"Sean Strickland is like thrash metal" - Laura Sanko lists the ways Israel Adesanya could get beaten at UFC 293
Laura Sanko recently weighed in on the highly anticipated Sean Strickland vs. Israel Adesanya middleweight title fight this weekend. While many predict a one-sided contest favoring the reigning champion, the UFC color commentator believes 'Tarzan' is quite capable of pulling off a massive upset.
Strickland is set to challenge Adesanya for the 185-pound strap at UFC 293 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney this weekend. Given Adesanya's incredible skillset and professional resume, it's unsurprising to see 'The Last Stylebender' a massive betting favorite. However, Sanko has a slightly different opinion.
In a recent interview with Mike Bohn for MMA Junkie, Laura Sanko analogized Adesanya's clinical fighting style to that of a jazz musician while calling Strickland a thrash metal artist due to his relentless pressure. She explained:
"I think Sean knows what he needs to do to win... We often talk about guys that have really flashy techniques as being hard to emulate in the gym, I would argue that Sean Strickland would be pretty hard to emulate in the gym."
She continued:
"The analogy that keeps coming into my mind- is Izzy is a jazz musician; he's out there bending notes and being extemporaneous with how he expresses himself, and Sean Strickland is like thrash metal, he's in your face, and he's unrelenting... It can be very effective."
Alexander Volkanovski on Sean Strickland vs. Israel Adesanya
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski recently shared his two cents on the Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland matchup. 'The Great' recently discussed how he saw Adesanya dominating Strickland with his superior striking and predicted that the Nigerian-born Kiwi could dish out a lot of punishment to 'Tarzan' during the fight.
Strickland is widely known for his volume-based striking style. The 32-year-old relies on constant and unrelenting forward pressure on the feet to overwhelm his opponents. Meanwhile, Adesanya is among the most skilled kickboxers in the world and rarely finds himself in deep waters against strikers.
In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Alexander Volkanovski analyzed both their fighting styles and claimed he could see Strickland suffering a broken arm during the fight. He said:
"Izzy's gonna really pick him apart... One thing I've been picturing in my head is a broken arm. Breaking Sean Strickland's arm from a kick... Just while [Strickland] is trying to block, while he thinks it's going low and brings his hand up last minute, and just snapping it. I'm actually picturing that."
Watch the full video below: