The mixed martial arts boom in Australia and New Zealand is in full swing, as evidenced by the spectacle that is UFC 243. Sydney resident Robert Whittaker will square off with New Zealand transplant Israel Adesanya in a middleweight title unification bout that will headline the card at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium. It’s a good thing the fight between champion Whittaker (20-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) and interim beltholder Adesanya (17-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) is on, too, because it’s a thin card, one which got even more so last week, when former bantamweight champion Holly Holm had to pull out of her bout with Raquel Pennington. Still, UFC 243 features the familiar parade of names we’ve come to associate with Down Under cards, and has some legitimately intriguing storylines. UFC 243 takes place Saturday night (Sunday afternoon local time).
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