When Sean Strickland stood across Israel Adesanya in the Octagon at UFC 293, only a handful had the American winning on their cards. But what followed was one of the greatest upsets in UFC history, and ‘Tarzan’ left Adesanya’s home turf with the middleweight strap. While ‘Stylebender’ appeared stuck on his heels, he had no answer for his opponent’s unorthodox guard and relentless pressure. And it all started with a big shot in the first round.
The MMA fans witnessed an amusing tale unfold before their eyes as Strickland beat Adesanya in his own striking game. While the fight slowly gained pace in the first round, Strickland caught the Nigerian-Kiwi lacking with a huge right that dropped him to the mat. The shot sent the arena into a frenzy, as they least expected Strickland to draw a big shot early in the fight. Now, the visuals of the sequence are making the rounds on the internet, and the fans can’t stop talking about UFC ring girl Brittney Palmer‘s reaction in the backdrop.
MMA fans react to Brittney Palmer’s wild expressions to Sean Strickland dropping Israel Adesanya
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The fans could witness Palmer’s eyes widening as soon as Strickland caught Adesanya with a barrage of punches. While some of them felt she saw the blow coming, most of them held a contrary opinion and labeled her reaction as “under reaction”.
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A series of comments pointed out that Palmer was keenly following the action.
- “She’s a real one. She was watching the whole time”
- “Lol Brittany has seen so many fights she saw it coming from a mile away!”
- “They thinking the same thing as us NO F*CKING SHOT”
Meanwhile, others believed Palmer’s reaction was underwhelming and nothing to fuss about.
- “not a thought behind those eyes”
- “Everyone had that reaction if anything it’s an under reaction lmao,”
- Bro my reaction was to scream, wake the whole house up and then show my cat the knockdown. This aint even a reaction
Lastly, someone declared, “Girl in the middle “touchdown?”.”
What’s next for Israel Adesanya and Strickland?
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The fans have speculated on what’s next for the two fighters who clashed at UFC 293. While the likes of Daniel Cormier and Kamaru Usman have suggested that Adesanya might take a break from fighting, Dana White is willing to green-light an immediate rematch.
Meanwhile, Strickland can have his pick between Dricus du Plessis and the winner of Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa at UFC 294. However, it remains to be seen what path the middleweight champion takes or if the UFC CEO will push for a rematch. But one thing is certain: the middleweight division will continue to make waves in the future.
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What do you make of this moment in the fight that shifted the dynamics? Let us know in the comments below.
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