Major Update On Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland At UFC 293

Will Adesanya vs. Strickland finally happen?
Major Update On Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland At UFC 293
Major Update On Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland At UFC 293 /

A bombshell has been dropped by UFC President Dana White, and it involves Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland.

Adesanya was expecting to take on Dricus du Plessis in a grudge match for the UFC Middleweight Championship on September 9. The bout was a shoo-in to headline UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia. When du Plessis went down due to an injury, the logical choice appeared to be Sean Strickland.

The road to Izzy vs. Strickland had been a bumpy one, however. At one point, Strickland claimed the UFC didn't want the bout before providing an update revealing that the fight was being worked on.

UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya and his UFC 293 opponent Sean Strickland.
(via Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports & Trevor MacMillan-USA TODAY Sports)

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Fans no longer have to wonder if the fight will happen, as a major UFC 293 update has surfaced. In a new video posted on social media, UFC President Dana White revealed that Israel Adesanya will put his 185-pound gold on the line against Sean Strickland in the UFC 293 headliner.

"The main event, Israel Adesanya defends his middleweight title against fifth-ranked Sean Strickland," White announced. "What I love about Israel, he's always ready to take on the best in the world, anyone, any time. Strickland is an absolute maniac, who doesn't back down from anyone. This will be a great fight."

White also announced that the UFC 293 co-main event will feature Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov. The main card will also see Kai Kara-France and Manel Kape share the Octagon.

If you use any quotes from this article, please leave an H/T to MMAKnockout.com for the transcription.

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Fernando Quiles Jr.
FERNANDO QUILES JR.

Fernando has over a decade of combat sports news writing experience. He currently covers MMA, boxing, and pro wrestling. Fernando joined MMA Knockout as the Lead Writer/Editor when it was founded in 2023.