Can you believe it’s another UFC pay-per-view event already? UFC 293 comes from Sydney, Australia, with Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland acting as the main event. Adesanya, a two-time champion, is looking to defend his title after winning it back from Alex Pereira at UFC 287. Here we look ahead to the best of the action and name our latest UFC betting picks to win on the night.
The UFC never fails to impress, and after successful Fight Nights in Singapore and Paris over the past couple of weeks, the organization is putting on a pay-per-view event in Sydney Australia.
Billed as Adesanya vs. Strickland, the fight is for the UFC Middleweight title. This will be the first time Israel Adesanya has defended the belt since he reclaimed it from Alex Pereira at UFC 287, in a rematch after Pereira took the belt from Adesanya at UFC 281 in November 2022.
Also performing on another exciting undercard is local favorite Tai Tuivasa, who is taking on Alexander Volkov in a heavyweight bout, with the Aussie coming into the fight as the underdog.
Below is the main card along with the odds on all the fights from the best UFC betting sites.
| UFC 293 Adesanya vs. Strickland and Main Card Odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel Adesanya | -650 | -650 | -650 |
| Sean Strickland | +475 | +475 | +475 |
| Tai Tuivasa | +210 | +210 | +210 |
| Alexander Volkov | -250 | -250 | -250 |
| Manel Kape | -370 | -370 | -370 |
| Felipe Dos Santos | +305 | +305 | +305 |
| Justin Tafa | -200 | -200 | -200 |
| Austen Lane | +170 | +170 | +170 |
| Tyson Pedro | -105 | -105 | -105 |
| Anton Turkalj | -115 | -115 | -115 |
This is the main bout of the night, and if the latest UFC Vegas betting odds are anything to go by, it looks set to be a one-sided contest. At -650 to win the fight, Israel Adesanya is the shortest-price favorite of the main card. To cause a shock, Sean Strickland is +475.
Israel Adesanya has only lost once at this weight. The loss to Pereira at UFC 281 was by TKO in the fifth round. He avenged that defeat at UFC 287 via a knockout in the second round. The win also earned him the Performance of the Night award.
Overall, Adesanya has a record of 24 wins and two losses. His only other loss was when he stepped up to fight for the Light Heavyweight title against Jan Blachowicz, a contest he lost by unanimous decision at UFC 259 back in March 2021. Of his 24 wins, 16 have come by knockout and eight by decision.
Sean Strickland has a 27-5 Mixed Martial Arts record. Of his 27 victories, 11 were by knockout, four by submission, and 12 by decision. In his last four fights, he has suffered two defeats. They were at the hands of Alex Pereira at UFC 276 and by split decision to Jared Cannonier at Fight Night (216).
Since the two defeats, he defeated Nassourdine Imavov by unanimous decision last January, and then he scored a TKO second-round win over Abusupiyan Magomedov in July, earning the Performance of the Night award.
Israel Adesanya is a knockout artist, but the reason there is such a gulf in the odds is that he is a better fighter in just about every department.
Adesanya also has more big-fight experience, having fought at championship level far more than Strickland. As a result, maybe Strickland might go for a big shot, as it could be his best bet.
Sean Strickland may also work behind his jab, but it’s just hard to see where he can dominate enough to have any chance to beat his opponent this Saturday night.
While this fight lasts, it could be a classic. We expect it to be short, and we feel it will end with a knockout of some sort. For our pick, we’re going for Adesanya to win by KO/TKO or DQ at +115 with BetOnline.
In the co-main event, Tai Tuivasa is looking to end his two-fight losing streak against Alexander Volkov.
Tuivasa is a Sydney native and will be looking to put on a show for his fellow Australians. The problem is that the result is more important than the performance for Tuivasa, as he has lost to Ciryl Gane and Sergie Pavlovich in his last two fights. They were at the elite level in the UFC, but that is the level Tuivasa aspires to fight at.
As for his opponent, Alexander Volkov, he has a record of 36 wins and 10 losses. Volkov is also a bit of what could be called a journeyman in the UFC, but he arrives in Sydney on the back of wins over Alexander Romanov and Jairzinho Rozenstruik (both by TKO). He has lost twice recently, but like with Tuivasa, at the elite level (to Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane).
Tai Tuivasa has to pull something special out of the bag here. Another loss, and he will drop away from the elite level for the foreseeable future.
How he has recovered from the losses against Gane and Pavlovich is key to how he gets on here. We believe those defeats will put him on the back foot. He is also up against a guy who will be riding high after two wins from his last two fights, and has the height and reach advantages.
We are going for this to end early and for Alexander Volkov to win by KO/TKO or DQ at +115.
See below the best Las Vegas sportsbooks, where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
