Sean Strickland Outworks Israel Adesanya in Shocking UFC 293 Upset Down Under

Sean Strickland set a pace an all-time great could not match and authored one of the biggest upsets in Ultimate Fighting Championship history.

The Xtreme Couture export outboxed and outwitted Israel Adesanya to a stunning unanimous decision, as he captured the undisputed middleweight crown in the UFC 293 headliner on Saturday at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Strickland (28-5, 15-5 UFC) swept the scorecards with 49-46 marks from all three members of the cageside judiciary.

Adesanya (24-3, 13-3 UFC) never established a rhythm. Strickland leveled him with a clean one-two at the end of an otherwise-uneventful first round, swarmed for a potential finish and then settled in for the long haul. The Californian’s standup defense was virtually bulletproof, limiting Adesanya to one shot at a time in the vast majority of their exchanges. Strickland moved forward the entire fight, wore down the champion with pressure and kept him on his back foot. When the final horn sounded, the normally confident Adesanya looked like a man who was very much resigned to his fate.

Volkov Choke Stops Tuivasa

Former Bellator MMA and M-1 Global titleholder Alexander Volkov put away Tai Tuivasa with an Ezekiel choke in the second round of their heavyweight co-main event. Tuivasa (14-6, 8-6 UFC) bowed out 4:37 into Round 2, as he suffered his third straight defeat.

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Volkov (37-10, 11-4 UFC) tore into the Aussie with a punishing jab, brutal body kicks and powerful right hands on the counter. Tuivasa enjoyed little in the way of measurable success, outside of repeated kicks to the lower leg that left the 6-foot-7 Russian with a compromised base. Volkov caught a kick late in the middle stanza, tripped his counterpart to the floor and climbed to full mount. He threatened with an arm-triangle choke, forced Tuivasa to surrender his back and then settled back into mount. From there, he framed the Ezekiel choke, applied a smothering squeeze and elicited the tapout.

It was Volkov’s first submission win since Feb. 19, 2016.

Kape Handles Replacement Dos Santos

Onetime Rizin Fighting Federation champion Manel Kape outstruck the previously unbeaten Felipe dos Santos to a unanimous decision in an entertaining three-round flyweight attraction. All three cageside judges scored it for Kape (19-6, 4-2 UFC): 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.

A short-notice fill-in for Kai Kara-France, dos Santos (7-1, 0-1 UFC) showed off the skills and fortitude that have made him one of the prospects to watch on the Brazilian regional scene. He gave Kape pause with a variety of techniques, including a spinning back elbow in the first round, and opened a cut near the Xtreme Couture rep’s right eye in the third. Still, the favorite proved to be the superior fighter in a majority of their exchanges. Kape ripped punches to the body and head, countered effectively throughout and even mixed in a takedown in the closing seconds of the match.

Kape, 29, will ride a four-fight winning streak into his next assignment.

Ferocious Tafa Buries Lane

Former Xtreme Fighting Championships titleholder Justin Tafa brought down two-time Dana White’s Contender Series alum Justin Tafa with punches in the opening round of their heavyweight rematch. Tafa (7-3, 4-3 UFC) drew the curtain 1:22 into Round 1. Their first encounter ended in a no contest due to an eye poke on June 24.

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Lane (12-4, 0-1 UFC) tested the water with body kicks but failed to keep his chin tucked and paid the price. Tafa decked him with a left hook and then crashed in with a burst of standing-to-ground punches from both hands, leaving referee no choice Jim Perdio no choice but to intervene.

It was the fifth first-round finish of Tafa’s career.

Pedro Rebounds, Wrecks Turkalj

City Kickboxing’s Tyson Pedro bounced back from a Feb. 11 decision defeat to Modestas Bukauskas and did so decisively, as he buried Anton Turkalj with punches in the first round of their light heavyweight appetizer. Turkalj (8-3, 0-3 UFC) checked out 2:12 into Round 3 and remains winless in three appearances inside the Octagon.

Pedro (10-4, 6-4 UFC) wobbled the Swede with a clean one-two, reset in open space, connected with an overhand right and then floored him with another two-punch volley. The heavy-handed Aussie gave chase and cut loose with hammerfists to force the stoppage.

The 31-year-old Pedro has won three of his past four bouts.

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