Israel Adesanya floors champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 243
Stunning knockout in the second round in Melbourne
Melbourne: Israel Adesanya defeated UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker with a stunning knockout in the second round of their highly anticipated 185-pound unification bout which headlined UFC 243 on Sunday.
New Zealand-based, Nigerian-born Adesanya landed a booming right hook which floored Whittaker in the final seconds of the first round and then ended the fight in the second of the five-round contest with a left hook.
Adesanya was interim champion before claiming the title against Whittaker and improved his UFC record to 7-0.
After doing a cartwheel during his entry to Docklands Stadium, Adesanya said he was determined to put on a show.
“I’m a dancer. I’m an entertainer, I have to give them a show and set the tone,” Adesanya said. “There’s no one like me. No one.”
The attendance of 57,127 set a world record for UFC, surpassing the 56,214 at the same venue in 2015.