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UFC 293 predictions: Who’s picking a Sean Strickland stunner over Israel Adesanya?

UFC 293 predictions: Who’s picking a Sean Strickland stunner over Israel Adesanya?

The UFC is back in the land “Down Under” this week. Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder? You better run. You better take cover.

UFC 293 takes place Saturday at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.

Tyson Pedro vs. Anton Turkalj

Austen Lane vs. Justin Tafa

Felipe dos Santos vs. Manel Kape

Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov

Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland

Preliminary card picks

Nasrat Haqparast vs. Landon Quinones
Nasrat Haqparast vs. Landon Quinones

Although fights on the prelims don’t count toward the standings in the MMA Junkie staff picks, we still pick each fight. Here are some key results:

The prelims have a pair of unanimous picks from our staff members. Carlos Ulberg (8-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is an 11-0 pick over Da Woon Jung (15-4-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) in their light heavyweight bout to close the preliminary card. Ulberg is around a 3-1 favorite.

And Nasrat Haqparast (14-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC) is an 11-0 pick over promotional newcomer Landon Quinones (7-1-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC). Haqparast is as much as a 5-1 favorite.

Check out all the picks below.

UFC 293 main card picks

Adesanya
vs.
Strickland

Tuivasa
vs.
Volkov

Dos Santos
vs.
Kape

Lane
vs.
Tafa

Pedro
vs.
Turkalj

MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
153-89

adesanya2023


Adesanya
(76%)

volkov2023


Volkov
(51%)

kape2023


Kape
(77%)

tafa2023


Tafa
(72%)

pedro2023


Pedro
(75%)

Nolan King
@mma_kings
154-88

adesanya2023


Adesanya

volkov2023


Volkov

kape2023


Kape

tafa2023


Tafa

pedro2023


Pedro

Simon Samano
@SJSamano
153-89

adesanya2023


Adesanya

tuivasa2023


Tuivasa

kape2023


Kape

tafa2023


Tafa

pedro2023


Pedro

Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
152-90

trophy copy

2018, 2022 Champion

adesanya2023


Adesanya

tuivasa2023


Tuivasa

dossantos2023


Dos Santos

tafa2023


Tafa

pedro2023


Pedro

George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
150-92

adesanya2023


Adesanya

volkov2023


Volkov

kape2023


Kape

tafa2023


Tafa

pedro2023


Pedro

Matt Erickson
@MattE
150-92

adesanya2023


Adesanya

volkov2023


Volkov

dossantos2023


Dos Santos

tafa2023


Tafa

turkalj2023


Turkalj

Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
150-92

trophy copy

2014 Champion

adesanya2023


Adesanya

volkov2023


Volkov

kape2023


Kape

tafa2023


Tafa

pedro2023


Pedro

Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
145-97

adesanya2023


Adesanya

tuivasa2023


Tuivasa

kape2023


Kape

tafa2023


Tafa

pedro2023


Pedro

Brian Garcia
@thegoze
146-96

trophy copy

2017 Champion

adesanya2023


Adesanya

tuivasa2023


Tuivasa

kape2023


Kape

tafa2023


Tafa

pedro2023


Pedro

Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
144-98

adesanya2023


Adesanya

tuivasa2023


Tuivasa

kape2023


Kape

tafa2023


Tafa

pedro2023


Pedro

Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
143-99

adesanya2023


Adesanya

tuivasa2023


Tuivasa

kape2023


Kape

lane2023


Lane

pedro2023


Pedro

Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
135-107

adesanya2023


Adesanya

tuivasa2023


Tuivasa

kape2023


Kape

tafa2023


Tafa

pedro2023


Pedro

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie