kape and Viviane Araujo fights Jennifer Maia in other action.
This marks the sixth trip to Sydney for the UFC and first since 2017 when Fabricio Werdum took on Marcin Tybura in the main event.
Dana White Announces UFC 293 Main Event
Check out the video below to hear UFC president Dana White announce the Adesanya vs. Strickland match.
