Sean Strickland is the UFC’s new middleweight champion of the world. Let that sink in. Former champion Israel Adesanya, with his sublime striking and counter-striking skills, and keen fight IQ lost a unanimous decision to Strickland at their UFC 293 bout last night.
This, of course, shocked the UFC world and is a testament to why MMA is one of the most exciting and thrilling sports in the world. No one is safe. Anyone can be beaten at any time by virtually anybody. And former UFC BMF title-holder Jorge Masvidal had made predictions before the fight and told the reporters how he thought Strickland could win.
Jorge Masvidal had a game plan for Sean Strickland before UFC 293
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A reporter asked Jorge Masvidal what he thought of the UFC 293 bout between Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya. He told the reporter that Strickland had come to his gym and was able to take down and out-grapple and out-wrestle skilled BJJ fighters and wrestlers. He stated that if Strickland was to grapple with Adesanya, he would have a chance. If he chose to trade with Adesanya on the feet, however, he would be in trouble.
Jorge Masvidal gave us his take on #UFC293 main event and here’s something you hardly knew about Sean Strickland… pic.twitter.com/x1g01vkWTV
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) September 8, 2023
“Sean was at our gym for 2-3 weeks. And I saw him with my own eyes, out-grapple and out-wrestle good wrestlers and good BJJ guys. I saw him take guys down and ride them for 5 minutes. Take good BJJ guys down and submit them,” he said.
“Does that mean that Sean’s gonna go out there and wrestle? I don’t know. But can he grapple and not get tired? I mean I’ve seen him do it numerous times. I think his chances would increase dramatically if he grappled and grappled hard. If not, I see Izzy beating him,” he added.
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Sean Strickland wins against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293
Strickland, on the back of one of the best defensive performances in UFC history, beat Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 last night. Not only did he beat him, but he humiliated the Kiwi after all of ‘Izzy’s trash-talk and dismissal of ‘Tarzan’ as an easy opponent.
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Strickland took the center early and was able to outwork Adesanya with his excellent defense and composure and did not fall into ‘Izzy’s traps. He stayed patient and was able to go hard when he saw an opening. His knockdown of Adesanya in the first round set the tone for the rest of the fight, and the American came out the other end with a unanimous victory. What do you think about Strickland defeating Adesanya? Let us know in the comments section below.
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