“Strickland is banned!” UFC announcing return to China has fans having field day by trolling Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland

The world of mixed martial arts is excited as the UFC announced that it will be returning to China after a long break due to the pandemic. With UFC Shanghai set to take place on December 9 at the esteemed Shanghai Indoor Stadium, the MMA world has been ecstatic about the news.

For fans of the sport, the return to China is especially significant, given live UFC events have not taken place there since 2019. The excitement of the supporters is evident, even if the specifics of the event are yet unknown. The UFC wrote this in their post:

Shanghai, the UFC is back!

#UFCShanghai | Dec 9th | ESPN

UFC via X

The fervent desire of fans to see famed MMA star Israel Adesanya in action in China is among the most exciting parts of this event. Nigerian-born Israel Adesanya, who now lives in New Zealand, has been dubbed “Chinese” by fight fans due to his prior ties to the nation. Adesanya actively integrated into the Chinese culture during his kickboxing days there, even going so far as to represent China in several bouts.

His love of traditional Chinese culture gained him the nickname “The Black Dragon.” Sean Strickland, the current middleweight champion, known for his raw and unfiltered personality, made fun of Adesanya’s Chinese representation. In a post-fight interview, he said:

I want to fight the first and only Chinese champion. Let’s do this.

The UFC is about to make history inside the Octagon, and fans everywhere are excited about this historic return to China.

Fan reactions to UFC heading to China again after a long hiatus

The UFC is heading back to China with an event set to be held on December 9, 2023. Fans of combat sports, especially UFC know what it means to have an event in China. The recent buzz between the former middleweight champion and the current middleweight champion is a hot topic for UFC Shanghai.

Fans reacted to this news almost immediately, posting and commenting about this news. Fight fans did what fight fans do best; they trolled the current as well as former middleweight champions. The feud between Strickland and Adesanya is well-known now.

Strickland criticized Adesanya’s rise to fame in China. He brought up the period when Adesanya fought there and gained the moniker “The Black Dragon.” These are some of the fan reactions to UFC’s announcement for the event in Shanghai:

Sean Strickland‘s comments generated controversy and attracted curiosity from both MMA enthusiasts and commentators.

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