You can foolishly write Sean Strickland off, but never forget this moment where he convincingly beat Israel Adesanya, who at the time was at the near peak of his prowess. This was in the wake of Adesanya making pre-fight comments, like this, “I’m not going to lose to an idiot. He says he’s not going to lose to a guy that jerks off to cartoons or paints his nails. Well, I’m going to paint my nails and for that fight and I’m going to knock him out.” 

None of that happened, and now Strickland will get a chance to square up to Anthony Hernandez, who is riding high on an 8-fight win streak, where he’s collected 4 Performance of the Night bonuses. It’s set to be a cracker as Strickland has some of the best defence in all of MMA and claims to spar daily for up to 5 rounds. The big question is whether or not he’s evolved since his bout with Du Plessis? Alex Pereira brought him into his training camp for UFC 307, where he dismantled Khalil Rountree, so you can bet Strickland picked up a thing or two from the champ. Standing as one of the most controversial personalities in MMA, seeing him back in action is something every fan wants, especially since he might be sporting a box-fresh lumberjack beard for his redemption arc. 

UFC 293

10 September 2023

Sydney, Australia