The UFC returns to Sydney, Australia for the first time since 2017 this Sunday with a sensational card taking place at Qudos Bank Arena.
There is a host of local Australian and New Zealand set to fight in front of their home crowd and no doubt each one is excited to put on a show for the sold out
arena.
Israel Adesanya will defend his UFC Middleweight title yet again and will headline the card against outspoken American Sean Strickland.
Our full UFC 293 Preview including our selections can be found below.
MAIN EVENT
Options were limited for the Middleweight champion when it became obvious that Israel Adesanya would anchor this Australian card, which is a testament to just how dominant he has been in the division.
He has beaten every man inside the current Middleweight top six, some twice, with the exception of Dricus Du Plessis who was unavailable for UFC 293 after being injured in his win over Robert Whittaker.
Adesanya met the biggest challenge of his UFC career in the form of Alex Pereira in November last year, losing for the first time at Middleweight in the promotion.
But in true Izzy style, he was unfazed and got revenge in April, beating the Brazilian via KO in the second round.
Sean Strickland can feel somewhat blessed to have been given this title shot considering he is ranked fifth in the division but options were limited.
A six fight win streak was followed by back to back losses, but he has risen back up the rankings thanks to two wins in 2023.
His sparring sessions are famous among teammates as being brutal and he brings that pace and attacking mindset into his fights inside the octagon.
Strickland’s cardio may be his best asset and he is never shy in standing right in front of his opponents and pushing the pace throughout.
Unfortunately, this style simply does not match up well with one of the best strikers that the sport has ever seen and Izzy controls distance and counter punches better than anyone that Strickland has ever fought.
Israel Adesanya has the second most knockdowns in UFC title fights of all time and it will be a matter of time before he lands the fight winning blow.
4 Units Israel Adesanya To Win By KO/TKO
CO MAIN EVENT
The pride of Western Sydney returns to the octagon for the first time in 2023 and the knockout artist will receive the biggest cheer of the afternoon as he makes his way out.
Likely to a song that makes the adoring fans emote some nostalgia and laughter.
Bam Bam’s natural presence and charisma has made him one of the most beloved fighters not only in Australia, but all across the globe but his general outlook on fighting also appeals to the masses.
13 of his 14 UFC wins have come via knockout and this included a five fight win streak that secured him a spot inside the top five of the Heavyweight division.
He has failed in his past two fights against the top of the division.
Firstly against Ciryl Gane, where he had the Frenchman rocked in front of his home fans in Paris to eventually lose by TKO, and then late last year where he suffered 1 first round KO loss against rising star Sergei Pavlovich.
I would have loved to see Tuivasa take an easier fight but he faces a tough task against six foot sven Alexander Volkov who has proven a tough opponent for many in the division.
The Russian has 10 wins from 14 fights in the UFC and those four losses have come against the best the division has to offer in Derrick Lewis, Curtis Blaydes, Ciryl Gane and Tom Aspinall.
Tuivasa has spent this year training back home in Western Sydney and like just about every camp the rumours are circulating that he is in great shape and feeling better than ever.
You can take that at face value.
Bam Bam is in incredible striker and if the fight was to take place in the center of the octagon, with both men throwing hands, he is every chance.
Alexander Volkov uses his range and reach advantage well and is competent in all forms of MMA, including wrestling.
While Tuivasa is always a puncher’s chance, and will be keen not to let his home fans down, Volkov has too many pathways to victory and therefor gets the edge.
2 Units Alexander Volkov By KO/TKO or Submission
Originally a Flyweight fight that included New Zealander Kai Kara France, this match up losing little in terms of excitement.
Manel Kape has 18 wins from 24 professional MMA fights including his last three in a row leading into UFC 293.
Back to back first round KO wins was followed by a unanimous decision win over David Dvorak in December last year.
Felipe dos Santos hails from the same gym as former UFC Lightweight champion Charles Oliveira and is making his UFC debut on the main card at UFC 293.
He has earned this shot via an undefeated pro MMA career which has netted him seven wins from eight fights, with one no contest.
Dos Santos takes this fight on relatively short notice which may put him at a disadvantage in some regard but he may just have the attitude that he has nothing to lose.
Manel Kape has come up very short in the market and I’m willing to have a sprinkle on the underdog in this one.
1 Unit Felipe dos Santos To Win @ $4.00
Justin Tafa hails from the famous NTG gym in Brisbane and comes into this fight with a record of 3 wins and 3 losses in the UFC.
The former XFC Heavyweight champion faced this very opponent in June but only for 29 seconds before the fight was ruled a no contest after a vicious eye poke which Tafa could not recover from.
Austen Lane had won eight of his last nine fights before that no contest and 11 of his 12 career wins have been via KO.
There is no shying away from these two and their fighting styles, and much like Tuivasa, Justin Tafa is most a home when trading blows in the middle of the octagon.
We saw just how devastating his power is when he knocked out Parker Porter in Perth earlier this year and one punch could mean an early night for his opponent.
This is the first fight for Lane in the UFC (not including their no contest), and although it was for less than 30 seconds, he would have felt the power of Tafa.
This may force him to avoid the heavy punches early in the fight and extend it as long as he can.
2 Units Fight To Start Round 2
Another Western Sydney product Tyson Pedro returned from a long injury lay off to put together back to back wins in 2022.
Both wins came via first round TKO and the MMA world quickly remembered just how dangerous this man is.
You can all but put a line through his loss in Perth earlier this year as he came down with sickness during fight week.
He also ran into a very dangerous opponent in Modestas Bukauakas who has since gone on to win again since Perth.
Anton Turkalj earned a UFC contract through the dana White Contender Series but has lost both fights inside the octagon since making his debut.
The 27 year-old is up against it in this fight against a guy that is not only in front of his home crowd, but in my opinion can match it in the top 10 of the division.
4 Units Tyson Pedro To Win @ $1.96