Nigerian-born Australian Mixed Martial Artist, Israel Adesanya has admitted that he lost his middleweight belt to a better fighter.
Israel Adesanya was expected to beat American fighter Sean Strickland to defend his Middleweight title in the main event of UFC 293 on Sunday morning. But the American stunned the world by winning the game by unanimous decision.
Strickland prevailed after a five-round decision in which the three judges scored 49-46 in favour of the American fighter.
The spectators at the Qudos Bank Arena were very supportive of Adesanya, and many people thought he would beat Strickland. The American continued to strike more and more powerful blows, making it difficult for Adesanya to fight back.
Strickland delivered a focused, forceful blow that brought Adesanya to the ground in the opening round. He immediately fought back with a barrage of blows to win the round.
In the second and third rounds, Adesanya became more proficient with his right-hand punches and kicks. Yet, he allowed Strickland to attack both his body and his head.
Adesanya’s defense grew stronger as the battle went on, making it difficult for him to significantly affect Strickland’s defense. In the waning moments, Strickland recognized an opening and launched a flurry of punches and kicks to claim the victory and the middleweight belt.
At the end of the bout, Adesanya said, “I had a different plan in mind, but sometimes life doesn’t go the way you want it to. Win or lose, I didn’t plan to say much tonight. But the truth is, I lost to the better fighter.”
