Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya will square off for the undisputed UFC middleweight title this Saturday night at UFC 243.
The event takes place live on ESPN+ pay-per-view from Melbourne, Australia.
But how did we get to this point? And what have Whittaker and Adesanya done to prepare for one another.
Countdown To UFC 243: Robert Whittaker Vs. Israel Adesanya
Good thing you asked, as the folks over at UFC have put together another great “Countdown” series to spotlight both the main event and co-main event for the card this weekend.
Whittaker was forced out of action due to an extreme emergency, but has vowed to return and secure his standing in the middleweight division. Adesanya turned a victory over former champion Anderson Silva into an interim title fight with Kelvin Gastelum, keeping his record perfect and becoming a champion himself for the first time.
Related: Inside The Octagon Breaks Down Robert Whittaker Vs. Israel Adesanya
Countdown To UFC 243: Al Iaquinta Vs. Dan Hooker
Al Iaquinta agreed, on short notice, to face Khabib Nurmagomedov. That showed the willingness of Iaquinta to take on anyone, anytime and any place.
He’ll return this Saturday to meet Dan Hooker in a key lightweight showdown.
UFC 243 Fight Card
MAIN CARD (ESPN+ Pay-Per-View)
UFC Middleweight Championship
Robert Whittaker (c) vs. Israel Adesanya (ic)
Lightweight: Al Iaquinta vs. Dan Hooker
Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa vs. Serghei Spivak
Welterweight: Luke Jumeau vs. Dhiego Lima
Heavyweight: Justin Tafa vs. Yorgan De Castro
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN)
Welterweight: Jake Matthews vs. Rostem Akman
Welterweight: Callan Potter vs. Maki Pitolo
Lightweight: Jamie Mullarkey vs. Brad Riddell
Female Featherweight: Megan Anderson vs. Zarah Fairn dos Santos
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass)
Female Flyweight: Nadia Kassem vs. Ji Yeon Kim
Bantamweight: Khalid Taha vs. Bruno Silva
