Hats off, Sean Strickland

Nobody expected this...

Before anything gets too hasty, Sean Strickland deserves congratulations on his performance. The odds before the fight were -675 to +490. To explain: a €100 bet on Strickland resulted in a net profit of €490. Rarely before has the favorite status been so clearly defined in a title fight. But let's get to the fight.

The first four minutes of round 1 were unspectacular, with both fighters feeling each other out. It was evident early on that Strickland was constantly pushing forward and closing the distance. Shortly before the end of the first round, the bombshell came: Strickland landed a jab and right hook combination that sent the champ to the floor. The American pounded on Adesanya for 20 seconds, but Adesanya managed to break free with ten seconds left and took a breather as the two fighters were separated.

Round 2 went to Adesanya, who landed more significant strikes in an unspectacular five minutes. What followed astonished the commentary trio of Daniel Cormier, Jon Anik, and Laura Sanko, who was the first woman to call a UFC event and received much praise from the community. Strickland hounded Adesanya like a cat to a mouse for the rest of the fight, repeatedly landing pinpricks. The challenger also demonstrated incredible defensive work, with only about 10% of Adesanya's strikes landing their target. Strickland managed to dominate the champion exclusively with simple boxing combinations. That deserves him a spot on our CORNER Top List - Biggest Upsets ! Hats off!

Brawl in the Co-Main Event
 

Tuivasa and Volkov put on a show

The co-main event fully lived up to expectations. Whenever Tai Tuivasa steps into the octagon, you can expect a real fist-pumping match.

And this was no different. Early in the first round, Tuivasa tried to close the distance, repeatedly relying on leg kicks. However, the hometown hero was increasingly knocked down by Volkov's powerful combinations and returned to his corner after the first five minutes with a heavily bleeding face. In the second round, it briefly looked as if Tuivasa might be able to turn the tables. Volkov's leg was now bruised and swollen, but the overall picture of the fight remained unchanged. Every time Tuivasa attacked, he was hit and even went down briefly mid-round. Towards the end of the second round, it happened again; Volkov was able to gain top position on the ground and applied a triangle choke, which forced Tuivasa to submit shortly afterwards.

Otherwise, the UFC event was characterized by the fantastic atmosphere in the arena. The Australians once again didn't disappoint, passionately cheering on the fighters. Manel Kape, Justin Tafa, and Tyson Pedro secured the remaining victories on the main card.