Training partner made on-point mystic prediction about "awkward" Sean Strickland's domination over Israel Adesanya at UFC 293
Sean Strickland recently put on an incredible title-winning performance against Israel Adesanya last weekend, and it seems his training partner saw it coming. Fellow middleweight contender Caio Borralho, who has sparred with 'Tarzan', accurately predicted how Strickland's "awkward" defensive stance would throw Adesanya off his game.
Strickland faced the most challenging test of his career at UFC 293 against Adesanya last weekend and passed with flying colors. The 32-year-old American dominated the former 185-pound king over five rounds to win the middleweight title via unanimous decision.
When the UFC confirmed the matchup, many dismissed Sean Strickland as a legitimate challenge for the two-time middleweight champion. However, Caio Borralho knew just how tricky Strickland's forward-pressing fighting style could be for any opponent.
During an interview before UFC 293, 'The Natural' was asked for his prediction for the Sean Strickland vs. Israel Adesanya title fight. Picking Strickland to win, Borralho said:
"The walking forward that he [Strickland] has makes it so difficult to fight against him. I know that because I trained with him... He doesn't stop coming forward. He's got an awkward way of dodging strikes, and a guy that likes to be more precise like Izzy, he won't find Strickland with precision. And this can mess with Adesanya's head in the fight. So I'm going with Strickland on this fight."
Chael Sonnen on Sean Strickland vs. Israel Adesanya 2
Chael Sonnen is on board with the idea of Israel Adesanya getting an immediate rematch against Sean Strickland and predicts that fans will also witness a trilogy fight between the two rivals.
Soon after Strickland's odds-defying win over Adesanya at UFC 293, Dana White revealed that the promotion is considering giving the Nigerian-born Kiwi an immediate rematch. While many disagreed with the idea, calling it unfair for other contenders and the new champion, Sonnen believes it's inevitable.
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, 'The American Gangster' outlined how he saw the Sean Strickland vs. Israel Adesanya rivalry playing out and said:
"If we go and do the rematch, which I’m sure we’re going to do, so we do Strickland vs. Izzy [rematch], let’s say that the oddsmakers get it right. Izzy beats him. You’re telling me we’re not going to the trilogy? We’re going to make it so known that we don’t want Sean as our champion, we’re not even going to hide it?"
Catch Sonnen's comments below (14:40):