The UFC 293 main event ended with a huge shock for most fans. The then UFC Middleweight champ, Israel Adesanya stepped into the UFC 293 octagon as a -650 favorite compared to his rival, Sean Strickland being a +450 underdog. However, the fight displayed a completely different story right from the initial round. Prior to the bout, several fans and MMA pundits predicted that the current UFC Middleweight champ might have a chance to win if he looks to take the fight to the ground.
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The noted UFC Welterweight and Nate Diaz’s teammate, Jake Shields, was also one of them. However, he recently gave out his take on the same incident once more when he appeared in an interview with the noted sports-covering YouTuber, Helen Yee.
Jake Shields was amazed by Sean Strickland beating Israel Adesanya at his own game
Helen Yee started off things by saying, “The last time I was here and spoke to you, we talked about Sean Strickland fighting Israel. #andnew, he’s the Middleweight champion.” However, Shields chose to dig a bit deeper into their previous interview. He reminded Yee, “We were doing this interview the last time with him sparring behind us.”
Further, he also mentioned Helen’s question from her previous interview, stating, “What do you think? Has he got a good shot if he uses his wrestling and grappling?”. Well, quite apparently, Shields also thought that Strickland would have a better chance against Adesanya if he chose to take the fight to the ground.
This is probably why the UFC 293 main event amazed him. Most fans already know that Strickland didn’t even make a single attempt to take ‘Izzy’ down to the ground. He walked ‘The Last Stylebender’ down and even knocked him down in the first round. Shields spoke out his thoughts stating, “But he went and beat him on his feet. I didn’t expect him[Strickland] to beat him[Adesanya] up, standing. Knocked him down in the first and even better than I expected.”
Most fans know that ‘Izzy’ has a considerably weaker ground game than striking skills. He comes from a kickboxing background and has only trained in grappling arts after joining the UFC. Hence, Shields, like a lot of others, thought the current UFC Middleweight champ would have a better chance of winning if he chose to grapple with Adesanya.
Why is Israel Adesanya considered such a threat while fighting on the feet?
Most fans already know that Israel Adesanya packs a wide range of weapons like the question mark kick, making him one of the most lethal strikers in the UFC. But he also packs a superb fight IQ that increases his lethality.
‘Izzy’ is a superbly witty fighter who also has the capacity to bait his powerful opponents into his traps and finish them. The former UFC Middleweight champ, Alex Pereira, rushed on him at their UFC 287 fight when he saw Adesanya backing down towards the cage wall just like their first fight. But, Pereira forgot it was just the second round of the fight. ‘Izzy’ was a lot fresher than their previous fight where Pereira had TKO’d him.
‘The Brazilian’ paid a heavy price for this slip as ‘Izzy’ knocked him out clean. But none of these worked for ‘The Last Stylebender’ in the fight against ‘Tarzan’. Thus, a lot of fans might view his victory as an even more creditable one. Do you also share Jake Shields’ opinion?
Watch this Story – “Life Isn’t Fair, Right?” – Just Days After Israel Adesanya Lost His Title, Robert Whittaker Rubs Salt on Rival’s Wounds Over Sean Strickland Rematch Talks
