UFC Predictions

Israel Adesanya is the current two-time Middleweight UFC champion and is expected to see off #5 challenger Sean Strickland in Sydney.

• Event: UFC 293
• Date: September 10, 2023
• Venue: Qudos Bank Arena (Sydney, Australia)

Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland: Tale of the Tape

Israel Adesanya	Fighter	Sean Strickland
34	Age	32
193 cm	Height	185 cm
84 kg	Weight	84 kg
13-2	UFC record	14-5
24-2	Overall MMA record	27-5
49%	Striking accuracy	41%
#1	UFC ranking	#5

Nigerian star Adesanya regained the UFC Middleweight Championship belt he lost to Alex Pereira in November 2022 when he triumphed in their rematch in April.

American opponent Strickland has won his last two bouts, beating Russian Nassourdine Imavov in January and then Dagestan’s Abusupiyan Magomedov in July to earn himself a shot at middleweight glory.

Analysing the Adesanya vs. Strickland odds

Adesanya is the 1.144* favourite, with his odds equating to an approximate 83.55% chance of victory. Huge outsider Strickland can be backed at 5.810*, which translates to a 16.45% chance of winning.

Adesanya vs. Strickland: where is the value?

Adesanya is the heavy favourite to win the bout, so there is little value in backing the Nigerian to come out on top in the Money Line market.

However, for those willing to take a chance on Strickland, they would be rewarded at generous odds. It is worth remembering the US fighter has a solid 14-5 UFC record and approaches this clash in good form, winning in his last two appearances against Imavov in January and then Magomedov in July.

Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov: Tale of the Tape

Tai Tuivasa	Fighter	Alexander Volkov
30	Age	34
188 cm	Height	201 cm
120 kg	Weight	117 kg
7-5	UFC record	10-4
15-5	Overall MMA record	36-10
49%	Striking accuracy	57%
#6	UFC ranking	#7

Tuivasa is the #6 contender in this heavyweight bout, but #7-ranked Volkov goes into the matchup in strong form after beating Alexander Romanov by TKO in March.

Tuivasa is attempting to get his UFC career back on track after two consecutive defeats to Ciryl Gane and Sergei Pavlovich last year.

Analysing the Tuivasa vs. Volkov odds

Volkov is the 1.409* favourite, with his odds equating to an approximate 68.26% chance of victory. Tuivasa can be backed at 3.030*, which translates to a 31.74% chance of winning.

Tuivasa vs. Volkov: where is the value?

Tuivasa appears to have his work cut out to stop Volkov, who has the majority of the key stats in his favour ahead of their showdown.

Volkov is the taller, heavier, and more experienced of the pair, and simply looks to be the more powerful man with significantly better striking accuracy.

Even though there is not huge value in backing Volkov, the Russian is not as big a favourite as there are in some of the other bouts taking place at UFC 293. Despite margins being on the slimmer side, it seems wise to side with the more experienced man.

Tuivasa is also entering this clash on the back of two defeats, so it would be a big surprise if he can overturn his long odds to come out on top.

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