‘I will f***ing bury you’: Israel Adesanya erupts as UFC villain flips off Aussie crowd

The UFC 293 main event between Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland is sure to deliver fireworks — but another villain has emerged.

Andrew Jackson

3 min read

September 7, 2023 - 9:07PM

The UFC 293 presser was wild.

The UFC 293 main event between middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and surprise title challenger Sean Strickland was always going to deliver fireworks.

But it was another fighter on the card who clashed with Adesanya in a surprise twist after Manel Kape called out City Kickboxing teammate and fellow Kiwi Kai Kara-France.

Order UFC 293 Sydney: Adesanya v Strickland, Tuivasa v Volkov. Sun 10 Sept. Main Event on Kayo Sports

Kara-France pulled out his scheduled bout with Kape at UFC 293 due to concussion, with rising contender Felipe Dos Santos taking his place.

Kape though called Kara-France out for it on Thursday, prompting Adesanya to stand up and try get in his face as Strickland instead became the surprising mediator for the pair.

“Unfortunately Kai Kara-France is a b***h,” opened Kape.

“The f***ing b***h is in front of me and you are f***ing guilty because this kid’s going to pay. Afraid because, ‘Oh, I have a concussion’, you have three weeks to fight.

“You little f***ing p***y. You have the courage to come here. Stand up motherf***er. Stand the f*** up motherf***er.”

Adesanya was quick to leap to the defence of his teammate and had the Australian crowd’s backing too, with chants of “Kape’s a w***er” ringing out.

“Having f***ing respect,” Adesanya fired back.

“Shut the f*** up b***h. Look at this little midget trying to f*** with me. I will f***ing bury you.”

Strickland, having been the source for so much of the animosity earlier in the week, then stood up to try take matters into his own hands and put out the spotfire.

“Calm the f*** down. I’m supposed to be the a**ehole here Izzy, that’s not your job,” he said.

The pair had to be separated.

Kape later was asked if he would want to fight Kara-France once he receovers and said while he wants a title shot next, after that he would welcome a fight with his flyweight rival.

“I just believe next fight, I’ll fight for the title but after that, I want that man Kai Kara-France,” Kape said.

“I want this man. You run away from me. Your coach said that you guys should be in through the injuries. You guys have to have the mentality of the champion so you have to [fight regardless of] the injuries. What happened to you? That’s the question.”

In case you missed it, Strickland has already sparred a fan in “rogue” scenes, punched another on the streets of Bondi and asked a journalist if their d*** is “pierced”.

Strickland, who has won five of his last seven fights, will be looking to stage a major upset on Sunday as Adesanya looks to make his sixth successful title defence.

Adesanya is coming off a statement victory over Alex Pereira, who buried Strickland with a brutal left hook when the two fought in Las Vegas last year.

Strickland though has since recovered to put himself in the title frame, boasting nine first-round finishes.

Dricus du Plessis was the initial next fighter in line for a title shot after his win over Australian Robert Whittaker but had to pull out due to a foot injury.

There are plenty of other fights on the card to look forward to, with heavyweight Tai Tuivasa facing Alexander Volkov while fellow Australian Tyson Pedro opens the main card against Anton Turkalj.

Speaking of Tuivasa, he was asked if he and Pedro — both born and raised in Western Sydney — had made any bets ahead of Penrith’s qualifying final against the Warriors.

It sounds like Tuivasa is confident of a Panthers win, especially after star Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson was ruled out with a calf injury.

“Bro, everyone knows Warriors lost Shaun Johnson. They’re no good,” he said.

Kiwi Justin Tafa is also in action against Austen Lane in a heavyweight scrap while Carlos Ulberg, Jack Jenkins and Jamie Mullarkey round out the Australian and New Zealand-born fighters on the card.

FULL CARD (ALL TIMES AEST)

MAIN CARD (from 12pm)

Israel Adesanya (c) v Sean Strickland for middleweight championship

Tai Tuivasa v Alexander Volkov — heavyweight

Manel Kape v Felipe dos Santos — flyweight

Justin Tafa v Austen Lane — heavyweight

Tyson Pedro v Anton Turkalj — light heavyweight

PRELIMS (from 10am)

Carlos Ulberg v Jung Da-Un — light heavyweight

Jack Jenkins v Chepe Mariscal — featherweight

Jamie Mullarkey v John Makdessi — lightweight

Nasrat Haqparast v Landon Quinones — lightweight