America’s Sean Strickland has finally been given the green light to head Down Under and fight – with the polarising striker likely to be confirmed Saturday as the man facing superstar Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in Sydney.
Only a week after suggesting UFC executives had “really dropped the ball” on the hyped Pay-Per-View event, Strickland has apparently now signed off to headline on September 10.
While Adesanya was initially supposed to defend against South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis, the latter was forced out with a foot injury suffered during his win over Australia’s Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 in July.
With a turnaround of just nine weeks between events, du Plessis chose to heal up and instead take his title shot in early 2024 – which threw the headliner into chaos.
Regardless, and while the event didn’t have a headliner even when tickets went on sale last week, Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena still sold out in just 13 minutes.
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Even as recently as Thursday, it seemed Strickland was no guarantee to be allowed into Australia for the huge showdown against Adesanya.
There were also suggestions the American wanted more cash than was being offered to be catapulted as an 11th hour headliner for what will be the first of three big Pay-Per-View shows in Sydney over the next four years.
In an interview with Submission Radio, Strickland’s head coach Erick Nicksick revealed the team wanted in on the Adesanya match, but needed Australian government approval to travel.
Strickland has not competed outside the US since 2018 and has previously spoken at length about a troubled past which included being a white supremacist.
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Speaking this week however, Coach Nicksick revealed the team was ready to head Down Under as soon as it was signed off by local authorities.
“All signs are pointing in a good direction,” he said.
“But right now, all he’s working on is getting his visa in order.
“The signs look like it’s a ‘yes’ — it’s all pointing in a good direction — but it hasn’t been official yet.
“So, we’re still kind of in a holding pattern.
“We’re at the mercy of the visa process.
“We haven’t talked any logistics as far as (purse) numbers go until that visa gets done.
“And then that would be the next hurdle. But I don’t think it would be that difficult of a hurdle to cross.
“I think the visa thing is the biggest hurdle that we have to get through right now.
“And then once we get over that, man, and then the business kicks in and I think we’ll be good to go.”
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Strickland, 32, comes into the headliner boasting consecutive wins against Nassourdine Imavov and Abus Magomedov.
The fighter has also recently spent time training alongside former middleweight champ Alex Pereira – who beat Adesanya twice in kickboxing, then took his title, lost it back to the Kiwi and also knocked out Strickland at UFC 276.
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Pereira has stated Strickland has the game to upset Adesanya, while Nicksick also dubs him a “weird threat” for the reigning champ.
“Sean just … he poses a weird threat,” Nicksick said.
“You know, with his durability, his pressure, the way he gets in guys’ faces, the way that he likes to fight, he poses a different threat that I think than a lot of people have seen.
“But it’s nice when a guy like Alex, the guy who we stepped in there against and a guy who’s also fought Izzy more times than anybody, it’s nice to hear him give you that vote of confidence.
“But we’re the ones that have to go out and execute it.
“That’s a whole different story as well.
“But it’s nice when the guy gives you that vote of confidence.
“But sometimes, man, you just take it for what it is.”
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