Israel Adesanya was left with more questions than answers after a lackluster performance that cost him the middleweight title in the UFC 293 main event.
The now former champion struggled to really get any kind of rhythm going against Sean Strickland, who kept up an impressive pace, showcased incredible defense and just continuously peppered Adesanya with punches over five rounds. Strickland also scored a jaw-dropping knockdown early in the fight that really set the tone for his victory with Adesanya just never finding his footing before dropping the unanimous decision.
Even UFC president Dana White was dumbfounded at how the whole fight played out but particularly where Adesanya was concerned.
“Obviously, I expected a completely different main event,” White said at the UFC 293 post-fight press conference. “Whether Izzy won or Strickland won, nobody saw that coming.
“That Izzy would come in flat and slow and whatever’s going on with him, I don’t think anybody expected to see that.”
According to UFC stats, Strickland outlanded Adesanya 137 to 94 in total strikes while scoring the only knockdown with his near finish in the opening round. Strickland also controlled the pace throughout as he marched forward while applying constant pressure as Adesanya largely operated with his back against the cage without really offering much resistance.
“He looked like he couldn’t get off,” White said. “He looked like he was really stiff tonight. He looked very slow. Only Israel knows what’s going on. I’m very curious to see what he says at this press conference tonight.
“There are a million things that could go wrong. Some days you wake up and you’re just not there, man. It’s just not there. He looked bone-dry tonight, standing up really tall. He looked very slow. He looked like he couldn’t get off at all. Even in the fifth round when everybody knew he needed a knockout to win the fight, there was no sense of urgency to try to finish the fight. So I don’t know if he’s hurt or if tonight’s the night.”
The loss to Strickland came just five months after Adesanya vanquished arguably his greatest boogeyman to date when he knocked out Alex Pereira in April. In their first encounter in the UFC, Pereira scored a late fifth-round knockout to beat Adesanya to win the middleweight title, which followed an even more vicious finish from the Brazilian when they clashed in kickboxing a few years earlier.
Adesanya finally got his revenge against Pereira before he shifted his attention to Strickland on Saturday.
White suggested that perhaps the high stakes in those two fights may have played some part in the deflated performance from Adesanya on Saturday.
“That could be the thing, too — when you think about you’re going into the Pereira fight, such a big fight and you’ve been in there with this guy so many times and then you overlook Strickland,” White said. “I don’t know the answers to these questions but Israel does and I’m looking forward to hearing it.”
In his brief post-fight statement, Adesanya only offered Strickland congratulations on the victory without specifically addressing his performance.
Despite Adesanya losing 49-46 across all three scorecards when the fight was over, White still believes running it back again will be the most logical conclusion for the middleweight division.
That may not be the answer contenders like Dricus Du Plessis or Khamzat Chimaev wanted to hear but White appeared resolved in his plans to give Adesanya another shot at Strickland following the shocking upset at UFC 293.
“I think you do the rematch,” White said. “Absolutely. The rematch is interesting.”
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
