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Robert Whittaker

UFC 243: Israel Adesanya knocks out Rob Whittaker to become middleweight champion

Brendan Bradford
• 16 min read
UFC 243 LIVE BLOG

Israel Adesanya has beaten Rob Whittaker via second round knockout to claim the middleweight title at UFC 243 at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. 

Adesanya rocked Whittaker several times during the fight and scored the win with 3:33 into the round. 

The first round was a high-level striking affair without the merest hint of a takedown or any grappling. Whittaker was dropped in the last five seconds, but it was the end of the round. The would have been over with five more seconds on the clock. 

Whittaker started the seconds round bleeding, and Adesanya looked cool, calm and collected. 

Getting a bit desperate, Whittaker launched some wild haymakers, landing a few, but missing with more and leaving himself open to the counter.

Still, his power was keeping Adesanya on guard and fighting off the back foot. Whittaker was stunned with a short right hook, and moments later was caught with a high kick.

From that point, The Stylebender went of the front foot as Whittaker's face became more bloody. 

Adesanya finished the bout a minute later, rocking Whittaker, who staggered backwards. Adesanya dived in for the finish and became the new middleweight champion of the world. 



 

 

UFC 243: LIVE RESULTS, HIGHLIGHTS

We're live from Marvel Stadium in Marvel for UFC 243. Follow along right here to live updates, highlights and more throughout the day. 

3:10pm - This is it. Main Event time. It's finally here. The walkouts were amazing.

3:04pm - In one of the most polished, precise and clinical performances of his career, Dan Hooker has beaten Al Iaquinta via unanimous decision. Hooker then jumped on the mic and called out Dustin Poirier for a fight in New Zealand. 

2:20pm - Tai Tuivasa walks out to the Octagon to 'Spot the Difference' by One Four. Always repping The Area. After a close first round, Spivak started landing takedowns in the second and choked Tuivasa out at 3:14 of the round. 

2:03pm - Dhiego Lima beats Kiwi Luke Jumeau via split decision. 

1:20pm - Oh geez...Justin Tafa just got knocked out in a big way by a massive right hand. De Castro did the old Mark Hunt walk off and Tafa was out for a while. 

12:50 - Jake Matthews beats Rostem Akman via unanimous decision in a nice bounce back fight following a loss last time out. 

12:30pm - Cal Potter wins a unanimous decision victory over Maki Pitolo. Potter walked out to Up There Cazaly, and it was excellent. 


11:57am - WOW!! UFC debutants Brad Riddell and Jamie Mullarkey just put on an absolute war of a three round lightweight fight. They stood and banged, they took each other down, they both had submission opportunities. In the end, City Kickboxing's Riddell earned a dominant unanimous decision win. 

11:15am - Megan Anderson earns a nice first round submission win over Zarah Farim Dos Santos. Anderson scored an early takedown, piled on with some nice ground and pound before tapping dos Santos with a triangle. 

11:01am - Ji Yeon Kim beats Nadia Kassem via second round TKO. Kim pieced Kassem up as the second round wore on, eventually pumelling the Sydneysider into submission. Here's how it ended. 

10:25am - The first fight of the day is done and dusted with Khalid Taha beating Bruno Silva via third round submission. Taha had copped a couple of painful low blows earlier on in the fight too. 


UFC 243 Scorecard 

Australian fighters: Three wins, four losses
New Zealand fighters: One win, one loss

WHEN IS UFC 243: WHITTAKER VS ADESANYA IN MELBOURNE? 

UFC 243 will be held on Sunday, October 6 in Australia. That's today. 

WHAT TIME WILL UFC 243 START? 

Doors opened at 8:15am (AEDT) and the first fight of the prelims got underway at 10:00am. 

The main prelims will start at 11am, and the main card will start at 1pm.

HOW TO WATCH UFC 243 IN AUSTRALIA

UFC 243 will be shown on pay-per-view on Main Event in Australia. Main Event haven't announced how much it will cost.   

UFC 243 FIGHT CARD: WHO IS FIGHTING AT UFC 243?

This card is going to be stacked. 

UFC 243 FIGHT CARD

The UFC have confirmed the official fight order for UFC 243, with Jake Matthews set to headline the prelims. 

There are 11 fights on UFC 243 after Holly Holm pulled out over the weekend. All but one bout (Taha v Silva) contains a local fighter, with 11 ANZACs set to make the walk to the Octagon.  

Here's the full bout order.  

UFC 243 MAIN CARD

Robert Whittaker (champion) vs Israel Adesanya (interim champion)
Al Iaquinta vs Dan Hooker (lightweight)
Sergey Spivak def Tai Tuivasa via Rd 2 submission (arm triangle)
Dhiego Lima def Luke Jumeau via SD 
Yorgan De Castro def Justin Tafa via Rd 1 KO 

UFC 243 PRELIMS

Jake Matthews def Rostam Akman via UD 
Cal Potter def Maki Pitolo via UD
Brad Riddell def Jamie Mullarkey via UD
Megan Anderson def Zarah Farim Dos Santos via Rd 1 submission (triangle)

UFC 243 FIGHTPASS PRELIMS

Ji Yeon Kim def Nadia Kassem via Rd 2 TKO 
Khalid Taha def Bruno Silva via Rd 3 submission (arm triangle) 

UFC 243: IS JOE ROGAN COMMENTATING AT UFC 243?

Nope, not this time. Joe Rogan travelled to Melbourne for the UFC 193 epic between Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm, but the veteran commentator isn't in Australia this weekend. 

Rogan has scaled back his commentary commitments over the past couple of years and doesn't travel outside the US anymore. 

In fact, he rarely goes further than Las Vegas to call the fights. 

In his place will be Jon Anik as the play-by-play man, with Daniel Cormier doing colour. 

UFC 243: ROBERT WHITTAKER'S RECORD

Whittaker has a professional MMA record of 20-4 and is 11-2 in the UFC. Whittaker is undefeated since moving up to middleweight. 

The Reaper has nine knockout wins on his record, five submissions and six decisions. 

His last submission win was way back in 2011, when he fighting on Cage Fighting Championships cards around Australia. HIs most recent knockout win came in 2017 when he stopped Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza inside two rounds. 

On the other side of the ledger, Whittaker has one knockout loss, one via submission and two on points. His only submission defeat came on an LFC card in 2011 in Macau, and his one KO defeat was to Stephen Thompson at UFC 170 in 2014. That loss was the last of his career. 

One decision defeat came in the UFC - a split decision opposite Court McGee - and the other was for the CFC welterweight title in 2012.

WHERE IS UFC 243? 

UFC 243 will be held at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne's Docklands. 

In 2015, the venue hosted Ronda Rousey's UFC 193 bantamweight title defence against Holly Holm . 

In front of a UFC record 56,214 fans, Holm produced one of the sport's greatest upsets when she earned a second round knockout to claim the title. 

Marvel usually hosts AFL matches and with it's central location is the perfect spot for live sport. In summer, the venue is home to the Melbourne Renegades Big Bash League cricket team. 

UFC 243: MARVEL STADIUM CAPACITY

When it's configured for AFL and cricket, Marvel Stadium in Melbourne has a capacity of 53,395. 

With seats being set up on the ground for UFC 243, the capacity this Sunday will be closer to 60,000. 

The record attendance at Docklands for an AFL match is 54,444 people. Meanwhile, 56,021 people filed through the turnstiles for State of Origin 1 in 2012, and 56,771 people watched the Wallabies beat the British and Irish Lions in 2015.  

UFC 243 WEIGH IN: WHERE IS THE UFC 243 WEIGH IN?

The UFC 243 weigh-ins took place from Marvel Stadium at 10am on Saturday, with a couple of prelim fighters missing weight. 

The good news is that everyone on the main card came in under weight, meaning we've got a title fight at the top of the card. 

Here's how it all went down. 

10:33 - MAIN EVENT TIME and the crowd goes nuts for Whittaker and Adesanya. Both made weight, with the Stylebender weighing 184 and The Reaper at 185. We have a title fight on our hands. 

Adesanya hits the scales and took a moment to take it all in. 


Speaking to Jon Anik after weighing in, Adesanya reminisced about the last time the UFC was at Docklands, for Rousey vs Holms in 193. 

"Last time, this was still Etihad Stadium, I was up in the nosebleeds as a fan," he said. 

"This time I'm gonna make his nose bleed." 

Whittaker received the biggest cheer of the day by far when he took the scales and came in at 185.


10:27 - New Zealand's Dan Hooker weighed 155, and Al Iaquinta weighed in the same for their co-main event bout. 

10:25 - In the feature bout of the card, Sergey Spivak weighed in at 233 for his heavyweight bout. Western Sydney's Tai Tuivasa weighed in at 264 pounds. 

10:22 - Dhiego Lima made the welterweight limit of 171, and New Zealand's Luke Jumeau also stepped up at 171.

10:20 - Kicking off the PPV, heavyweights Yorgan de Castro weighed in at 265, with Brisbane's Justin Tafa came in at 265 for his debut.

10:18 - In the prelim headliner, Rostem Akman needed the curtain to shed his boxers and hit the scales at 171lbs. Melbourne's Jake Matthews got a huge cheer from the crowd, and came in at 171. 

10:16 - Debutants Jamie Mullarkey (156lbs) and City Kickboxing's Brad Riddell (156) both made weight, before Maki Pitolo (170) and Cal Potter both (171lbs) both made their fight official.


10:12 - Kicking off the Prelims, Zarah Fairn came in at 146lbs, while Australia's Megan Anderson weighed 146 as well. 

10:09 - In the Fight Pass prelim headiner, Ji Yeon Kim came in at 128 after using the curtain. She'll have two hours to cut two pounds. Sydney's Nadia Kassem hit the scales at 126lbs. 

10:05am - Bantamweights Khalid Taha and Bruno Silva were first on the scale. Taha missed weight, coming in at 137lbs and will forfeit 20% of his purse. 


WHAT IS THE UFC ATTENDANCE RECORD? 

The biggest ever crowd for a UFC event was at UFC 193 in Melbourne when Holly Holm beat Ronda Rousey. 

The attendance that day was 56,214, which bested the UFC 129 record, when Georges St-Pierre beat Jake Shields at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Third on the list is the 45,207 people who saw Stipe Miocic beat Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198 in Curitiba, Brazil.

The next highest attendance is 30,000 when Alexander Gustafsson lost to Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson in Stockholm in 2015, while GSP's UFC 124 win in Quebec drew a crowd of 23,152.

UFC 243: ROBERT WHITTAKER TALKS ABOUT AUSTRALIA VS NEW ZEALAND RIVALRY

Is Rob Whittaker an Aussie, or is he a Kiwi? With this fight turning into a classic trans-Tasman clash, it's the question on everybody's lips. 

New Zealand is claiming Whittaker. He was born there after all. 

Australians are also claiming him. He's lived in Sydney for the vast majority of his life. 

But which side of the Tasman does The Reaper represent when he fights? Well, we asked him. 

Hit the link here to find out what he thinks . 

WHITTAKER NOT INTERESTED IN ADESANYA'S TRASH TALK

Whittaker has rarely, if ever, engaged in pre-fight trash talk, and it doesn't look like being any different this time around. 

Adesanya has been vocal in hitting out at Whittaker, but the Sydney-sider says he's content to let his actions in the Octagon do the talking. 

He spoke more about the build-up to the fight in a recent appearance on Helwani's Show. 

Check out what he had to say here . 

ADESANYA MAKES HUGE CLAIM ABOUT WHITTAKER'S PAY

Adesanya wasn't too worried about Whittaker's comments on his trash talk. He says it comes naturally and doesn't mind taking the lead in selling tickets. 

But, he claims Whittaker's unwillingness to speak out is costing him money. 

Read more about it here . 

HAVE WHITTAKER AND ADESANYA FOUGHT THE SAME OPPONENT?

Yep. Two of them. 

Whittaker and Adesanya have both beaten Derek Brunson and Brad Tavares. 

Whittaker defeated Brunson when the American was on an absolute tear in November 2016. The bout was slated for the co-main event slot of a non-PPV card at Rod Laver Arena, but when Luke Rockhold pulled out of his fight with Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza, they were elevated to a five-round main event. 

Brunson started fast, rocking Whittaker early, before The Reaper hit back, finishing the bout with just over a minute left in the first round. Sporting News was there, and was the loudest crowd we've heard in a while. 

Adesanya's win over Brunson came in November last year, with the Stylebender turning on all the moves for a clinical, show-stealing victory. 

In May 2015, in his second fight at middleweight after moving up from welterweight, Whittaker simply monstered Tavares, winning in just 44 seconds. 

Adesanya's win over Tavares, in July last year, was a classy and one-sided unanimous decision win last July in his first UFC main event. 

UFC 243: ROBERT WHITTAKER TALKS ISRAEL ADESANYA'S STRENGTHS

In a recent episode of his Grange TV Podcast, Whittaker discussed some of Adesanya's biggest strengths. 

Check out what he had to say here. 

UFC 243 PRESS CONFERENCE IN MELBOURNE

The first stop on the promotional tour was a press conference in Melbourne on Thursday, August 15. 

It was a wild one, with Adesanya engaging in a foul-mouthed back-and-forth with a fan. 

Check it out here. 

Alex Volkanovski to fight Max Holloway at UFC 245

There were once hopes Sydney's own Alex Volkanovski would be added to this card in a featherweight title fight opposite Max Holloway, but after the Hawaiian's July bout with Frankie Edgar, the turnaround was deemed too short. 

But, there is good news, with Volkanovski signing on to fight for the 145 pound title at UFC 245 on December 15 in Las Vegas. 

Read more about it here. 

UFC 243 PREVIEW PODCAST

We've just published our first fight week podcast! 

We'll be on the ground in Melbourne all week, giving behind access and exclusive interviews and insights into the the biggest fight sports event in Australia and New Zealand history. 

Have a listen here. 

UFC 243 OPEN WORKOUTS

The UFC 243 open workouts took place at Federation Square in Melbourne on Thursday afternoon. The media and fan turnout was massive. 


Israel Adesanya gave away a pair of boxing gloves. 


But the biggest cheer was for middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. 


UFC 243 EMBEDDED EPISODE ONE 

The first episode of the UFC 243 Embedded series has been released on YouTube. 

In the first ep, we see Whittaker getting ready with his family, while Al Iaquinta trains in Melbourne. 

There's some moving scenes as Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker touch down in Australia and are greeted by a haka at the airport. 

Check it out here. 

UFC 243 EMBEDDED EPISODE TWO

The second episode of Embedded has dropped on YouTube, with Al Iaquinta talking about the great food in Melbourne and getting a fight week fade. 

We see Israel Adesanya doing some media, while Rob Whittaker touches down in Melbourne. 

Check out the full episode here. 

UFC 243 EMBEDDED EPISODE THREE

The third episode of the UFC 243 Embedded series dropped on Thursday morning. 

We see Israel Adesanya meet NBA legend Paul Pierce, while Tai Tuivasa trains. 

City Kickboxing coach Eugene Bareman talks about having three fighters on the card, with Adesanya, Dan Hooker and Brad Riddell all set to step into the Octagon. 

At the fighter hotel, Whittaker, Al Iaquinta and others check in and do the media rounds. 

Check it out here. 

UFC 243 EMBEDDED EPISODE FOUR

The fourth episode of UFC 243 Embedded is live. It follows Rob Whittaker checking out Marvel Stadium and doing some media, before Israel Adesanya does an appearance at Culture Kings. 

Check it out here. 

UFC 243 EMBEDDED EPISODE FIVE

In the fifth episode of the Embedded series, you see Tai Tuivasa haning out with "the usos" before Whittaker does some media for ESPN.

We then flash back a couple of days to the open workouts. 

Watch it here. 

UFC 243 COUNTDOWN AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE

If you're here reading this, you're probably already PUMPED, but you can get even more up for UFC 243 with Countdown, the offiial preview video for Whittaker vs Adesanya. 

There's also a detailed breakdown of the Dan Hooker vs Al Iaquinta co-main event. 

Check it out here! 

See you at the fights! 

 

Author(s)
Brendan Bradford
United States
Australia
mma
UFC
New Zealand
Robert Whittaker
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