UFC 243 is headlined by one of the best fights of the year with Robert Whittaker vs. Israel Adesanya fighting for the middleweight title, but there are more reasons than just that to watch this card.
The UFC heads to Melbourne, Australia for UFC 243 this weekend, and although the card is not loaded with big names, there are multiple reasons to watch this card. From a middleweight title fight between two of the most exciting fighters on the roster to a lightweight battle between two contenders with a ton of power, this night of fights is destined to bring fireworks to Melbourne.
This is a card for the hardcore MMA fans, but anyone that watches is sure to be entertained. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons you should tune into UFC 243 this weekend.
One of the best middleweight matchups of all time
The matchup for the middleweight title this weekend is one of the most interesting fights of all time. Both of these fighters are coming off of some of the best fights in UFC history, as Robert Whittaker defeated Yoel Romero in a five-round war back in June of 2018, while Isreal Adesanya is coming off of a five-round war against Kelvin Gastelum in April.
Both of these fighters took a ton of damage in those matchups but found a way to battle through adversity and win a close decision against one of the best fighters in the division. This fight should be no different, as both fighters have an exciting stand-up style, while also showing the ability to take damage from some of the hardest hitters in the division.
This fight has everything a fight fan could want. Two of the most exciting fighters on the roster fighting for a world title in the champions home town. Adesanya, one of the biggest up and coming stars in the UFC, is heading into enemy territory to try and prove that he is everything he is hyped up to be.
If Whittaker had any intentions of selling the fight, this would have the ability to have some of the highest pay-per-view sales of the year. If both of these fighters fight the way they always do, we should be in store for a fight of the year candidate that will leave Melbourne filled with excitement after a Whittaker win, or left speechless if their champion is dethroned.
An exciting clash between lightweight contenders
Two of the most exciting lightweights in the UFC go head to head this weekend as former title challenger Al Iaquinta takes on Dan Hooker. Iaquinta had the biggest year of his career in 2018, defeating Kevin Lee in a rematch where he was a substantial underdog, and losing a fight to lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in a fight that made his stock rise more than anything.
Iaquinta is coming off a loss to Donald Cerrone in May where he took a beating for five straight rounds. The product of Long Island looks to bounce back and get back in the winning column against Hooker.
Hooker is coming off a KO win over James Vick in July, as well as winning five of his last seven outings. This fight is guaranteed to be a war for however long it lasts, as both fighters have knockout power and a style to move forward and go for the kill.
Hooker has won four of his last five fights by KO, and although Iaquinta only has four knockout victories in his UFC career, he always pushes the pace and is the aggressor against anyone he faces. The winner of this fight should get one of the biggest names in the division next, so this fight will be one worth checking out.
Australian fighters in their home country
This card is filled with Australian fighters who will be heavily supported in their home country, as Marvel Stadium will be rocking Saturday night. One of the best parts of MMA is watching fighters walk out in front of their hometowns and seeing the reaction of the crowd, and this weekend should have some memorable moments.
When Whittaker walks out of the tunnel to the Octagon, the arena is going to be one of the loudest in UFC history, similar to Georges St-Pierre in Canada or Conor McGregor in Dublin. Whittaker is by far the biggest MMA star in Australia, but he is not the only one.
Heavyweight Tai Tuivasa will be making the walk Saturday as he looks to get a win in his home country against Sergey Spivak, a fighter who lost his UFC debut in just 50 seconds. If Tuivasa gets a win here, his already iconic victory celebration of drinking beer out of shoes will be even greater in Australia.
Jake Matthews headlines the prelims, this week not only in his home country of Australia but in his home town of Melbourne. The crowd will be excited to get the main card started, and with this fight being the last one on the prelims, and the anticipation of the main card growing, the crowd is going to be especially rowdy for this one.
The Queen of Australian MMA
Not only is Megan Anderson the queen of MMA in Australia, but she is one of the most interesting fighters in all of women’s MMA. Anderson was brought into the UFC as someone who could possibly challenge Cris “Cyborg” Justino, but her UFC career has not been what many expected.
Anderson is currently 1-2 in the UFC, with her only win coming by TKO over Cat Zingano after her toe cut the eyelid of Zingano early in the fight. Besides that, Anderson has been dominated on the ground in fights against Holly Holm and Felicie Spencer.
Anderson takes on Zarah Fairn dos Santos, who is making her UFC debut, and currently holds a 6-2 record. If Anderson does not win this fight, her career in the UFC could be over. Anderson will look to bounce back and prove that her last loss was a fluke, as the fans will be behind her in Melbourne.
Justin Tafa vs. Yorgan De Castro
A heavyweight battle between Tafa and De Castro snuck onto the main card of UFC 243, and for good reason. De Castro is coming off a first-round TKO on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series and holds a perfect 5-0 record.
His opponent, Tafa, is currently 3-0 in his MMA career with all of his fights ending in a KO or TKO. Both of these fighters are making their UFC debuts, and as long as they don’t let the spotlight get to them, one of these fighters is likely to land a knockout that gains them a ton of attention.
UFC 243 takes place on Saturday, Oct.5, 2019, live from the Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. Follow along with FanSided MMA for all your live results and highlights.