World middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will make his long-awaited return to the octagon on the first weekend of October at UFC 243 – with the event at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium widely expected to be the biggest crowd in UFC history.
Almost 18 months after his last fight, Whittaker will take on Israel Adesanya, the Nigerian-New Zealander upstart who has been taking the sport by storm in the last couple of years.
Ready to return: Australian UFC champ Robert Whittaker. Credit:AAP
It was Adesanya who stepped up and headlined the last card in Melbourne, when Whittaker was ruled out with a life-threatening hernia just a few hours before the fight was scheduled to take place.
"I was gutted, but I was very grateful and thankful that they found it when they did," Whittaker told the Herald.
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On that day in February this year, Adesanya defeated Brazilian legend Anderson Silva, who many believe to be the greatest of all time. An interim title win over American Kelvin Gastelum followed and now the UFC middleweight championship bout will be an all-Anzac affair.
Whittaker has fought some tough competitors in his time but says that the next fight is always the hardest – particularly against Adesanya, who is yet to suffer a loss in his professional career.
"Hes a very skilled and talented guy but I just think Im better," Whittaker said.
"I saw some things I could exploit in his last fight and I can do them better than Gastelum did."
The 28-year-old Whittaker says he's feeling better than ever before in his career,
"This is the healthiest and strongest Ive ever felt. I know I say that every time, but I feel something special this time around."
UFC interim middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.Credit:Nine
An increased vigilance to his already-strict diet and going the extra mile in his conditioning training have been key, he said.
"I had to do everything properly. Ive never paid this much attention to my health and everything else involved.
"Ive cleaned my diet up – it was fairly clean to begin with, but Im doing all the one per centers, especially with my rehab and conditioning."
The record attendance for any UFC was at the same venue in 2015, when Ronda Rousey suffered a shock loss to Holly Holm as 56,214 people watched.
With top featherweight contender Alex Volkanovski waiting in the wings for a title shot, as well as several other rising stars from Australia and New Zealand potentially appearing on the card, that number will almost certainly be broken.
"Its always good when you hit a histRead More – Source
World middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will make his long-awaited return to the octagon on the first weekend of October at UFC 243 – with the event at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium widely expected to be the biggest crowd in UFC history.
Almost 18 months after his last fight, Whittaker will take on Israel Adesanya, the Nigerian-New Zealander upstart who has been taking the sport by storm in the last couple of years.
Ready to return: Australian UFC champ Robert Whittaker. Credit:AAP
It was Adesanya who stepped up and headlined the last card in Melbourne, when Whittaker was ruled out with a life-threatening hernia just a few hours before the fight was scheduled to take place.
"I was gutted, but I was very grateful and thankful that they found it when they did," Whittaker told the Herald.
Advertisement
On that day in February this year, Adesanya defeated Brazilian legend Anderson Silva, who many believe to be the greatest of all time. An interim title win over American Kelvin Gastelum followed and now the UFC middleweight championship bout will be an all-Anzac affair.
Whittaker has fought some tough competitors in his time but says that the next fight is always the hardest – particularly against Adesanya, who is yet to suffer a loss in his professional career.
"Hes a very skilled and talented guy but I just think Im better," Whittaker said.
"I saw some things I could exploit in his last fight and I can do them better than Gastelum did."
The 28-year-old Whittaker says he's feeling better than ever before in his career,
"This is the healthiest and strongest Ive ever felt. I know I say that every time, but I feel something special this time around."
UFC interim middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.Credit:Nine
An increased vigilance to his already-strict diet and going the extra mile in his conditioning training have been key, he said.
"I had to do everything properly. Ive never paid this much attention to my health and everything else involved.
"Ive cleaned my diet up – it was fairly clean to begin with, but Im doing all the one per centers, especially with my rehab and conditioning."
The record attendance for any UFC was at the same venue in 2015, when Ronda Rousey suffered a shock loss to Holly Holm as 56,214 people watched.
With top featherweight contender Alex Volkanovski waiting in the wings for a title shot, as well as several other rising stars from Australia and New Zealand potentially appearing on the card, that number will almost certainly be broken.
"Its always good when you hit a histRead More – Source
