UFC fighter Sean Strickland has defeated two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in a unanimous decision at UFC 293, despite being considered a +600 underdog and receiving praise for his methodical and effective strategy.
During the UFC 293 fight week, Sean Strickland was caught in one of his rants when Teddy Atlas voiced an idea. Atlas pondered, “You know what I said? I said maybe, just maybe, crazy like a fox”. Strickland, who was the underdog at +600, amazed viewers when he won unanimously over Israel Adesanya, upsetting the UFC middleweight division. It was astonishing how Strickland effortlessly took the belt from “The Last Stylebender,” who was solidly outdone, leading 49-46 on the scorecards for the challenger.
Strickland, as loud as he was outside the cage, demonstrated a methodical and effective approach inside it. Atlas noted, “We all knew that obviously Izzy was the more dynamic talent here, and a different kind of striker, almost one in a millennium,”. He even drew parallels to fighters like Anderson Silva, with his pure ability to “make his own music”. However, Strickland managed to unplug the music in a conventional and simple way.
“Basic is good sometimes. He did it with a jab — he set the table with the jab, and he ate with the right hand all night long. As far as defense, he didn’t forget about that. His controlled offense, even in its simplicity, was both efficient and effective,” commented Atlas. His defense involved stepping out of range, controlling the range, and remaining calm in the uncalm environment. “Sometimes steady is better than flashy, better than fast, better than electric, you know? No music tonight. It was quiet.”
Adesanya suffered a significant blow when he ceded the UFC title for the second time in a year, following his second loss as a middleweight. Strickland had dropped the champion clean in the first round, almost stopping the fight. Despite recovering, Adesanya was never able to regain his footing. UFC President Dana White called for an immediate rematch between the middleweights, expressing surprise at Adesanya’s performance, which Atlas attributed to lack of fundamentals. Atlas elaborated on the final note, “He didn’t put that extra punch together, but that helped a little bit. Strickland, he doesn’t beat himself. He’s changed and made a transition, where he’s not the caveman anymore. He’s got a flashlight now.”