- Sean Strickland defeated Isreal Adesanya by unanimous decision at UFC 293
- The American pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history
- All three judges scored the American 49-46 in a comfortable victory
Israel Adesanya has opened up about losing the middleweight title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293, saying the entire fight felt like a “bad dream.”
Strickland stunned the MMA world by pulling off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history when he captured the middleweight crown from Israel Adesanya by unanimous decision.
All three judges scored it 49-46 for the American, who dropped Adesanya in the first round.
Reflecting on the fight on his YouTube channel, Adesanya said it was “like a bad dream.”
“One of those you didn’t even have a nightmare about,” he continued. ‘A nightmare is like, ‘Oh s***. F***.” A nightmare, you’re scared.
Israel Adesanya says his shock defeat to Sean Strickland felt like a bad dream
“I was like, when you try to hit the guy, and it just felt like noodle arms. Like, “What the fuck.” It just felt like a bad dream.
‘Feeling it and looking at it was completely different. I called Eugene (Bareman) right after and we talked and the same thing. We are quietly confident.”
“I just couldn’t get into a rhythm with his pressure,” Adesanya said.
The American pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history and did so in convincing fashion
“He was there all the time. Every time I set him up, because he was there, his coach would help him, and I’d say, ‘Fuck.’
‘Good plan from them, but for me too I couldn’t adapt straight away. … It was his night. I was his night and yes, he got it done. I’ve made another dream come true.’