Newly-minted undisputed middleweight champion, Sean Strickland has questioned if former titleholder, Israel Adesanya actually even tried to put his best foot forward in his shocking title-clinching victory at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia last night – claiming he felt like he was fighting an “amateur”.
Strickland, who headlined his first pay-per-view event under the banner of the organization last night ‘Down Under’, managed to turn in one of the biggest and high-profile upset wins in the history of the UFC, landing a unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) victory over the defending, Adesanya.
Winning rounds one, three, four, and five against the City Kickboxing staple, Strickland also managed to become the first fighter in the history of the promotion to be officially credited with a knockdown against the Nigerian-Kiwi, catching Adesanya flush in the dying embers of the first round to steal the frame.