UFC 293 Predictions: Bleacher Report Main Card Staff Picks
September 7, 2023UFC 293 Predictions: Bleacher Report Main Card Staff Picks
UFC 293, which will mark the promotion's latest stop in Australia, is just a few days away. That means it's time for another round of predictions from the B/R combat sports team.
Headlining honors for the event in Sydney will go to a middleweight title fight, with champion Israel Adesanya from New Zealand taking on Sean Strickland, who will enter the fight as a huge underdog.
The card is quite bare after that, but it could turn out to be a fun one all the same.
The co-main event is particularly alluring, with Australian knockout artist Tai Tuivasa looking to correct a losing streak against the always-dangerous Alexander Volkov at heavyweight.
Before that, former Rizin bantamweight champ Manel Kape will take on undefeated Brazilian Felipe dos Santos, who stepped in to replace New Zealand's Kai Kara-France on short notice. The pair will meet at flyweight.
The main card will kick off with Australian Tyson Pedro taking on Anton Turkalj at light heavyweight, and Justin Tafa against former NFL player Austen Lane at heavyweight. It will be Lane and Tafa's second meeting after an accidental eye poke ended their first clash.
Keep scrolling to see who we're picking to come out on time in Sydney this weekend.
Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland
Lyle Fitzsimmons: Adesanya's boring. Adesanya's averse to taking risks. Both may be true. But he's also in with a guy here who, let's face it, isn't really in his league. The champ will be looking to impress to move the needle for the Dricus Du Plessis showdown, and Strickland will be the speed bump.
Adesanya by TKO, Rd. 2
Tom Taylor: I can't remember the last time there was this little buzz for an Adesanya fight. The champ is as compelling as ever, but everybody seems to believe he's going to walk over Strickland this weekend, which, of course, kills a lot of the excitement. I am one of those people—though I don't see him getting it done quite as quickly as Lyle does. I think he gets his reads for a round or two, then sparks an oncoming Strickland with something quick and slick.
Adesanya by TKO, Rd. 2
Adam Kramer: I've got Izzy, and there's nothing all that exciting about it. While Strickland might take a round or so to figure out, thanks in part to a truly unique style, Adesanya's hands will be too much after enough time passes. I do expect we'll see a patient Izzy, although eventually, patience will give way. Adesanya scores a knockout.
Adesanya by KO, Rd. 2
Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov
Lyle Fitzsimmons: Volkov is among the hottest fighters in the division, with five wins in seven fights—including four by finish. Meanwhile, some of the bloom is off Tuivasa's rose since he's been stopped in two straight fights. But they're fighting on his home turf and there's something about this matchup that screams upset. He gets in close, lands a game-changer and has a shoey with the locals.
Tuivasa by KO, Rd. 1
Tom Taylor: I want to believe, Lyle. I really do. Who doesn't love seeing a guy like Tuivasa winning on home soil? Unfortunately, I don't see it happening. He has the power to end it any time, but Volkov has historically been pretty good at winning slow-paced striking matches against fighters like the Aussie. I think Volkov works his jabs and his kicks, and after three rounds, has landed more than his opponent. The crowd won't like it but Bruce Buffer will call the Russian's name.
Volkov by unanimous decision
Adam Kramer: I love this fight, and I think this is a prime spot for Tuivasa to be aggressive. His aggressiveness has cost him in recent fights, although those fighters were far more explosive than Volkov. If he can close the gap on the height advantage, he has a shot at an explosive knockout. I think he gets it done.
Tuivasa by KO, Rd 1
Manel Kape vs. Felipe dos Santos
Lyle Fitzsimmons: The multi-faceted Kape is on a roll with three straight wins and in here with a late sub with the unbeaten Dos Santos, who makes a quick transition from Dana White's Contender Series to the main card of a pay-per-view. It'd be an amazing place for a life-changing upset for the Brazilian, but a workmanlike three-round decision seems more likely.
Kape by unanimous decision
Tom Taylor: Man, what a fight Manel Kape vs. Kai Kara-France would have been. Too bad it's not happening. The good news is that Kape, who I've been following since his earliest visits to the Rizin ring, is almost always must-see TV. I think he lives up to his reputation here, at the expense of a kid who might have a lot of upside but in way over his head fighting a ranked contender on a main card in a different hemisphere.
Kape by knockout, Rd. 1
Adam Kramer: Kape is a fascinating fighter, and his potential is being realized. He's putting together much smarter blueprints to winning fights, and it's starting to show. Dos Santos has gone from Contender Series to the main card in short order, and although he's an intriguing fighter, it just feels like too quick a jump for a supremely gifted fighter seemingly finding themselves.
Kape by unanimous decision.
Justin Tafa vs. Austen Lane II
Lyle Fitzsimmons: It was a hometown fight for former NFL player Austen Lane in June when the two first met on a Fight Night show in Jacksonville, but it ended in half a minute thanks to an eye poke. The guys move to the other side of the world for the rematch, and it's spiced up a bit by some trash talk from Lane's training team. I have to believe that a longer-term UFC veteran has more to offer than a comparative novice.
Tafa by KO, Rd. 1
Tom Taylor: I like what I've seen from Lane. He moves well for a heavyweight, has some good power, and he seems like he approaches the sport the right way. It must be all his experience as a pro athlete. Beating Justin Tafa is going to be tough—the Aussie hits hard and has a brick chin—but I think Lane turns some heads here. A long-range striking attack and maybe even a few surprise takedowns win him the fight.
Lane by unanimous decision
Adam Kramer: We're running it back after the first fight ended in an eye poke, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Well, the eye poke is a bad thing, but we're happy they will attempt to see it through. Tafa is the more talented, powerful fighter, and I don't think it will take long for it to show. While the fight should last longer than the one we just witnessed, it won't go the whole way.
Tafa by KO, Rd. 2
Tyson Pedro vs. Anton Turkalj
Lyle Fitzsimmons: Anton Turkalj came off Dana White's Contender Series with a victory, but it hasn't gone so well since thanks to two straight losses, neither of which were particularly memorable. Tyson Pedro isn't exactly title material at 205 pounds either, but he does have five victories in the Octagon, and he's won by both KOs and submissions. That's enough to tip the scales in a pick 'em fight.
Pedro by submission, Rd. 2
Tom Taylor: Pedro is always fun to watch, and I'm sure Turkalj is better than his 0-2 UFC record suggests, but when a fight promotion claiming to have the greatest athletes in the sport kicks off an expensive PPV with a fight between two unranked light heavyweights riding losses, well, something just doesn't track. It's disappointing, but I digress. This one should be pretty fun, and given Pedro and Turkalj's shared disdain for going to the judges, it should be quick. I see Pedro landing a big shot early to the elation of the Sydney crowd. Unfortunately, it'll do almost nothing to advance his career.
Pedro by knockout, Rd. 1
Adam Kramer: Neither fighter has been all that dazzling in recent memory, although it won't matter after they touch gloves. I'll side with Turkalj, who has showcased a mix of skills over his previous five fights. One of those losses was a submission defeat against Jailton Almeida, and there is no shame in that. Against a fighter with fewer tricks, Turkalj scores a decision win.
Turkalj by Decision