UFC is making its return to Australia with UFC 293 in Sydney, set to take place on Saturday. In the middleweight division, Israel Adesanya is finding himself with limited opponents to face. Although Dricus Du Plessis was briefly considered, plans have since changed. As a result, Adesanya is now slated to defend his championship belt against Sean Strickland at UFC 293, scheduled for September 9. This exciting event will be hosted at the Qudos Bank Arena in Australia and will be broadcast on ESPN+ in the United States.
UFC 293 boasts an enticing main card that kicks off at 10 pm (ET) and is available on pay-per-view ($79.99, via ESPN+). Additionally, two sets of preliminaries will be aired on ESPNews and streamed on ESPN+ starting at 6:30 pm (ET). It's important to note that there is a significant time difference of 14 hours between Sydney and Eastern Standard Time.
Israel Adesanya (24-2 MMA, 13-2 UFC) is set to defend his middleweight title for the first time during his second reign as the UFC middleweight champion when he faces off against Sean Strickland. Adesanya initially claimed the title in 2019 and successfully defended it five times before losing it to his kickboxing rival, Alex Pereira, in November 2022. However, in April, Adesanya avenged that defeat with a second-round knockout, regaining the championship belt. The star fighter, who is based in New Zealand, has long been anticipated to headline the UFC's return to Australia.
Israel Adesanya © vs Sean Strickland for the UFC middleweight title
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Kai Kara-France vs Manel Kape for