UFC 293 will feature two of the biggest names (and biggest mouths) in mixed martial arts. Israel Adesanya is set to defend his middleweight title against Sean Strickland. The two will be headlining the event, but who else will be fighting in UFC 293? This article will detail everything you need to know before the big PPV event.
When and where is UFC 293?
UFC 293 will start at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 9. Prelims will start at 8 p.m. ET, and early prelims will start at 6:30 p.m. ET. The fight is taking place at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. This will be the sixth UFC event in Sydney.
How to watch UFC 293?
UFC 293 is a pay-per-view event. The PPV can be purchased by ESPN+ subscribers for $79.99.
The prelims can be caught on ESPN+ and ESPN News.
UFC 293 fight card
PPV
Middleweight: Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland, Main Event Middleweight Championship
Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov
Men's flyweight: Manel Kape vs. Felipe dos Santos
Heavyweight: Justin Tafa vs. Austen Lane
Light heavyweight: Tyson Pedro vs. Anton Turkalj
Prelims
Light heavyweight: Carlos Ulberg vs. Da Woon Jung
Men's featherweight: Jack Jenkins vs. Chepe Mariscal
Lightweight: Jamie Mullarkey vs. John Makdessi
Lightweight: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Landon Quiñones
Early Prelims
Welterweight: Mike Mathetha vs. Charlie Radtke
Men's featherweight: Shane Young vs. Gabriel Miranda
Welterweight: Kevin Jousset vs. Kiefer Crosbie
Main event
Israel Adesanya will be making his first title defense in his second reign as middleweight champion. Dricus Du Plessis was originally expected to take this fight, but a quick turnaround from his last fight meant someone else would get a chance to come for Izzy's title.
That man is Sean Strickland. The trash-talking Strickland is one of the most polarizing figures in the UFC. He has no filter and is completely unpredictable on the microphone. Strickland has been talking up a storm prior to his fight against Adesanya, calling the champion just about every name in the book. Strickland has lots of confidence, but he is a severe underdog against the two-time champion.
Adesanya is on top of the UFC world right now. The middleweight champion is ranked fifth in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings. He is a massive –770 favorite to win, per FanDuel.
Adesanya has a big advantage in dimensions over Strickland. Adesanya has an 80-inch reach and stands 6-foot-4. He will use his kickboxing background to his advantage as he attempts to shut up Strickland. Strickland is ranked fifth in the middleweight rankings.
Neither fighter is known for their wrestling abilities. The main event will likely see a lot of time on their feet and a lot of knockout attempts, which is sure to make for a fun match. Strickland is always an aggressor, sometimes to his own detriment, but he will bring the fight to Adesanya. Adesanya is at his best in fast-paced fights where he can utilize exceptional dodging skills and deliver quick strikes.
Other fights and storylines
The other big event at UFC 293 is the heavyweight bout between Tai Tuivasa and Alexander Volkov. Tuivasa is always a fan favorite, but that will be especially the case in Sydney, Tuivasa's hometown.
After five straight wins, Tuivasa has now lost back-to-back fights. Hometown fans will want to give the Australian a long overdue shoey, Tuivasa's signature victory celebration where he drinks out of a shoe, but he will first have to overcome Volkov first. Volkov is 36-10 in MMA.
The other heavyweight bout set for action is a do-over between Austen Lane and Justin Tafa. Their UFC Fight Night on June 24, 2023, ended in a no-contest because of an accidental eye-poke.
Also on the pay-per-view, Felipe dos Santos will be making his UFC debut; he will take on Manel Kape in a flyweight contest. Light heavyweights Tyson Pedro and Anton Turkalj will also go at it in the pay-per-view.