ISRAEL ADESANYA’S RISE to become UFC’s undisputed middleweight champion was completed in stunning fashion last night as he dethroned Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 in Melbourne.
Adesanya not only knocked Whittaker out in the second round to unify the division, but the Nigerian-born Kiwi did so in front of a record UFC crowd of 57,127 inside Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium.
The 30-year-old, who joined the UFC just two years ago and had claimed the interim title back in April, proved too powerful and skilful for Whittaker from the outset on Saturday night, flooring the Australian inside the opening round and then finishing the job with a lethal left hook.
“He threw everything we expected,” Adesanya said afterwards. “We had everything planned for plan A to Z. It’s unreal, they said I have no knockout power.
“He caught me with a nice one but I returned. I eat it but give it back two times. I hate to get hit. It’s stupid to get hit. I’m tough and smart. At the end of the day, my team and I were smart.”
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