Controversial American striker Sean Strickland has received the green signal to take his talents to Australia and lock horns with superstar Israel Adesanya.
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Controversial American striker Sean Strickland has received the green signal to take his talents to Australia and lock horns with superstar Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in Sydney. The highly-anticipated matchup is about to be officially confirmed, setting the stage for an electrifying showdown.
Just a week after criticizing UFC executives for their handling of the highly anticipated Pay-Per-View event, Sean Strickland seems to have had a change of heart. The controversial striker has reportedly given the green light to headline the event on September 10.
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Adesanya’s original opponent, Dricus du Plessis from South Africa, had to withdraw from the fight due to a foot injury sustained during his victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 in July.
Despite the chaos caused by Dricus du Plessis’ withdrawal, he decided to heal and opt for a title shot in early 2024, leaving the UFC 293 headliner position open. Despite this uncertainty, ticket sales for the event at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena sold out in an impressive 13 minutes.
As of Thursday, it was uncertain whether Sean Strickland would be granted entry into Australia for the highly anticipated showdown against Adesanya. Rumors also circulated that Strickland was seeking higher compensation than the initial offer to step in as a last-minute headliner for the first of three significant Pay-Per-View events in Sydney within the next four years.
During a recent interview with Submission Radio, Sean Strickland’s head coach, Erick Nicksick, disclosed that their team was eager to take on the Adesanya fight, but required approval from the Australian government to travel. It’s noteworthy that Strickland has not fought outside the US since 2018 and has been open about his troubled past, which involved his association with white supremacy.
At 32 years old, Strickland enters the headliner with back-to-back victories over Nassourdine Imavov and Abus Magomedov. Recently, he has been training alongside former middleweight champion Alex Pereira, who holds two victories over Adesanya in kickboxing, claimed Adesanya’s title, lost it back to him, and also scored a knockout win over Strickland at UFC 276.
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