| Updated:2024-05-03 18:56 Views:102 |
On Saturday the UFC returns to Syndey, Australia, with a 12-fight card for UFC 293, which is headlined by a middleweight title bout between current champion Israel Adesanya and No. 5-ranked contender Sean Strickland.
Adesanya recaptured middleweight gold with an emphatic knockout over Alex Pereira at UFC 287 in April. He'll look to defend the 185-pound championship successfully for the sixth time overall on Saturday in his 11th consecutive main event.
Strickland enters his fourth straight main event and sixth in his last seven fights. He's effective in the championship rounds, with excellent cardio and output, and the relatively short-notice booking shouldn't impact his abilities.
Below, I'll provide my analysis and projections for Saturday's UFC 293 main event (10 p.m. ET main card, ESPN+ PPV) and utilize those factors to bet on Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland, who should make their cage walks at approximately 11:55 p.m. ET.
Tale of the TapeAdesanyaStricklandRecord24-227-5Avg. Fight Time17:4914:10Height6-foot-46-foot-1Weight184.8 pounds184.9 poundsReach80"76"StanceSwitchOrthodoxDate of birth7/22/19892/27/1991Sig Strikes Per Min3.945.86SS Accuracy49A%SS Absorbed Per Min2.884.28SS Defense57b%Take Down Average0.061.00TD Acc14d%TD Def77
