There’s a possibility that Sean Strickland could be lined up to challenge Israel Adesanya for the middleweight championship at UFC 293 on September 9 in Sydney. According to former Middleweight champion Alex Pereira, Strickland has the potential to dethrone Adesanya. UFC fans are eagerly anticipating the highly-anticipated clash between Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland in the octagon.
While nothing has been officially confirmed, there are strong expectations that Israel Adesanya will eventually face Sean Strickland. Fans are well aware of the intense altercation between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya at UFC 290. During an interview with sports reporter Helen Yee, Sean Strickland hinted that he would consider fighting against Israel Adesanya if he were offered a more substantial financial incentive.
Alex Pereira picks Sean Strickland over Dricus Du Plessis to beat Israel Adesanya
During the UFC 291 pre-fight press conference, former UFC middleweight champion Alex “Poatan” Pereira disclosed his belief that Sean Strickland possesses the greatest potential to dethrone the current champion, Israel Adesanya. Pereira further commented that if Strickland puts in the effort, he should undoubtedly have a better chance against Adesanya compared to Dricus Du Plessis.
Alex Pereira thinks Sean Strickland has the best chance of dethroning Israel Adesanya among all middleweight contenders.#UFC291 | Full video: https://t.co/Bo3ey5TinY pic.twitter.com/sP1KbJZkqY
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) July 26, 2023
“Fighting Israel Adesanya is a hard fight, but he showed that he can be beaten, we beat him, right? So, Sean Strickland [has] a chance — different gameplans — It’s hard, but if anybody has a chance against Adesanya [it would] be Sean Strickland, but It’s a hard fight.”
On September 9, Adesanya is anticipated to defend his middleweight title in the main event of UFC 293. While ‘The Last Stylebender’ was initially aiming to face Du Plessis, this won’t be possible as Du Plessis recently defeated Robert Whittaker on July 8. Fortunately, Strickland is willing to step up and accept the opportunity, even though he is scheduled to fight one week prior to ‘Stillknocks.’
Alex Pereira vs Jan Blachowicz bout overview
Jan Blachowicz (29-9-1) enthusiastically welcomes the former middleweight champion to the 205-pound division. He sees an opportunity to reclaim his own gold, especially after Glover Teixeira (2021), a teammate of Alex Pereira, took back the title at UFC 267.
Blachowicz’s recent win against Aleksandar Rakic (2022) earned him a shot at the vacant title against Magomed Ankalaev (2022), resulting in a draw in an unusual lackluster fight. Now, Blachowicz is determined to redeem himself.
In contrast, Alex Pereira (7-2) is a force to be reckoned with, showcasing his kickboxing prowess in the octagon. Only three UFC fights were enough for him to earn a shot at his old rival, Israel Adesanya (2022), whom he knocked out in the fifth round.
Despite a loss to Adesanya in their second encounter, Pereira’s decision to move up to the light heavyweight division was an easy one given his explosive performances.
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