UFC 243
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder | Art Davie, Rorion Gracie |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Website | www |
UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya was a pay-per-view mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 6, 2019, hosted at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.
Background
This event represented the UFC's fourth visit to Melbourne and the second occasion at Marvel Stadium, following the 2015 UFC 193 event.
The main event showcased a unification contest for the UFC Middleweight Championship between the current titleholder Robert Whittaker, notable for winning The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes at welterweight, and the undefeated interim champion Israel Adesanya.
A women's bantamweight matchup was planned between former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm and previous title contender Raquel Pennington, revisiting their 2015 encounter at UFC 184 where Holm secured a split decision victory. Nevertheless, Holm had to withdraw due to a hamstring injury, resulting in the cancellation of their fight.
During weigh-ins, both Khalid Taha and Ji Yeon Kim exceeded their weight limits by one and two pounds respectively for their bantamweight and flyweight bouts. Their matches continued at catchweight, with Taha and Kim each penalized by forfeiting 20% and 30% of their fight purses, which were awarded to their opponents Bruno Gustavo da Silva and Nadia Kassem.
Bonus awards
The following competitors were awarded $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Brad Riddell vs. Jamie Mullarkey
- Performance of the Night: Israel Adesanya and Yorgan de Castro
Records set
UFC 243 established a new attendance milestone, drawing 57,127 fans—exceeding the prior record of 56,214 set at UFC 193 held at the identical location.