UFC 243: Israel Adesanya knocks out Robert Whittaker to claim undisputed middleweight title
- Referee steps in after ‘The Last Stylebender’ drops ‘The Reaper’ in second round at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne
- Former interim middleweight champion Adesanya unifies titles and calls out Paulo Costa
Israel Adesanya knocked out Robert Whittaker to crown himself as the undisputed middleweight champion at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on Sunday.
“Stylebender” dropped “The Reaper” in the second round and got in a couple more shots before the referee stepped in to call the fight off in front of a UFC-record attendance of 57,000.
It was the stadium where Nigerian-New Zealander Adesanya had sat high up in the stands watching Holly Holm’s seismic KO of Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in November 2015 – and where he had vowed to return, but inside the Octagon.
“I’m real petty, I remember everything like an elephant. I was in the nosebleeds, and now I made his nose bleed,” said the undefeated Adesanya, who moved to 18-0 overall and 7-0 in the UFC, where he only made his debut in 2018.
“The Reaper” was the more aggressive in the first round, with Adesanya scoping the Australian’s offence out, but Whittaker was dramatically dropped in the final seconds.