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Fight Coverage
Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 293: Adesanya vs Strickland
The UFC Returns To Sydney After Six Years With A Stacked Card. Let's Break It Down.
By E. Spencer Kyte, on Twitter @spencerkyte
The first time the UFC ventured to Australia was a trip to Sydney for UFC 110, and over the years, no city has hosted more UFC events than the New South Wales capital.
After a nearly six-year hiatus, the Octagon finally touches back down at Qudos Arena this weekend, as UFC 293 blows into town, headlined by a middleweight championship matchup between Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland and backed by a robust collection of fights featuring competitors from throughout the Oceanic region.
Fight cards in Australia have historically been high-energy, highly entertaining affairs and this weekend’s pay-per-view shouldn’t be any different.
Here’s a look at what is on deck at UFC 293.
Main Event: Israel Adesanya vs Sean Strickland
After reclaiming the middleweight strap in April, Israel Adesanya returns to Australia to begin his second reign atop the division with a title defense against American contender Sean Strickland.
Just when it seemed like things were taking a familiar turn in Adesanya’s championship rematch with Alex Pereira in April, the Nigerian-born superstar flipped the script. Backed into the fence and dealing with thudding leg kicks from his long-time rival, Adesanya was able to stop Pereira in this tracks with a right hand off the fence. The follow-up shot put the Brazilian on the canvas and in a flash, “The Last Stylebender” was back atop the UFC middleweight division.
Sometimes “availability” is the best ability, and Strickland’s constantly being available certainly played a part in his landing opposite Adesanya here. Not only has he posted a 7-2 record since returning to action a little less than three years ago, but he’s also jumped into short-notice and low-reward assignments twice this year, winning each to emerge as an unlikely, but dangerous, title challenger this weekend.
Stylistically, this is a really interesting fight on paper because while Adesanya has been criticized for playing it safe at times against some of his previous opponents, Strickland and his pressure-based attack should force the champion to engage at all times. Whether the challenger is going to be able to deploy those tactics and remain upright for 25 minutes remains to be seen, but something tells me this is going to be a more competitive, more thrilling fight than some believe.
Other Main Card Fights
Tai Tuivasa vs Alexander Volkov
Heavyweights Tai Tuivasa and Alexander Volkov throw down in the co-main event in Sydney, with each man looking to establish their footing in the ever-shifting heavyweight landscape.
Tuivasa made his promotional debut the last time the UFC touched down in Sydney, knocking out Rashad Coulter. Now, “Bam Bam” looks to break out of a two-fight skid and get back to the form that produced five straight stoppage wins between his losses to last weekend’s headliners, Serghei Spivac and Ciryl Gane.
Volkov has been close to breaking into contention on multiple occasions, only to fail to clear the final hurdle. He arrives in Australia in arguably the best form of his UFC career, having registered consecutive first-round stoppage wins over Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alexandr Romanov to elevate his record to 36-10 overall.
Will the local hero draw energy from the partisan crowd and give them reason to break out a round of shoeys or can Volkov keep his momentum going by collecting a third straight stoppage win?
Manel Kape vs Felipe dos Santos
Top 15 flyweight Manel Kape finally looks to make his return to action this weekend, facing off with short-notice replacement Felipe dos Santos.
Kape has had multiple fights fall through year at various points along the road to the Octagon. Originally scheduled to face Kai Kara-France here, the 29-year-old showman has won three straight and will breathe a sigh of relief once he’s finally able to make the walk and feel the canvas under his feet on Saturday.
The 22-year-old dos Santos was scheduled to compete on Week 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS), but when his opponent failed to step on the scale due to medical issues, the fight was scrapped and dos Santos was given the opportunity to step in for Kara-France. This is an all-upside opportunity for the Chute Boxe Diego Lima representative, who carries a 7-0 record into battle with Kape in Australia.
This has the potential to be a really fascinating fight because Kape has very little to gain beyond adding a win to his resume, and dos Santos has nothing to lose by diving head-first into the deep end of the flyweight talent pool. After nine months away and multiple canceled bouts, you know Kape wants to remind everyone that he’s a championship threat, but dos Santos comes from a great team and will be looking to make a massive splash in his new surroundings, knowing that a loss does nothing to diminish his stock.
Justin Tafa vs Austen Lane
Let’s try this one again, shall we?
Justin Tafa and Austen Lane met earlier this year in Jacksonville, only for the fight to be halted 29 seconds in after an accidental eye poke rendered Tafa unable to continue, bringing Lane’s hometown debut to an abrupt, unsatisfying end.
Tafa came into that one on a two-fight winning streak, heaving earned first-round knockout wins over Harry Hunsucker and Parker Porter with a year of inactivity in 2022 in between. Lane entered that contest on a six-fight run of success that included a Fury FC title win over UFC vet Juan Adams and a successful second appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series last fall.
Provided no one gets poked in the eye or takes a punishing shot below the belt (knock on wood), the big boys should get after it and swing hammers until someone falls down, and it shouldn’t take long for that to happen given their shared propensity for knocking people out.
Tyson Pedro vs Anton Turkalj
Local favorite Tyson Pedro makes his second consecutive appearance in Australia, welcoming “The Pleasure Man” Anton Turkalj to Sydney for the UFC 293 main card opener.
Pedro returned to action after a lengthy hiatus in 2022, collecting first-round stoppage wins over Ike Villanueva and Harry Hunsucker, flashing some of the fight-ending skills that made him a rising star in the light heavyweight division earlier in his career. But last time out, the 31-year-old started quickly and faded against Modestas Bukauskas, dropping a unanimous decision, leaving him looking for a bounce back this weekend.
Turkalj was one of the three victorious athletes from Week 1 of Season 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series that didn’t secure a contract, prompting the UFC President’s “Be Joe Pyfer” speech. He stepped in to face Jailton Almeida on short notice a handful of weeks later, lost, and then dropped a unanimous decision to Vitor Petrino last time out.
Prelim Fights
Carlos Ulberg vs Da Woon Jung
Carlos Ulberg and Da Woon Jung face off in a meeting of light heavyweights to wrap up the UFC 293 prelims.
Ulberg has rattled off four straight victories since dropping his promotional debut in March 2021, dispatching each of his last three opponents inside the opening round while showing a tremendous amount of growth and development. A five-fight unbeaten streak to begin his UFC run had Jung on the cusp of cracking the Top 15, but consecutive losses to Dustin Jacoby and Devin Clark have knocked him back a couple of spots.
Jack Jenkins vs Chepe Mariscal
DWCS grad Jack Jenkins looks for his third UFC victory of the year, while Chepe Mariscal returns to his natural weight class aiming to collect his second UFC triumph in less than three months in this sure-fire banger in the featherweight division.
Jenkins pushed his winning streak to seven with his contract-winning turn in Las Vegas last fall, eight with a win over Don Shainis in Perth at UFC 284, and nine by edging out Jamall Emmers in June. Mariscal followed Jenkins into the cage that evening in Jacksonville, out-lasting Trevor Peek in a short-notice assignment at lightweight, giving the long-time regional staple a four-fight run of success to ride into this one.
Jamie Mullarkey vs John Makdessi
Jamie Mullarkey and John Makdessi face off in a clash of veteran lightweights on Saturday’s prelims.
Mullarkey was on the wrong side of one of the biggest upsets of the year last time out, catching a thunderous right hand from Muhammad Naimov that stopped his tidy two-fight winning streak dead in the water. Makdessi returns for the first time in just over a year, looking to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to Nasrat Haqparast where he was out-witted by his younger foe.
Nasrat Haqparast vs Landon Quinones
Former prospect Nasrat Haqparast looks to build another winning streak as he faces off with recent TUF contestant Landon Quinones.
Haqparast hasn’t fought since his win over Makdessi last September after being forced out of a bout with Mullarkey in February. He’s flashed promise throughout his career, but failed to parlay that into key victories against more established opposition. A member of Team McGregor on Season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter, Quinones tags in for Sam Patterson, looking to build on a 7-1-1 overall record and avoid the unforced errors that cost him in his matchup with Jason Knight on the long-running reality TV competition.
Blood Diamond vs Charlie Radtke
City Kickboxing’s Blood Diamond hopes the third time is the charm when it comes to securing his first UFC victory, but newcomer Charlie Radtke will certainly have something to say about that this weekend.
Diamond garnered a ton of hype and praise from his teammates upon signing with the UFC, but has struggled mightily through his first two appearances, getting stopped in the first round by Jeremiah Wells before dropping a decision to Orion Cosce. The 33-year-old Radtke makes the walk to the Octagon for the first time riding a four-fight winning streak, most recently claiming the CFFC welterweight title with a first-round submission win over the previously undefeated Raheam Forest.
Shane Young vs Gabriel Miranda
One of only two fighters to be on the previous card in Sydney, Shane Young hopes things go more favorably this time around as he takes on Gabriel Miranda on Saturday.
Young, who lost to reigning featherweight boss Alexander Volkanovski the last time the UFC was in Sydney, enters this one on a three-fight slide, having most recently battled hard, but ultimately ending up on the wrong side of a unanimous decision verdict opposite Blake Bilder in Perth. Representing MMA Masters, Miranda made his promotional debut on short-notice last fall in Paris, losing a competitive, entertaining scrap to streaking French finisher Benoit Saint-Denis.
Kevin Jousset vs Kiefer Crosbie
Promotional newcomers open the show in the welterweight division as Kevin Jousset and Kiefer Crosbie each make the walk for the first time at UFC 293.
Another member of the City Kickboxing crew, the 30-year-old Jousset has earned three straight victories and wins in eight of his 10 professional appearances, with one loss coming to Jack Della Maddalena and the other coming by split decision. SBG Ireland’s Crosbie sports a 10-3 record heading into this one, most recently registering a first-round stoppage win over UFC vet Alex Oliveira on April 1.
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