Israel Adesanya, following his title defense history, faced Sean Strickland at UFC 293 despite Dana White's advice against it. White suggested he wait, citing his financial security, but Adesanya desired to fight in Sydney after a long absence from the region. Ultimately, Strickland surprisingly defeated Adesanya, marking a significant upset in UFC history. Adesanya later acknowledged that he might have benefited from heeding White's warning, although he values the lessons learned from the experience, embracing adversity as an essential part of his journey in MMA.
"Dana was like 'Listen kid, you got enough money. Just chill out.' I was like 'nah'... in hindsight maybe Dana was right."
"I felt like I have to fight in Sydney, I haven't fought in this side of the world for so long."
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