UFC 243
Discover our latest podcast
At the UFC 243 main event, Israel Adesanya solidified himself in the middleweight category by stopping Robert Whittaker in the second round, with a left hook on the counter.
In no way threatened during the whole fight, 'The Last Stylebender' had already knocked down the champion at the end of the first round, just before the bell. A victory which as a bonus was also the performance of the evening.
If Adesanya vs Whittaker was not named the fight of the evening, it was not because of a lack of action, but rather because they were both lightweights, who nonetheless offered the Australian spectators a show that they are not likely to forget. Indeed, Brad Riddell and Jamie Mullarkey threw nasty punches at each other throughout the fight, especially in the third and final round, when both men ran out of strength.
Fight of the Night
During the last five minutes of the fight, the two men went head to head, throwing everything they had into the battle. Both on the verge of being knocked out several times, the two lightweights still tried to finish the fight.
Even within ten seconds left, and on his knees, Brad Riddell found a way to throw a massive punch at Mullarkey. Acclaimed by the entire stadium, the two men had to wait for the judges to decide between them. They declared Brad Riddell the winner by unanimous decision (29-27, 30-26X2).
This war was proclaimed the fight of the evening, allowing the two fighters to leave with the traditional £40,000 bonus.
