Israel Adesanya is the undisputed UFC middleweight champion. He has hinted at a possible submission win over Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia. As part of his preparation for their title showdown, Adesanya demonstrated a well-executed mounted guillotine attempt.
Adesanya is set to headline UFC 293 at the Qudos Bank Arena, marking his return to Australia.
In his previous outing, he headlined a pay-per-view event against Alex Pereira in April, securing a spectacular second-round KO victory in Miami, Florida, avenging a previous loss to Pereira.
On the other hand, Sean Strickland secured his second consecutive win in July with a second-round TKO victory over (unranked) Abusupiyan Magomedov. Before that, he won a unanimous decision against (unranked) Nassourdine Imavov in January at the light heavyweight limit.
Adesanya, confident in his abilities, anticipates a wrestle-heavy approach from Strickland and believes it could lead to a submission opportunity.
“I definitely want a submission in my career,” Adesanya stated. “It might be in this fight against Sean Strickland. I know he’s going to wrestle. He’d be dumb not to, so I know he’s going to mix it up.”
Adesanya continued by commenting on Strickland’s potential wrestling strategy, saying, “He’s doing this whole thing, ‘Oh, man dance, man dance’ – he’s going to crotch sniff, that’s what he’s going to do. I mean, he’s got smart coaches, and they’ll definitely beat it [a wrestling approach] into him.”
During the open workouts in Sydney, Adesanya showcased his grappling skills, hinting at a well-rehearsed mounted guillotine submission attempt.
As fight fans eagerly await UFC 293, Adesanya’s demonstration of his submission skills adds another layer of anticipation to this highly anticipated title bout. Will he be able to secure a submission victory against Sean Strickland? The answer will be revealed when they face off in the octagon.
