MMA UFC 243: Israel Adesanya dominates Robert Whittaker to become Middleweight Champion by Daniel Yanofsky October 6, 2019 Perhaps it was the layoff by the now former champion that led to his demise. Or perhaps we witnessed Israel Adesanya fulfill his destiny. At UFC 243 in Melbourne, Australia. “The Last Stlebender” defeated Robert Whittaker to become the undisputed UFC Middleweight Champion. In front of 57,127 fans, a record for the UFC, two different styles clashed. From the entrances to the action, Adesanya (18-0) can be officially looked at like a true star. The opening round saw Whittaker (20-5) play the aggressor, attempting to strike down Adesanya right away. Israel, however, was almost machine-like, calculating every move Robert made and used his momentum against him. It wasn’t that Whittaker was slow, he was just tiring himself out early. Whittaker was literally saved by the bell, as Adesanya dropped him right before the first round ended. Adesanya hesitated for a brief moment, and before he could do anything else he was told to go to his corner. BIG DRAMA IN MELBOURNE #UFC243@stylebender knocks Whittaker down at the horn in Round 1 pic.twitter.com/jO6csHP5A6— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 6, 2019 The second round saw more of the same, as Israel countered all of Whittaker’s offense and created his own momentum. As Whittaker rushed in, Adesanya landed two hooks that burrowed into the skull of the former. Whittaker landed on top of the mat and it was all over from there. Undefeated. Undisputed. 🏆@stylebender #UFC243 pic.twitter.com/kirjD28CJq— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 6, 2019 “I was in the nose bleeds. And now? I made his nose bleed,” Adesanya stated after the fight. For Adesanya, that was his seventh win in the UFC. A dominant kickboxer at one point, Israel’s transition to the MMA world is something unheard of. As for Whittaker, he hasn’t fought in a year, mainly due to multiple injuries. His recent contests were back-to-back bouts against Yoel Romero. The UFC has a true star on their hands in Adesanya. What’s next for the new champion? He is hoping for a bout against Paulo Costa to continue his dominance in the middleweight division. Then again, Jon Jones is always right around the corner. Post Views: 669 The following two tabs change content below.BioLatest Posts Daniel Yanofsky Baseball Editor, Misc. Sports Editor. Covers all things combat sports (MMA, Pro Wrestling and Boxing). When he's not writing, Daniel hosts a podcast, The Main Event. Latest posts by Daniel Yanofsky (see all) Mets hire Luis Rojas to replace Carlos Beltran as manager - January 23, 2020 An Outsider’s 2020 Hall of Fame Ballot - January 21, 2020 A Wild Yo Sighting: Yoenis Cespedes participates in running, fielding and hitting drills - January 21, 2020 Following Conor McGregor’s win at UFC 246, is “The King” truly back? - January 20, 2020 Related TopicsIsrael AdesanyammaRobert WhittakerufcUFC 243 Click to comment You must be logged in to post a comment Login Leave a Reply Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment. Newsletter Subscription Can't Miss Posts! Women in Sports: NHL Network Host, Jackie Redmond by Nicholas Durst | posted on March 4, 2019 Lochte, Dressel and Ledecky all Chasing Gold at 2021 Tokyo Olympics by Anthony Paradiso | posted on April 18, 2021 You Know I’m Right, Episode 109: The Athletic’s Marc Carig (Audio/Video) by Nicholas Durst | posted on April 19, 2021 Michael Jordan Could Change the Future of Nascar for the Better by Inesh Chari | posted on March 30, 2021 WNBA Rolling Out Red Carpet For Upcoming 25th Anniversary Season by Jason Cordner | posted on March 16, 2021 More in MMA The Mockery of A Sport: Paul vs. Askren Jake Paul and Ben Askren are set to fight tonight, and as a fan... The Leverage Game: What’s Going on Between Jon Jones and UFC? After Francis Ngannou knocked out Stipe Miocic, fight fans everywhere were already excited about... Athletes and their “Charitable” Contributions The other day I was watching TV when I saw a commercial for Conor... Should the Holloway vs. Katter fight have been Stopped in the 4th Round? Dana White thought so… In my honest opinion, when it comes to sports there is nothing like watching... UFC 244: The Rock to present the BMF Belt to the winner of Diaz-Masvidal Will Conor McGregor be at UFC 244?