AUSTIN, TEXAS: Sean Strickland's overwhelming performance against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 thrilled and stunned Joe Rogan, along with many others in the MMA community. Strickland not only prevailed over Adesanya, but he also marked a key turning point in his professional MMA career by knocking down the former UFC middleweight champion.
As the opening round came to a close, Strickland's relentless assault appeared to have suffocated Adesanya, preventing him from stringing together effective combinations to push back his opponent.
Joe Rogan expressed awe at record-breaking UFC event
In a shocking turn of events, "Tarzan" capitalized on a huge window of opportunity in the waning seconds of the opening frame, connecting with a devastating one-two combination that left the former middleweight champion tumbling to the floor.
As he appeared to struggle to understand the spectacle taking place before his eyes, Rogan's live response caught the attention of many. The flawless boxing and faultless defense allowed Strickland to carry out a perfect gameplan over the course of the next four rounds.
Strickland was declared the new middleweight champion of the UFC after all three judges gave the fight a final score of 49-46 in his favor. Rogan expressed his desire to have personally witnessed one of the biggest upsets in UFC history as he couldn't help but be in awe of the situation.
Rogan said, "Unbelievable! He f**king did it. That wild motherf**ker is the middleweight champion of the world. God, I wish I was there."
Joe Rogan surprised at Sean Strickland's victory
Joe Rogan was completely taken aback by Sean Strickland's spectacular surprising victory over Israel Adesanya to win the middleweight title at UFC 293. When Strickland out-pointed Adesanya in the five-round fight, he shocked the MMA community.
When Strickland defeated his opponent near the end of the first round, that was the turning point. Rogan said after the fight, "I'm stunned. I think this is the most stunned I've ever been, surprised at a performance. Like, Holly Holm vs. Ronda [Rousey]. I knew Holly was dangerous."
Rogan went on to say, "I knew Holly was a legit striker, and if Ronda couldn't get her to the ground, Holly is a multiple-time world kickboxing champion. When he cracked him with that right hand in the first round, I was like, ‘What world? What timeline are we on?'"
