Sean Strickland vs Israel Adesanya | FREE FIGHT | UFC 297

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[Applause] man Adisa barking at him Israel Lanna Theus 675 betting favorite at close all right here we go with our middleweight championship fight Strickland is in the white Israel adna wearing the R for the first time in his UFC [Applause] career I he changing it up red shorts we

Saw him in the blue last time I believe yep Strickland repeatedly acknowledged to us how difficult he thought the first 10 minutes of this fight could [Applause] be and this is where Sea’s going to try to be all fight all night long try to be

Right in the grill of osna he does reach with his hands to try to find his distance and then he tries to go the one thing Strickland will not do is tire but Edis will constantly give him this faints and fakes to try to back him up

Inside leg kick for Strickland not much on it sometimes the heavy faint game of Izzy isn’t always entirely appreciated when he does it for long stances but facing a guy like that can be exhausting because you’re you’re just constantly reacting you’re so on edge exactly and

You can see Shawn already I mean his defensive structures are are so unique to the way that he fights we saw him struggle with reacting to the faints in the Pereira fight but I feel like he’s learned a lot from that as probably a better Fighter coming into this fight because of

It just like with everything else in his life the Downs have allowed for him to rebuild and be better for it and he’s going to try to use what happened against paa to benefit him in this fight with Edna one thing he cannot do is he cannot reach for the punches of

Izzy that is what ultimately got him caught by Alex Pereira Strickland just out of range with that right hand two minutes gone by round one one of the things that Izzy does so well right here the way that he physically controls the air between he and his opponent whoever is hand fighting and

Has the high hand is winning in that moment and he’s preventing Shawn from being able to use the jab which is one of his best weapons Eric Nicki Danny Davis chiefing the corner of Shan [Applause] Strickland Iz he’s just constantly making reads you wonder if Izzy is going to

Start popping that jab to the body trying to bring the hands of Strickland down a little bit right now Strickland’s being very disciplined with his hands trying to keep him up to make sure that he’s not taking much damaging shots like right there he blocked that

One he has such a unique way his guard is unique DC the way that he has sort of like this modified shoulder roll Philly shell but when you fight in a Philly shell normally you’re very bladed whereas Shawn is extremely square and it does at times present the opposite side

Of his face to where he’s parrying the kicks yeah the kicks also that’s usually how you could take advantage of Strickland because he’s fighting in that position or a Philly shell type of fighter the kicks are what normally will land for you just like caner yes very much took advantage of

That the champion measured early on right hand connection for Strickland osani counters with a jab you got to be careful when Izzy starts playing pawsome though that’s exactly what he against did against Pereira just shelled up yeah but not much has happened right so when Izzy starts to play posum if Strickland can

Just get active you might win the [Applause] round light P counters osani attacks that lead leg Strickland appear to raise it to check under a minute to go in the [Applause] [Applause] Round a huge for Shan [Applause] Strickland osna back to his feet a worlde onia circles out a major moment ear Underdog round one to the Challenger let’s take a look at this knockdown from Shan St and it’s the onew and it’s the way that he throws it he

Doesn’t recoil it’s just B the rhythm of sha Strickland right in his face and then the ground I mean I don’t know how many shots he got off here but this right hand right down the middle as Izzy was trying to hook around hat off to the official for not getting nervous yeah

Because Sean threw a lot of shots and the the official didn’t even move towards him he did not even move towards stopping this fight Mark Goddard and Izzy ultimately got up and was recovered so good on Mark Goddard for not paying panicking stopping this fight good point good point and hopefully Sean Strickland

Didn’t blow too much in that exchange he will not get tired I heard stories that Strickland is sparring 15 20 rounds in preparation for this but he’s got to stay patient he’s got to stay to the game plan because edisa will now be a little bit more aggressive in his approach here you

Go so a wild wild end to round one has changed the complexion of this middleweight Championship Main Event we’ll see the extent to which osna has [Applause] recovered while some observers may not have liked the body language from Shan Strickland walking out perhaps looking a little bit nervous but he has been

Focused for moment one of this championship F yeah I was one of them I thought he looked a little tense on the wall Sean strickle a man on a mission is what that [Applause] was one of the things that’s standing upright like Sean Strickland allows him

To do is check those leg kicks pretty effectively he has done a good job of checking kicks either checking or just not being there which is even better I mean he’s just constantly on the pressure he’s on the pressure but he’s being very measured in the way that he’s attacking that

Asagna it’s when you get desperate and start throwing too much is when Izzy finds his shots yeah but sean Shawn never fights like that he will even when he sees the Finish coming he’s very measured in the way that he follows at the Abus Mago fight he didn’t rush that

Whatsoever he just allowed the Finish to come to him watching osna he gets right back to fighting in the way that you expect him to right back on the F back on the popping and moving you just imagine or wonder how much did getting knockdown affect him because I can’t imagine he

Expected trickin to get anything off on him in that way oh that’s his clean a right hand as we’ve seen nagna absorb for sure well in the story on Sean Strickland is that he doesn’t have the most powerful hands either so you come into a fight not necessarily expecting

To meet that level of power dude I watch this Sport and I’m always like how much I love it I just love MMA man it is the best next looking for Strickland to use some faints to get his way inside big right hand over the top now for The [Applause]

Champ is he still in this sort of figuring out process as well he’s making reads but he’s having to deal with a lot of offense as he’s making them I just actually saw him get make a smirk at Sean strick after he landed the right in

It feels like he’s starting to kind of find Strickland now like he’s settling into the fight a little bit Strickland has to find a way to interrupt that before adna starts to flow too much aisna working off that jab effectively here Midway through round two now the low leg kick undery [Applause]

Ry right good shot to the body by adna and now a low leg kick is there as well that was a beautiful jab there by Strickland that’s one of his best shot floor that straight jab it’s fast and it’s very powerful yeah he lives in Breeze by that Jab and that allows him

To operate in this really what is it a close distance especially oh big shot from aagna yeah osag starting to get reads on him Strickland’s about to do something to try to change this good response thus far in this round by The Champ under a minute now to

Go and that’s exactly what you expect from Israel we talked about how he’s lived in these moments and all these moments have not been great or easy for him he’s had to deal with adversity and once again he’s showing how he sits on that stool takes a minute and resets

And now he’s winning this Round nice job defensively there by the champ as well la I was just going to say I love how Izzy switches stances as he Retreats a lot of times that opens up the body kick or the head kick for him as he floats back into Southpaw looking to fake a

Spin good jab and a right hand by Strickland late in the [Applause] round 10 minutes in the can potentially 15 to go he’s perfectly fine with the round like that okay we got to do some things to steal or seal these rounds and when I get about 90 seconds I’m going to

Give you a call we got to get a little grappling exchanges in or make them least think about it when you’re throwing your jab it’s Landing but you’re getting snake Charmed by this guy you’re watching him you’re watching him don’t let watch let’s go that’s how you knock dude out [Applause]

Okay don’t just fall in love with the low kick on its own okay mix it [Applause] up Shar Shar 30 minutes neither fighter take taken to the stool after that round some good advice being imparted by Eric nixi there Laura yeah I thought the term snake Charmed was so eloquently put because it’s exactly what Israel will do his just sort of Mesmerizing the

Way that he moves and you know that he’s calculating some sort of setup some sort of trap for you and you’re just behind a lot of times I I I call it taking pictures right you’re watching you’re in all of Israel osna and then you can’t go

I’d like to get the numbers in that round cuz how much do sha Strickland actually throw after winning round one against the [Applause] champion Eric nixi also calling to get a little bit of grappling going at least show the grappling get him thinking about something else other than this beautiful

Jab late round grappling right yeah sorry Johnny said that when he throws the jab it lands he’s just not throwing [Applause] enough he threw 31 in round two it’s going to take a a little more than that to take the belt off at [Applause] aagna Strickland does a really good job

Of seeing the kicks and just kind of stepping back half an inch making iy Miss he’s so hard to hit clean I mean that’s what Shawn does so well is you can you can touch him but you’re not touching him with much because he’s deflecting everything with his hands and

With his shoulders and with his posture there are the number you see the efficiency from Shan strickler but not much in terms of output in round two well in osa’s accuracy I mean way down from what we’ve seen him again I mean Sean just so good at defensively forcing his opponents to you

Know Miss well just being on your heels the entire time is not fun no never getting an opportunity to control the [Applause] engagement Strickland seeing things pretty well defensively but osanna mix it up his targets here round [Applause] [Applause] three on to that not really much in sequence nor combination for Strickland

Trying to create an angle [Applause] here Trick’s defenses are on point right now but it’s got to be more offensive edisa will win on activity if Strickland continues to just follow him without putting much activity out right hand landed for Izzy and that a counter right partially for

Strickland that lead like question mark of isra Al is tremendous super tricky the way that he throws [Applause] [Applause] it Strickland just out of range with that right hand sort of a pedestrian round through three minutes and it’s the round that each can win four of 16 for Shan Strickland Shan Strickland is

Doing left hand got home forland I think I saw Izzy made a little bit of a face at the end of that one I think that one got through a bit all right so here’s that 92nd Mark we’ll see if Strickland and you just heard the imperative from Eric Nixon

We’ll see if we see some grappling out of Strickland late in the round [Applause] strong jab there from [Applause] strickman body shot in the left hook Strickland taking advantage of some moments late in the round landed a good left hook there off the last minute went high low he’s trying to come

Around and you may have caught Eric nixi dropping that all important word Optics in a close [Applause] rounds yep he’s on that word right in a very close round that like stuff like that that jab that was a good jab he said that’s why he felt like he

Lost the Jared caner fight he out struck Jared on the numbers but he felt it was the optic and the fact is that the scoring criteria does to some extent favor a power puncher it’s the big shots that are going to get you the most points but you can certainly argue the

Bigger shots in this third round were landed by the Challenger absolutely this one is getting very tight Championship rounds Becket our Championship rounds Israel Adisa Shan Strickland scorecards could very well be all over the place at least in that third round 10 minutes to decide [Applause]

It and if you think it’s 2-1 Sean Strickland that is not a bad read no because he landed some good shots in the second round but you heard Eric Nick Nick Nicki I’m so nervous man Eric Nicki Eric Nick was saying we didn’t come here to lose a boring decision get after him

It’s like I’m in there fighting [Applause] again osani goes High partially blocked by strickman wow got coun on got to move yeah right [Applause] here but if Strickland won that third round he cannot have another round like round two where he just didn’t do much he needs to start countering immediately

Off the kicks of osia because there are moments where Israel’s open as he’s finishing the kick process I think Izzy needs to kind of sit on something a little bit he’s moving a lot right now I think osna needs to put something on Strickland to try to back Strickland off

Of him well and he’s so good when he operates in the pocket like he did against Robert Whitaker Israel osna can land power from strange angles when his body right here exactly like that and a big left hand count stck Sean Strickland my goodness Sean Strickland

Ed a big left hook there and now a right hand partially gets through adna’s body language not great as he pressures forward and lands a right hand good body kick by The Champ but I think we’re all feeling the tension of this title fight here three

Minutes to go round four and like you said izzy was a minus 600 favorite massive number that jab of Strickland it must be very long because it gets to osna even when osna is leaning back and that’s a position that Izzy does and not many can really pull off and look at

Those numbers in terms of the misses forced upstairs by Shan Strickland missed over 100 attempts to the head man that was wild I don’t think off the top of my head I can’t think of any body else who has made him miss this much oh good combination from

Strickland didn’t look like Pome playing there it just seems like when Shawn lands there’s more to it than when that ass land Sean would be smart to mix it up maybe go to the body once Izzy starts guarding up like that shelling up oh nice switch right hand there by

The champ that was beautiful keep keeping Strickland stalks and lands a jab good body kick from [Applause] osna but the champ just hasn’t consistently found that flow State and Strickland deserves credit that’s what he does he just makes guys uncomfortable and he forces them to operate in a way that’s outside of their natural style he does it to almost everybody you don’t

Want to fight like this I I don’t care how good a counter Striker you are you don’t want to be on your heels the entire time no especially with a guy in front of you that’s in a a bit of a Philly shell it’s tiring to fight off the back

Foot as well especially I mean when you think about the hours of training for Israel adna how many hours do you think he spent going backwards consistently for four three rounds four rounds the whole it’s been four rounds of this fight for sure Izzy has not been able to dictate

To sha Strickland and that has allowed sha Strickland to not only be in this fight but possibly winning this fight yeah and I know some fans have wondered aloud If eventually as both guys land there the break next schedule ofat would one time catch up with

Him you said he was a minus 600 favorite John yeah- 675 at close those live numbers don’t look like that anymore say that much this is a sport that will make fools of anyone yep you can never think you [Applause] know waiting seconds of round four Strickland lands a jab now kicks the

Body to the final round we go right here you see Strickland laying a little jab little left hook that followed it Edna’s nose was bleeding I can’t find my jab but also he just lean out the way to take risk okay let’s go there’s no risk if you go right hand here right

Hand and then you here okay on my on his left side Fifth and Final Round to decide the Undisputed UFC middleweight championship and if you would have told Sean Strickland he wouldn’t have a scratch on him at the beginning of this fifth round he would take that every day

Of the week and I’m literally I mean I’m thinking about the fight and it could be 2 to2 it could be 1 to three it could be 3 to1 and if it’s 3 to one Sean Strickland and he’s winning three rounds against israela nobody would ever expected that

Dude there was some frustration and worry in the corner of isra asna he said he can’t find his jab Eugene bman told him he’s going to have to take some risk but there is no risk in him throwing the right hand champ I find it hard to

Believe osna could be leading 3-1 on any cards you never know you just never know but I’m just saying I’m just throwing all options out there but I can’t imagine this 3 to one at ass honestly I think it’s three to one strictly [Applause] yeah looked like adanna was loading up

And partially caught Strickland’s [Applause] arm I mean Sean Strickland’s defense when he reaches with his arms it makes Izzy his right hand Miss cuz he hits him on the arm and the shoulders the way that he hides behind his shoulder those shoulder I mean it’s no one does it the way that Sean

Strickland does it in MMA it’s a boxing thing but you just don’t see it that often in the sport that someone does it so effectively and what I love is Shawn is still pressuring I he he may believe he’s up on the scorecards but he’s not going to fight any different he’s not

Going to play it safe and start skating around he can’t Laura if he allows Izzy to start dictating to him he’s going to get in trouble he’s got to continue to do what’s allowed for him to get ahead in this fight well 100 pay-per-views ago in Melbourne Australia Holly Holm turned in

The biggest upset UFC women’s champ championship history might we be in store for more history 100 pay-per-views later tonight [Applause] man I just I guess I’m just amazed that Strickland has found a way to make Ed asagna play the mouse the entire time he has he has never allowed for him to play

The cat one of the things he’s done really well is the way that he’s hacky sacking against those calf kicks that’s been an issue for sea in the past and he’s not allowing Izzy to have much success when he’s attacking ma cow you know we talk about Sean Strickland and

Some of the things that he went through in his life right and how he said that it helped him to become the man that he is he got knocked out by Alex fera he went and trained with Alex perrera so this is a man that for no matter what

You feel about him he is always trying to improve himself Y and he will humble himself to do that takes a big ego check to be able to go learn from the person who who knocked you out and let us also acknowledge that he put his number four

Ranking on the line against an unranked Alex P when no top five middleweight Contender was willing to do that Izzy just landed a good right hand and mount Strickland landed a good jab there Izzy’s going to have to let it get a little dirty now yeah seems like Izzy

Understands the urgency of the moment just over two minutes to go Iz he’s going to have to stand on the coin man he’s going to have to stop moving [Applause] oh good jab from [Applause] aagna Hyo Eric mixi asking for Sean Strickland to various targets you know what’s crazy is Sean Strickland outside

Of those push kicks hasn’t thrown one kick oh I know he’s boxing the entire time he a jab and a two and he’s winning a championship fight with him and there is that jab again 90 seconds to go against one of the greatest Strikers you ever seen inside the octagon and n a

Takedown attempt from Sean Strickland who lands another jab and partially connects with a right hand that right hand got the champ attention and it doesn’t look like he’s doing much but look at how beat up I he is Izzy’s face is battered man and trickin doesn’t even look like he’s breathing

Hard Iz he’s bloody and he’s swollen The champ is going to have to sit and throw man he’s going to have to fire we seen he sorry John stepped right over you I was going to say we’ve seen Izzy in these tough spots before though the Kelvin gastan fight brings back [Applause]

Memories oh good connection by Strickland and once again aagna on the [Applause] retreat 30 seconds to go this is crazy this was not how I expected this fight to play out and now strickler’s talking to him holy cow Strickland flapping gums late final 10 seconds aagna lands a kick to the

Body but goodness likelihood Sean Strickland oh my go has produced one of the biggest upsets in UFC championship history we await the all important scorecards but Sean Strickland in all likelihood is heading back to the United States of America as the Undisputed middleweight champion of the world Sean

Strickland just came to Australia in one I cannot believe it he beat him bad I I’m my jaw is open right now Sean Strickland is exactly who he said he was my goodness Lis Seno I mean I’m I’m looking at I’m I’m literally like seriously I love to talk and I have no

Words cuz that was a fantastic performance wow well bet on mixed martial arts at your own Peril let’s take a look at some of the work early on I mean that right hand from Sha Strickland knocks down Israel osanna the follow-ups did a lot of damage but it’s the the pattern the onew

No recoil Shan Strickland all over Israel aagna in this exchange is he survived this though gives a thumbs up at one point to the referee but later on in the fight the jab of Shan Strickland I mean Israel Sonia certainly had his moments but he was forced on the back foot the entire

Fight and it’s very difficult to Counter Strike or kick and this right here that is Shan Strickland in his element loving life fighting like a man oh my gosh it was a long time coming for Shan Strickland he repeatedly stepped up for the company got his title shot made the

Most of it Bruce Buffer with the official decision ladies and gentlemen after five rounds we go to the judges score cards for decision all three judges score this contest 4946 for the winner by unanimous decision and new Undisputed UFC middleweight champion of the world Sean Caren shrick [Applause] w