The UFC’s return to Australia has officially come and gone and left fans across the globe speechless at what unfolded inside the Qudos Bank Arena. UFC 293 was headlined by a middleweight title fight between Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland. With many fans skeptical of the strength of the PPV card, it was up to the plethora of Australian fighters on the fight card to step up and prove the naysayers wrong.
But which fighters shined the brightest in the land down under?
Sean Strickland
It should go without saying that Sean Strickland was the biggest winner of this entire fight week, let alone the result of the fight. Throughout the week Strickland was able to win over the Australian crowd and be the catalyst for the world’s favorite type of story, the underdog story. When it came time to fight, Strickland entered the Octagon a +650 underdog. Fans all around the globe knew this was an almost impossible task for the American middleweight. Quickly we were reminded once again how predictably unpredictable the sport of mixed martial arts truly is.
Strickland dominated the majority of the fight from start to finish, winning the bout by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46). The crowd echoed ‘And New’ as he was crowned the new undisputed middleweight champion of the world. With this win Strickland now lays claim to what many classify as the biggest upset in the UFC middleweight division. In addition he also holds the honor of being the first man to knockdown Adesanya inside the UFC. Following the fight Strickland was overcome with emotion.
“Am I f—king dreaming? Am I going to wake up? Somebody hit me. Literally, never in a million years would I [have] thought I’d be here,” Strickland said in the post fight Octagon interview. “I don’t f—king cry much but I’m trying to keep my s–-t together right now.”
Carlos Ulberg
On a turbulent night for the Australians as well as members of City Kickboxing, Carlos Ulberg was able to take a monumental step forward in his blossoming career. Ulberg faced off against the always dangerous Da Woon Jung in a fight that many felt was a large step up in competition.
The ‘Black Jag’ fresh off three straight KO/TKO’s came into this fight the heavy favorite for obvious reasons with high expectations from fans. While he wouldn’t finish the fight early on, Ulberg grinded his way through three rounds to eventually wear on Jung and sink in a rear naked choke that ended the fight late in the third round.
While it wasn’t the prettiest of performances this fight was everything Ulberg needed to prove to the fans he was capable of doing. The ‘Black Jag’ had a grind it out type fight in his debut against Kennedy Nzechukwu in March 2021 that saw Ulberg gas out and eventually fall victim to a KO loss. When he was tested and had to dig deep he failed.
However on this night he proved to the fans he is more than capable of emerging victorious in a hard fought fifteen minutes. It was a performance he needed to have as he tip toes ever so closer to fighting a ranked opponent. Following the fight Ulberg shared his confidence in defeating Jung.
“With a performance like that, I feel like I’m ready for the next step ahead,” Ulberg said in a post fight interview with ESPN. “I know that I’m going to continue to grow and grow and get better and better.”
Alexander Volkov
The UFC 293 co-main event saw heavyweight’s Alexander Volkov and Tai Tuivasa square off in a pivotal matchup for the trajectory of the division. A fight against Tuivasa as of recent guarantees two things for any heavyweight: a slugfest and unwavering crowd support in favor of the Australian native. These two things make Tuivasa a difficult task for anyone who signs to face off against him.
Volkov met those challenges head on at UFC 293 and put on a masterclass that saw ‘Drago’ finish the fan favorite via ezekiel choke in round two and become one of three UFC fighters to end a fight with that specific submission. While he finished the fight on the ground, Volkov dominated the stand up exchanges that included one knockdown in round one.
This fight solidifies the Russian’s spot at the top of the division and potentially opens the gates once again for a crack at the elite of the division.
Who do think stole the show at UFC 293? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
