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- What: UFC 293
- Who: Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland
- Date: Saturday, September 9, 2023
- Location: Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney Olympic Park, Australia
- Time: Early Prelims (6:30 p.m. ET) Prelims (8:00 p.m. ET) Main Card (10:00 p.m. ET)
- How to Watch: Early Prelims (ESPN+), Prelims (ESPNews), Main Card (ESPN+ PPV)
The UFC middleweight title is on the line in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday when defending 185-pound champion Israel Adesanya faces Sean Strickland in the ESPN+ pay-per-view streaming main event of UFC 293. Adesanya is attempting to make the first defense of his second reign as UFC middleweight champion. Strickland enters the contest as the No 5 fighter in the official UFC middleweight rankings. Here is some information on the Adesanya vs. Strickland scrap before we discuss the betting breakdown for the UFC 293 PPV fight card.
Adesanya (24-2 ) regained the UFC middleweight title in April by knocking out the man who knocked him out in November, Alex Pereira. Before losing to Pereira, Adesanya defended the title five times and was undefeated in middleweight competition.
Strickland (27-5) ended a two-fight middleweight losing skid in his most recent outing. The UFC 293 main event title challenger knocked out Abusupiyan Magomedov in that July contest to get back in the win column. Strickland was a surprise booking for this fight, as No. 1 ranked 185-pounder Dricus Du Plessis was expected to be booked opposite Adesanya.
Before we look at the best bets for Adesanya vs. Strickland matchup on the UFC 293 PPV, check out the best UFC betting sites and where you can find the best odds on all the UFC fights.
UFC 293 main event: Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland betting picks
| To Win UFC 293 Main Event |  |  |  |
| Sean Strickland | +475 | +425 | +425 |
| Israel Adesanya | -650 | -600 | -650 |
UFC 293 main event: Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland betting breakdown
One of the most talented mixed martial artists of the past few years, Israel Adesanya, starts his second reign as UFC middleweight champion with a winnable fight against Sean Strickland. A fantastic striker who is excellent at judging timing and distance, Adesanya has made minor adjustments and additions to his bag of tricks over the years, making him a more dangerous and difficult opponent. One of the few fighters in the game who can make massive adjustments during battle, Adesanya is well-coached and dialed in with his team at City Kickboxing in Auckland, New Zealand.
Where Adesanya is a tactical fighter who can adapt his attacks to whatever his opponents offer him, Sean Strickland‘s style is that of a boxer. He doesn’t possess much power in his strikes. Instead, he racks up points through output. He has speed and can counter well, but Strickland also tends to fight with a low guard and his chin up. That’s a recipe for destruction against a foe like Adesanya, who can take advantage of the smallest openings.
UFC 293 main event: Betting value
I’m surprised Adesanya isn’t a more significant betting favorite in this matchup. While Strickland can grapple and has a black belt in jiu-jitsu, he rarely employs those skills, even against fighters who have shown a lack of ground game. For instance, he didn’t attempt to get his fight against Alex Pereira to the ground, even though it was his best bet to get the win. As a result of fighting to Pereira’s strengths, Strickland was knocked out in the first round of that scrap.
There’s not much betting value in picking Adesanya as the winner. Instead, the value in this contest comes in considering how the fight will end. There’s also some value in considering Strickland as the upset winner, but that is a wager that should be made with a great deal of caution.
Best UFC 293 bets
Israel Adesanya winning and retaining his middleweight title is the easiest bet for UFC 293, but it’s not the best bet to make if one is looking at betting value. The best value bet to make is Adesanya to win via knockout. As for Strickland, his best bet to win is via a submission, but judging from his past performances, he’s unlikely to test the grappling acumen of the UFC middleweight champ.
Best UFC 293 Main Event Betting Pick: Israel Adesanya to beat Sean Strickland by knockout and retain the UFC middleweight title.
See below a list of reliable sportsbooks and choose the best one for you.
