Israel Adesanya plans to knockout Sean Strickland at UFC 293

Israel Adesanya plans to knockout Sean Strickland at UFC 293

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is booked to defend his title at UFC 293 against Sean Strickland. The champion has high aspirations for the bout as he hunts a finish win.

Adesanya spoke on his upcoming title defense an in interview with Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie. All quotes via TheScore.

“I’m on a warpath, and I’m going to end this man,” Adesanya told MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn. “He’s getting knocked out. He’s getting knocked out in this fight. But I believe his team will really try to get him to wrestle or clinch with me. He’ll get dumped on his ass and knocked out again. I don’t take him lightly because a man with everything to gain and nothing to lose is a very dangerous man. I take him very seriously, but I just know who I am and where I’m at.”

Adesanya is coming off an emphatic knockout victory over rival Alex Pereira that saw him regain the middleweight title. That performance was a reminder of his fight-ending power and helped him regain his stardom. ‘The Last Stylebender’ is looking to build off that performance with a sensational victory.

Strickland was not the first choice of opponent for UFC 293. The common thought was that Adesanya would fight Dricus Du Plessis, but an injury is forcing him out of competition. Strickland took advantage of the opening and is in a title bout.

Dricus Du Plessis: Israel Adesanya acted ‘like a clown’ at UFC 290

Adesanya will be a hefty favorite in his UFC 293 bout against Strickland. An impressive knockout is almost a requirement if he hopes to impress fans–as unfair as that is. That is nothing new, however. The last time Adesanya won a title fight by decision he ended up in a beef with Chris Pratt because he did not finish the fight. Let’s see if Adesanya will make good on his knockout promise.

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