Adesanya vs Strickland: Bet Round Total as Champion Outlasts American
Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland headlines Saturday’s UFC fight card at UFC 293.
UFC betting odds have the New Zealander at -650 to retain his middleweight title, which is a fair assessment of his chances.

Strickland is always a wildcard fighter, and bettors never know what to expect. The sportsbook has the American at +425 to dethrone one of the best in the game.
The Last Stylebender Is Better
We don’t think there’s any question that Adesanya is the better fighter. He’s the current champion after knocking out Alex Pereira, and his 24-2 record speaks for itself.
That’s why sports betting markets have him so short, but bettors looking for value odds can still find it.
His odds could be included in a UFC parlay, or bettors could take Adesanya to win by decision. He has clear knockout power, but Strickland is a tough man to put on the canvas, so he could be happy to win by decision.
The 34-year-old is no stranger to going the distance, doing so when beating Jarrod Cannonier, Robert Whittaker, and Marvin Vettori.
He doesn’t mind putting it in the hands of the judges, and the only reason he went for the knockout against Pereira is because the Brazilian had his hands down and was going for the kill.
Stylistically, Adesanya is a much better fighter. He’s horrendously underrated in many facets, despite being the champion, and Strickland has never fought anyone like him.
As the fight progresses, bettors should expect his UFC live betting odds to firm to around -1000 at minimum. He’s so hard to knock out, so unless Strickland lands an early knockout blow, Adesanya will win the rounds.
Any Betting Value With Strickland?
UFC odds have Strickland as the despised underdog at +425, but we have seen much worse fighters at shorter odds.
The 32-year-old showed his power when knocking out Abus Magomedov, but his performances when losing to Cannonier and Pereira are concerning.
As always, Strickland has engaged in pre-fight trash talk.
“Here’s the thing about ‘Izzy’: ‘Izzy’ is the f—king definition of spineless,” Strickland said. “That man will jump on all ball, any bandwagon that does him good. ‘Look at me. [I’m] a man of the people.’”
However, the retort from Adesanya was better.
“He’s an idiot,” Adesanya said. “I’m not going to lose to an idiot. He says he’s not going to lose to a guy that j–rks off to cartoons or paints his nails. Well, I’m going to paint my nails for that fight and I’m going to knock him out with my painted nails.”
If Strickland wants to prove his worth, he needs to fight better when it counts.
He has a habit of beating the lesser-known fighters and struggling under the lights, and it doesn’t get much brighter than in Sydney at UFC 293.
Las Vegas odds are unlikely to take much action for Strickland, as most believe he has little chance of winning. However, he’s tough enough to see out the five rounds, so over 4½ rounds could be the play.
Adesanya vs Strickland Head-to-Head
This is the first meeting between Adesanya and Strickland.
Adesanya vs Strickland Fight Information
- Fight: Adesanya (24-2) vs Strickland (27-5)
- Location: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
- Day/Time: Saturday, Sept. 9, 11:50 p.m. ET
- Adesanya vs Strickland Live Stream: UFC Fight Pass
Adesanya vs Strickland Betting Lines
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Adesanya vs Strickland Picks and Prediction
We advise including Adesanya in parlays at the short odds but take him to win via decision at a better price.
It could be a vintage Adesanya fight where he sits out of range and picks off his opponent. Strickland could make a mistake and close the space, but he’s slightly smarter than that.
Taking over 4½ rounds at -110 is a sound betting strategy.