Nigerian fighter, Israel Adesanya, on Sunday, October 6, 2019 dethroned UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker, to claim the champions’ belt.
Adesanya defeated the New Zealand-born Australian with an incredible knockout in the second round of their highly anticipated 185-pound unification bout which headlined UFC 243 at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium, Australia. The West African landed a booming right hook to floor Whittaker in the final seconds of the first round. Adesanya, who was hitherto the interim champion, went ahead to emerge victorious in the second of the five-round bout with a left hook.
Prior to Sunday’s fight, Adesanya was interim champion but his victory over Whittaker now means he has the title and has equally improved his UFC record to 7-0, extending his perfect professional record to 18-0. The contest also witnessed new world UFC attendance record of 57, 127 which surpassed the 56, 214 record set at the same venue in 2015.
He threw everything we expected… We had everything planned from plan A to Z. He caught me with a nice one, but I returned. I ate it, but give it back two times… I can take it and give it back. I’m tough and smart.
Israel Adesanya
Sources:
Dailymail
BBC
Featured Image Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal
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