When Israel Adesanya was asked about what led to his loss against Sean Strickland at UFC 293 where he dropped his middleweight gold, here’s what he had to say.
“Lost my last fight because I got to a point in the fight where it was the end of the round and I looked down and saw droplets of blood. And I was like damn he got me with that jab. His jab was different, it was like a hammerfist… cause he was in this stance right, the philly shell..”
Coming from a high-caliber striker like Israel Adesanya, one can certainly guarantee that there’s something special about Sean Strickland’s fighting style and stance inside the Octagon. So what is the Philly shell stance that bothered Israel Adesanya for five straight rounds and just couldn’t get him going? Let’s find out.
Sean Strickland’s Philly shell stance has garnered huge attention after the Adesanya fight. The UFC Champion has been fighting the same way he has been fighting style since he joined the company in March 2014.
And it’s almost ten years later that Strickland has near-perfected a striking style inside the Octagon that has seen him emerge victoriously nine times in his last 11 outings. More importantly, he has outstruck one of the most dominant champions in the history of the UFC’s Middleweight division in a commanding fashion to realize his dream of UFC gold.
But why wasn’t anyone discussing Sean Strickland’s Philly shell stance before the Israel Adesanya fight?
What is a Philly shell stance?
The Philly shell is a defensive boxing style known as shoulder roll, popularised by several notable boxers, including Georgie Benton and Joe Frazier, Leon Spinks, and James Toney. However, Floyd Mayweather Jr. particularly brought significant attention to this defensive style. Naoya Inoue has also incorporated the boxing stance in his style of fighting.
Widely regarded as the greatest boxer of all time, Floyd Mayweather Jr. used the Philly shell defense. Lead shoulders raised with the rear hand held high to the guard and parry shots aimed at the head, while the lead hand defends the body but is ready to land a jab or a power punch; the Philly shell stance is one of the best defensive stances in boxing. But for Sean Strickland to use it effectively in MMA is certainly remarkable.
Sean Strickland’s boxing proved to be too much for Israel Adesanya
Philly shell stance is a defensive technique, so it’s no wonder that most of Sean Stricland’s fights have gone to the scorecard. Additionally, not less than a few fights ago, the UFC Middleweight Champion was getting torched by fans for delivering snoozefests after snoozefests. Strickland’s overreliance on jab was met with a hostile response from fight enthusiasts who demanded more action from someone who promises blood and chaos every time before stepping inside the cage.
Simply put, it was the Israel Adesanya fight that made Sean Strickland’s fighting style so impressive. Going against someone who has also met his fair share of criticism for not initiating the action and putting his foot on the pedal, Israel Adesanya lost to a superior defensive striker who just kept coming forward but didn’t want to explode.
In boxing, the Philly shell stance doesn’t necessarily mean pressing forward. It involves rolling with the punches and finding the right time and opportunity to land a strike. But Strickland’s Philly shell stance in MMA is a little different.
How Sean Strickland brought the Philly shell stance to MMA
In the Philly stance, Strickland likes to be aggressive on the feet and press forward the entire fight if he can. He is not looking for a huge shot, but he is always at a good distance and parrying the jab and punches whenever he finds the chance. If you recall the one-two that dropped Israel Adesanya in the first round, Strickland’s counterpunching is testimony to why the Philly shell stance works best for the UFC Champion.
IT’S SEAN STRICKLAND FIGHT DAY #UFC297 pic.twitter.com/Uq85WzXSIU
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) January 20, 2024
A defensive technique requires a fighter who is patient. While he may talk about being aggressive and careless inside the cage, Sean Strickland is quite methodical in his approach and a very patient fighter whenever he steps inside the UFC Octagon, well, except during the last 30 seconds of the fight.
But what about the takedowns and kicks? Strickland uses distance to control that well and constant jabs to keep the fighter away from him. Sure, he has been taken down several times in his UFC career and has even been outstruck on scorecards, but Strickland does a lot of things really well, and on some days, that’s enough to win you the championship.