Ben Askren was impressed with Sean Strickland’s title win, however doesn’t see it as the most important upset ever.
Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) was an enormous underdog in opposition to middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) this previous Saturday at UFC 293, and was ably to defy the percentages with a definitive unanimous choice win.
Magic occurred in Sydney 100 pay-per-views in the past when Holly Holm knocked out then undefeated bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey at UFC 193. Strickland had a large second of his personal, however Askren doesn’t assume it surpasses Holm’s win.
“I don’t assume this one tops Holly Holm over Ronda Rousey as the most important upset of all time, and I believe from a betting standpoint, that pencils additionally. (That struggle was) additionally in Australia,” Askren mentioned on Funky & The Champ. “I might look silly, which occurs typically, as a result of I mentioned, ‘I don’t see how Sean Strickland’s going to win.’
“I assumed Sean Strickland was going to do what Sean Strickland did, which is attempt to stroll him down and field him up. I assumed there’s no manner he’s going to do this for 25 minutes with out getting clipped as a result of Izzy’s acquired a variety of weapons. The truth that he would be capable of do it for 25 minutes straight and never get clipped was so spectacular.”
The narrative was that Strickland wanted to combine his grappling in to have an opportunity in opposition to Adesanya. However Strickland didn’t even shoot as soon as, and even knocked Adesanya down late in Spherical 1. He outstruck him over the course of 25 minutes.
“It was so spectacular as a result of Izzy’s difficult, he’s quick, he’s acquired a variety of instruments – and Strickland shut every little thing down,” Askren mentioned.
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