"Another guy to style against" - Israel Adesanya explains why he feels responsible for a "spectacular" KO against Sean Strickland at UFC 293
Israel Adesanya is set to take on Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 293 on September 10 in Sydney, Australia.
'The Last Stylebender' will be making the first defense of his second title reign at middleweight, and he hopes to put on a show against Strickland.
Both men are known for their striking ability but employ vastly different strategies to find success. Sean Strickland uses a combination of relentless pressure and a high striking output to dominate opponents, while Israel Adesanya is a more technical counter-striker who sets traps for his opponents.
The middleweight champion is currently a -350 favorite but is under no illusions about the danger his opponent will present. 'The Last Stylebender' appears highly motivated for his UFC 293 main event clash, and during a recent training vlog, Israel Adesanya explained why he feels responsible for putting on a spectacle. He said:
"What we're working on as well, it's definitely raised the bar. The motivation is just taking his head. It's another guy to style against. Being in Sydney, six of us on the card, half the card is [City Kickboxing], so I have to close the show spectacularly."
Watch the video below from 2:55:
Israel Adesanya will be joined by four of his teammates on the UFC 293 card, as City Kickboxing's Tyson Pedro, Carlos Ulberg, Mike 'Blood Diamond' Mathetha and Shane Young will all feature across the event.
Israel Adesanya previews Sean Strickland as an opponent
Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland are set to do battle in the main event of UFC 293 in September.
'The Last Stylebender' initially appeared likely to face Dricus du Plessis after the South African pulled off a stunning upset over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290. But 'Stillknocks' was forced out of the matchup due to injury.
According to Adesanya, he had to convince the UFC to schedule a fight with Strickland, as the organization did not appear too keen on the matchup.
'The Last Stylebender' has now previewed his opponent ahead of their pay-per-view clash, and the middleweight champion will not be underestimating Strickland at all. During a recent interview with Combat TV, Adesanya said:
"Threat meter for Strickland, to be honest, skill wise I'll give him a three [out of 10]. But a man with nothing to lose and everything to gain is a dangerous man. That's why I take him seriously, and that's why I put the work in this camp."
Watch the video below from 11:00: