UFC 293 Tips & Preview: Adesanya vs Strickland

<h2>UFC 293 Preview &amp; Tips</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The UFC has finally landed down under for UFC 293 and Sydneysiders are chomping at the bit to make their way to Qudos Bank Arena this Sunday to see Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya take on Sean “Tarzan” Strickland for the Middleweight title.</p> <p>This will be Adesanya’s first title defence after winning the belt back from Alex Pereira in spectacular fashion earlier this year.</p>

<p>On top of our fellow Trans-Tasman defending the belt, the card is absolutely stacked with Aussie Fighters. This one’s a must see for all Australian MMA fans.</p> <p>Check out our breakdowns of the fights below and how we think each one will play out.</p> <p>Enjoy the fights and remember to gamble responsibly.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>UFC 293</h2> <p><strong>Location:</strong> Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia</p> <p><strong>Date:</strong> Sunday 10th September 2023</p> <p>Odds: <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/ufc-mma/ufc-293">Bet Here</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Times</h2> <p><strong>Early Preliminary Card:</strong>&nbsp;8:30am</p> <p><strong>Preliminary Card:</strong>&nbsp;10:00am</p> <p><strong>Main Card:</strong>&nbsp;12:00pm</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Schedule</h2> <h3>Early Preliminary Card</h3> <p>Kevin Jousset vs. Kiefer Crosbie (Welterweight)</p> <p>Shane Young vs. Gabriel Miranda (Featherweight)</p> <p>Mike Diamond vs Charles Radtke (Welterweight)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Preliminary Card</h3> <p>Nasrat Haqparast vs Landon Quinones (Lightweight</p> <p>Jamie Mullarkey vs. John Makdessi (Lightweight)</p> <p>Jack Jenkins vs. Chepe Mariscal (Featherweight)</p> <p>Carlos Ulberg vs. Jung Da-un (Light Heavyweight)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Main Card</h3> <p>Tyson Pedro vs. Anton Turkalj (Light Heavyweight)</p> <p>Justin Tafa vs. Austen Lane (Heavyweight)</p> <p>Manel Kape vs. Felipe dos Santos (Flyweight)</p> <p>Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov (Heavyweight)</p> <p>Israel Adesanya (c) vs. Sean Strickland (Middleweight)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Where to Watch UFC 293</h2> <p><strong>Early Prelims &amp; Prelims:</strong>&nbsp;Kayo &amp; ESPN</p> <p><strong>Main Card:</strong>&nbsp;MAIN EVENT (Foxtel) &amp; Kayo (Pay-Per-View)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Tyson Pedro vs. Anton Turkalj</h2> <p>Kicking off the main event we’ve got our very own Tyson Pedro taking on the Swede Anton “The Pleasure Man” Turkalj.</p> <p>This will be Turkalj’s 3rd fight in the UFC and The Pleasure Man will be desperate for a win here after losing his first two. Another loss and he might be saying goodbye to the UFC. Before he made his UFC debut in September last year, he was undefeated sitting at 8-0, but it seems like once he made that step up to the big leagues, he learned that there was levels to the fight game.</p> <p>Pedro is currently 9-4 in the UFC and will be looking for another win since returning from a debilitating ACL injury which saw him spend 4 years on the sidelines. Since his return he’s 2-1 with his last fight being a loss to Modestas Bukauskas via decision.</p> <p>The Sydney native Pedro will be looking to put on a show in front of his home crowd and since every single one of his nine wins have come in the first round, we think this will be over pretty quickly.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Tip:</strong> Tyson Pedro to Win in the 1st Round</p>

<h2>Justin Tafa vs. Austen Lane</h2> <p>Next up we’ve got another Aussie, Justin “Bad Man” Tafa meeting Austen Lane in the octagon for some unfinished business as their previous fight back in June ended in No Contest due to an accidental eye poke.</p> <p>Lane, a former Defensive End for the Jacksonville Jaguars will be looking for his first ever UFC win after his debut didn’t go according to plan while Justin Tafa will look to keep the good times rolling and record his 3rd win on the trot on home soil.</p> <p>Everyone was super excited for this first fight and for good reason, both guys are certified knock out artists and its rare that any of their fights go past the first round.</p> <p>Tafa should have some extra incentive here as he believes the eye poke should have resulted in a DQ, but will it help him get over the line?</p> <p>Whatever happens we think this will be another first that ends quickly.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Tip:</strong> Fight to finish in the first round.</p>

<p>Manel Kape vs. Felipe dos Santos</p> <p>Manel “StarBoy” Kape has been on a roll with three straight wins after a shaky two loss start in the UFC. The Portuguese short king won no fans at the press conference yesterday after hurling insults and a drink bottle at New Zealand’s Kai Kara-France, who withdrew from the fight three weeks out due to a training concussion.</p> <p>The UFC has subbed in newcomer Felipe Dos Santos. The highly gifted Brazilian striker has jumped from the Contender Series onto the main card after his Contender Series opponent failed to make weight. Dos Santos, undefeated in MMA, will be looking to make a splash in his UFC this weekend but his lack of experience could be a huge issue. &nbsp;</p> <p>While fans will be cheering hard against Kape, Dos Santos might be in over his head for this one – fighting a ranked contender on the other side of the world in his first UFC fight is a tough ask.</p> <p>We’re predicting this one goes the distance with plenty of highlight reel striking on display.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Tip:</strong> Kape to win by decision.</p>

<h2>Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The battle of the big men. These two kegs sure know how to slug. They’ve both been talking about how they’ll knock the other out, but one thing they’ve both agreed on is having a beer after the match (shooey pending).</p> <p>Hometown hero Tai “Bam Bam” Tuivasa is sure to get the biggest cheer of the day but the knockout artist has his work cut out for him. Volkov is a seasoned veteran and he’s got a big reach advantage, standing at 2.01m to Tuivasa’s 1.88m.</p> <p>We’re predicting fight of the night for this one. If Tuivasa can land a few power shots early, he may just secure another first-round KO. But Volkov will be looking to weather the storm and capitalise on his reach advantage with some solid kicking and punching combinations.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Tip:</strong> Volkov by KO in the 2nd round.</p>

<p>Israel Adesanya (c) vs. Sean Strickland</p> <p>Two-time middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, is coming in hot off a R2 KO against Pereira in April this year. Originally booked to fight Dricus Du Plessis, who pulled out with a foot injury, Adesanya hand-picked this matchup against Strickland.</p> <p>While Strickland’s won two in a row and eight of his last 10, we think Adesanya isn’t going to be troubled too hard. The Last Stylebender is unmatched in the division when it comes to skill – and with a 4” reach advantage, we think we’ve already seen all the drama for this fight already.</p> <p>Strickland won on the mic. Adesanya will win in the octagon.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Tip:</strong> Adesanya by R2 KO</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Not avaliable in SA.</em></p>