UFC 293 undercard: Full list of fights before Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland main event in Australia
Facing a new, unique challenge in Sean Strickland, UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is ready to enhance his legacy with a win at UFC 293 on September 9. The event takes place at Qudos Bank Arena in Australia and airs on ESPN+ in the U.S.
Adesanya defended the middleweight title five times before losing it against Alex Pereira at UFC 281. However, he won the belt back at UFC 287 in April, knocking Pereira out. A colorful figure, “The Last Stylebender” has not taken kindly to Strickland’s interviews, which has led to some colorful back and forth. The champion is ready to shut him up for good.
“He’s an idiot,” Adesanya told MMA Fighting. “I’m not going to lose to an idiot. He says he’s not going to lose to a guy that j—k 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.”
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 293 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
A King of the Cage middleweight champion, Strickland is on a two-fight win streak, beating Abusupiyan Magomedov via TKO to earn a title shot. A known wrestler, Strickland doesn’t think he’ll stick to that game plan when he faces Adesanya, a chameleon in the octagon.
“I’ve been wrestling a lot in camp, but sometimes, you know, you get up there, and you look at another man, and I think to myself, I want to f—— stand and bang with this guy,” Strickland told Nina-Marie Daniele via MMA Mania. “So I probably should wrestle, but that’s probably not going to happen. It’s not going to happen. But I should wrestle, I’ve been planning to wrestle.”
Outside of that fight, several locals look to entertain in front of family and friends. Here is a look into the entire main card of UFC 293!
UFC 293 undercard
Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov
- Division/Weight: Heavyweight
- Tuivasa record: 14-5
- Volkov record: 36-10
- Belts at stake: N/A
Tai Tuivasa faces Alexander Volkov in the co-main event.
Tuivasa (14-5), a former kickboxer and boxer, turned pro in 2012. A former AFC heavyweight champion, the Aussie joined the UFC in 2017. “Bam Bam” is 8-5 with the promotion and on a two-fight losing streak. After having his five-fight win streak snapped by Ciryl Gane in September 2022, the shoey-drinking fighter lost his last bout to Sergei Pavlovich in December.
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Volkov (36-10) turned pro in 2009. A former Bellator and M-1 Global heavyweight champion, “Drago” joined the UFC in 2016, where he is 10-4 in the octagon. The Russian is on a two-fight win streak, beating Jairzinho Rozenstruik in June 2022 and Alexander Romanov in March via TKO.
Justin Tafa vs. Austen Lane
- Division/Weight: Heavyweight
- Tafa record: 6-3, 1 NC
- Lane record: 12-3, 1NC
- Belts at stake: N/A
In other heavyweight action, Justin Tafa faces Austen Lane in a rematch of their June bout.
Tafa (6-3, 1 NC) turned pro in 2018. An XFC heavyweight champion, the New Zealander joined the UFC in 2019 and is 3-3 inside the octagon, with his last contest being a no-contest against Lane after an accidental eye poke forced Tafa out of the bout.
Lane (12-3, 1NC) is a former football player who was a fifth-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2010. Retiring in 2015, Lane joined MMA in 2017. A former Dana White’s Contender Series alum in 2018, the 35-year-old returned in 2022, beating Richard Jacobi via TKO. His first fight under contract was the Tafa bout.
Tyson Pedro vs. Anton Turkalj
- Division/Weight: Light Heavyweight
- Pedro record: 9-4
- Turkalj record: 8-2
- Belts at stake: N/A
Tyson Pedro faces Anton Turkali in light heavyweight action.
The son of King of the Cage owner John Pedro, Tyson (9-4) turned pro in 2013. Joining the UFC in 2016, the Aussie is 5-4 in the UFC. His last fight was a unanimous decision loss to Modestas Bukauskas in February, whcih ended a two-fight win streak.
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Turkali (8-2) turned pro in 2018. “The Pleasure Man” is a former Dana White’s Contender Series alum and is on a two-fight losing streak. His last bout was a unanimous decision loss against Vitor Petrino in March.
Manel Kape vs. Felipe dos Santos
- Division/Weight: Flyweight
- Kape record: 18-6
- dos Santos record: 7-0
- Belts at stake: N/A
Rounding out the main card is Manel Kape vs. Felipe dos Santos. The latter replaces Kai Kara-France, who backed out due to a concussion suffered during training.
Kape (18-6) turned pro in 2012 and is a former RIZIN bantamweight champion. Since his first fight with the UFC in 2021, Kape is 3-2 and is currently on a three-fight win streak. His last bout was a unanimous decision win against David Dvorak in December. “Starboy” has had five fights canceled on him so far.
Opponent dos Santos (7-0) turned pro in 2019 and is making his UFC debut. The 22-year-old last fought in November, beating Hugo Paiva via unanimous decision.
When is UFC 293: Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland?
In the U.S., UFC 293 starts with the early prelims at 6 p.m. ET. The prelims start at 8 p.m. ET while the main card is at 10 p.m. ET. Adesanya and Strickland should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
Region | Date | Early Prelims Start Time | Prelims Start Time | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
USA and Canada (ET) | Sat. September 9 | 6 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. ET | 12:15 a.m. ET |
USA and Canada (PT) | Sat. August 9 | 3 p.m. PT | 5 p.m. PT | 7 p.m. PT | 9:15 p.m. PT |
UK and Ireland | Sun. Sunday 10 | 11 p.m. BST | 1 a.m. BST | 3 a.m. BST | 5:15 a.m. BST |
Australia | Sun. September 10 | 8 a.m. AEST | 10 a.m. AEST | 12 p.m. AEST | 2:15 p.m. AEST |
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 293 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
How to watch UFC 293: Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland
Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
United States | Sat. September 9 | ESPN+, ESPN PPV |
Canada | Sat. September 9 | BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
United Kingdom | Sun. September 10 | TNT Sports |
Australia | Sun. September 10 | Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland PPV price: How much does UFC 293 cost?
- $79.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
- $124.98 (new subscribers)
In the U.S., the UFC 293 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 293 is $79.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $124.98 for the UFC 293 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
Product | Prices |
---|---|
ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $12.99/month |
The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
UFC PPV Standalone | $79.99 each |
UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) | $124.98, then $99.99/year |
UFC PPV & The Disney Bundle |
$79.99, then $12.99/month |