“Australia I Don’t Want to…”- 290 Days Since Israel Adesanya Was Detained in New York, UFC 293 Opponent Sean Strickland Suffers Similar Scare

The most-awaited bout between Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya is just days away. The bout between Strickland and Adesanya is scheduled to take place on September 9, 2023, at Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney. Before their monumental showdown, the fighters established their rivalry by throwing jibes at each other. When it comes to the fight, it is expected to be a striker’s delight. ‘Stylebender’ and ‘Tarzan’ are comfortable standing and trading punches and kicks. 

Currently, the Nigerian fighter is reigning as the UFC middleweight kingpin for the second time. Adesanya rose to the top of the division after defeating his longtime rival, Alex Pereira. On the other hand, UFC 293 is going to be the first title shot for Strickland in the UFC, however, he has put forward some impressive fights in the promotion. Hence, the outcome of the bout is hard to predict. A recent update from ‘Tarzan’ revealed the issues he had to face while traveling to Australia to fight Adesanya. Let’s find out what happened to Strickland on his way to Sydney.

Sean Strickland faces challenges

Recently, Sean Strickland took to his Instagram handle to post a video of him stuck at Australian customs. Along with the video, he wrote, “2 hours in customs…. Australia don’t want to be here as much as you don’t want me here. We will get through this together and then you guys can go back to being… actually I’ll wait till get through customs lol.” 

From the words of Strickland, it is understood that he is having a tough time during his journey to fight the biggest bout of his career. He revealed that the Australian customs kept him in custody for two hours. Surprisingly, the incident took place 290 days after Adesanya faced a similar issue. The UFC champion was arrested at New York’s JFK airport for carrying metal knuckles. He was stopped by security at 2 p.m. local time while trying to pass through the airport.

Israel Adesanya calls out ‘Tarzan’s unacceptable claim

 Both Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya are known for their trash talk. Before fighting against an opponent inside the octagon, both would make sure that they played with the mental strength of their rival. Now that these two tough figures are coming face-to-face, they never miss an opportunity to mock each other. A few weeks ago, Israel Adesanya lashed out at Strickland for calling him the first Chinese champion of the UFC. Before stepping into the world of MMA, Adesanya was a kickboxer in China.

READ MORE: After Keeping Silent on Israel Adesanya’s Relentless Trolling of Sister & Son, Alex Pereira Claps Back at UFC Rival in Brutal Fashion

Back then, he faced a lot of hardships and later managed to become a great fighter. Strickland used this factor to mock Adesanya, who takes great pride in his African roots. ‘Stylebender’ later mentioned that Strickland calling him the first Chinese champion is totally unacceptable, as Zhang Weili deserves the position. According to Adesanya, his UFC 293 opponent is belittling the achievements of Weili as well. Are you excited about the bout between Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland? Who do you think will win the bout? Let us know in the comments below.

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