UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya is prepared to counter any in-fight trash talk from Sean Strickland with his hands.
Israel Adesanya will defend his reclaimed middleweight belt against Strickland in the UFC 293 main event in Sydney. He returns after knocking out Alex Pereira in their UFC 287 title rematch earlier this year.Adesanya was originally expected to face Dricus du Plessis for the next middleweight title fight, but du Plessis is recovering from an injury suffered at UFC 290. After some uncertainty regarding UFC 293, the brash Strickland will step up to challenge for the belt.
Sean Strickland is never afraid to speak his mind in and out of the cage and is notorious for attempts at mental warfare in the middle of a fight. If that occurs this weekend, Adesanya wants to make Strickland pay for it.
Israel Adesanya Promises Violence In UFC 293 Headliner
During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Israel Adesanya was asked about the possibility of in-fight trash talk from Strickland.
“I’m gonna break his jaw if he keeps talking to me while we’re in there,” Israel Adesanya said. “If you keep talking, you never know where the shot’s coming…for me, honestly, he got the passport, the fight, out of the country for the first time, seeing the world, wants to be a f***ing hillbilly, he should thank me.”
In the middle of wins over Jack Marshman, Jack Hermansson, and Uriah Hall, Sean Strickland didn’t hesitate to try to spark full-on conversations in the Octagon.
Sean Strickland got the title shot after recent wins over Nassourdine Imavov and Abus Magomedov. He has bounced back nicely since a knockout loss to Pereira at UFC 276.
Israel Adesanya hopes to make quick work of Sean Strickland this weekend and look ahead to other top contenders. But, he may have to deal with some verbal banter in the process.