5 questions that will be answered at UFC 293: Adesanya vs. Strickland

The UFC's second Australian pay-per-view of 2023 will be underway at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, this weekend. The fight card is stacked with Oceanic talent, and although it isn't as deep as previous pay-per-views, there's no shortage of explosive matchups on tap.

UFC middleweight king Israel Adesanya will look to defend his belt in the main event when he squares off against an outspoken challenger in Sean Strickland. Aussie fan favorite Tai Tuivasa is set to feature in the co-headliner, opposite perennial contender Alexander Volkov.

On that note, here are five questions that will be answered at UFC 293: Adesanya vs. Strickland.

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#5. Which Oceanic prospects will shine in Sydney?

Most of the upcoming fight card in Sydney features fighters from either Australia or New Zealand. While Israel Adesanya and Tai Tuivasa are the biggest names on the card from down under, many up-and-coming prospects will be eager to make the most of the opportunity to fight on home soil.

Contender Series alum Jack Jenkins is riding a nine-fight win streak in his professional career, with two wins already inside the octagon. He will take on Chepe Mariscal, while Aussie lightweight Jamie Mullarkey will look to return to winning ways when he takes on Canada's John Makdessi.

Jack Jenkins and Jamie Mullarkey will have the Aussie faithful behind them [Images via @pharjack & @jamie_mullarkey on Instagram]

City Kickboxing (CKB), based out of Aukland, New Zealand, has emerged as arguably the most successful team in MMA presently. Spearheaded by Israel Adesanya, the team will have six participants in the upcoming pay-per-view.

Kevin Jousset will make his octagon debut in the first fight on the card. Struggling CKB fighters Shane Young and Blood Diamond will also feature on the prelims, with both fighters looking to return to the win column. Contender Series graduate and Kiwi standout Carlos Ulberg will close out the prelims against Da Woon Jung.

Tyson Pedro, once a hot prospect in the light heavyweight division, is looking to get his career back on track after a lengthy layoff due to injuries. He will take on Anton Turkalj in the main card opener.

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#4. Will Manel Kape make a statement, or will his unranked opponent break into the top 15?

While Sean Strickland has made a habit out of stealing the show at press conferences, flyweight prospect Manel Kape drew quite a few eyeballs at the UFC 293 presser.

'Starboy' was slated to take on CKB flyweight Kai Kara-France this weekend, but an injury to the latter forced him out. Kape slammed Kara-France for pulling out of the fight, and his antics saw Israel Adesanya step up to defend his teammate. Despite the size difference, the 125-pounder didn't back down in the moment.

Manel Kape holds the No.10 spot in the flyweight rankings, and a win over Kai Kara-France would've vaulted him into the top 5. Replacing Kara-France is a UFC debutant, Felipe dos Santos, who was initially slated to feature in the ongoing season of Dana White's Contender Series.

Kape has talked a big game leading up to this fight. It isn't a good look if he comes up short against a fighter making his octagon debut on short notice. Moreover, dos Santos is no slouch and has a world-class corner with Chute Box head coach Diego Lima behind him.

The Aussie crowd will be against Kape following his antics at the press conference, and how he deals with the reception remains to be seen. If he gets overwhelmed and dos Santos pulls ahead, we could see the emergence of a new contender in the flyweight division.

Kape vs. dos Santos [Image via @BigMarcel24 on X]

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#3. Can Tai Tuivasa return to winning ways?

Tai Tuivasa suffered back-to-back losses in the second half of 2022, picking up losses to top-ranked UFC heavyweights Ciryl Gane and Serghei Pavlovich. 'Bam Bam' will be desperate to get his hand raised this weekend when he takes on veteran contender Alexander Volkov.

Alexander Volkov is a tough matchup for Tai Tuivasa. The towering Russian knows how to use his height and reach effectively, and this will be key against a shorter and stockier fighter like Tuivasa. Both fighters are primarily strikers, so 'Bam Bam' will have to take risks to get inside range.

In terms of power, Tuivasa certainly has more to offer in his strikes. The Sydney native has fight-ending power in his fists and is quite fast with his leg kicks. Nevertheless, he faces an uphill battle against Volkov and is rightfully the betting underdog.

Tuivasa hasn't fought in his hometown since his UFC debut back in 2017, which he won via a spectacular flying knee. If he rises to the occasion and puts away 'Drago', it'll blow the roof off the Qudos Bank Arena.

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#2. Will Sean Strickland turn the MMA world on its head?

Sean Strickland is really up against it at UFC 293. Even his coach has labeled Adesanya a nightmare matchup for his pupil, and coupled with the fact that he flew halfway around the world for a relatively short notice bout, very few expect Strickland to come out on top.

While Sean Strickland is skilled in grappling and is a blackbelt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he prefers to stand and bang with his opponents. Statistically, he boasts the best defensive striking in the division, and his style is awkward to deal with, evidenced by his victories over many skilled contenders.

Unfortunately for Strickland, he's set to take on one of the greatest strikers in the world. Israel Adesanya is a far better striker in almost every aspect and is in the prime of his professional career, coming off a massive win over bitter rival Alex Pereira.

Strickland has repeatedly poked the bear and mocked Adesanya in the lead-up to the fight but needs to back it up when they enter the cage. He needs to make this fight chaotic and dirty if he is to come out on top, but if he pulls it off, it'll be one of the biggest and most unexpected upsets in MMA history.

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#1. Can Israel Adesanya further cement his legacy in the UFC?

Israel Adesanya has already beaten most ranked contenders in the middleweight division, and while no fight is easy in the UFC, Sean Strickland doesn't pose the same dangers as some previous contenders. Nevertheless, in a sport as crazy as MMA, jaw-dropping upsets are somewhat frequent.

Many already see Israel Adesanya as the most skilled middleweight of all time. While he's still behind Anderson Silva in terms of title defenses, Adesanya has faced much tougher opposition during his UFC championship reign relative to the Hall of Famer's title run.

If Adesanya emerges victorious against Strickland this weekend, massive fights against Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev loom large. He already admitted that he's beyond the halfway mark of his UFC run, and if he racks up a few more title defenses, his legacy is undeniable.

'The Last Stylebender' is arguably the face of the modern era in MMA. A slip-up against Strickland certainly leaves a stain on his legacy, considering the stylistic matchup, but if he wins in scintillating fashion, his stardom will continue to rise.