UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya
Australia
Main Card • Final
Nigeria
R2, 3:33
Undisputed Title Fight
Performance of the Night
New Zealand
R3, 5:00
United States
Moldova
R2, 3:14
Brazil
R3, 5:00
Cape Verde
R1, 2:10
Performance of the Night
Prelims • Final
R3, 5:00
Sweden
R3, 5:00
R3, 5:00
Fight of the Night
R1, 3:57
France
Early Prelims • Final
South Korea
R2, 4:59
Lebanon
R3, 3:00
Official Event Results
$50k FOTN
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Fight of the Night: Brad Riddell and Jamie Mullarkey each received $50,000 for their breathless, back-and-forth lightweight war in their promotional debuts.
Performance of the Night: Israel Adesanya collected $50,000 for his virtuoso second-round knockout of Robert Whittaker to claim the undisputed UFC Middleweight Championship.
Performance of the Night: Yorgan De Castro earned $50,000 for a blistering one-punch walk-off knockout of Justin Tafa in his official UFC debut.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| NC | — | — | — | — | |
| NC | — | — | — | — |
*Official fighter purses were not publicly disclosed by the Victoria State Combat Sports Board in Australia. Ji Yeon Kim missed weight at 128 lbs (2 lbs over the non-title flyweight limit) and was fined 30% of her purse, which was transferred to Nadia Kassem. Khalid Taha missed weight at 137 lbs (1 lb over the bantamweight limit) and was fined 20% of his purse, which was awarded to Bruno Silva. Listed performance bonuses ($50,000 each) reflect confirmed post-fight awards.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC 243
UFC 243 set the all-time attendance record in UFC promotional history with 57,127 fans inside Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, eclipsing the previous mark of 56,214 set at UFC 193 in 2015.
The card generated an official live gate of $5,470,000 USD (over $8.1 million AUD), standing as the largest live gate for any combat sports event ever staged in Australia.
Israel Adesanya unified the middleweight division by defeating Robert Whittaker via second-round knockout, becoming the second African-born undisputed champion in UFC history.
Israel Adesanya improved to 18-0 in professional MMA and captured the undisputed championship in only his seventh UFC appearance, spanning less than 20 months on the roster.
Yorgan De Castro made promotional history by becoming the first athlete representing Cape Verde to compete, win, and secure a knockout in the UFC with his first-round stoppage of Justin Tafa.
Brad Riddell and Jamie Mullarkey combined for 127 significant strikes and four takedowns in a three-round classic, earning Fight of the Night honors in their mutual UFC debuts.
Dan Hooker dominated former title challenger Al Iaquinta, outstriking him 98 to 37 in significant strikes to earn a commanding 30-26, 30-27, 30-27 unanimous decision victory.
Serghei Spivac secured his first promotional victory by recording six takedowns and executing an arm-triangle choke to put Tai Tuivasa to sleep at 3:14 of Round 2.
Megan Anderson became the first female featherweight in UFC history to finish an Octagon bout via triangle choke, forcing Zarah Fairn to tap at 3:57 of the opening round.
Ji Yeon Kim scored one of the few body-punch knockout finishes in modern women’s flyweight history, folding Nadia Kassem with targeted hooks at 4:59 of Round 2.
UFC 243 solidified Marvel Stadium (formerly Etihad Stadium) as the preeminent venue in UFC history, becoming the only stadium globally to host two events drawing over 56,000 spectators.
The card featured athletes from Australia and New Zealand across 8 of the 11 scheduled bouts, cementing Australasia’s rapid ascent to the peak of international mixed martial arts.
When and where did UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya take place?
UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya took place on Sunday, October 6, 2019 (local time in Australia / Saturday, October 5 in North America) at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Who won the main event between Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya?
Israel Adesanya defeated Robert Whittaker via knockout (punches) at 3:33 of Round 2 to unify the titles and become the undisputed UFC Middleweight Champion.
What attendance record was broken at UFC 243?
UFC 243 drew an official attendance of 57,127 fans, breaking the all-time attendance record in UFC history, previously held by UFC 193 (56,214) at the same venue.
What was the live gate revenue for UFC 243?
The event generated an official live gate of $5,470,000 USD (over $8.1 million AUD), making it the highest-grossing combat sports event in Australian history.
Who won the post-fight bonuses at UFC 243?
Four fighters earned $50,000 bonuses: Brad Riddell vs. Jamie Mullarkey won Fight of the Night, while Israel Adesanya and Yorgan De Castro each earned Performance of the Night awards.
Who won the co-main event between Dan Hooker and Al Iaquinta?
Dan Hooker defeated former lightweight title challenger Al Iaquinta via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–26) after dropping and outstriking Iaquinta across three rounds.
How did Yorgan De Castro make UFC history at UFC 243?
Yorgan De Castro became the first fighter from Cape Verde to win a fight in the UFC, scoring a dramatic walk-off right-hand knockout over Justin Tafa at 2:10 of Round 1.
Why was Khalid Taha vs. Bruno Silva changed to a No Contest?
Khalid Taha originally won the bout by submission, but the result was overturned to a No Contest after Taha tested positive for the prohibited diuretic furosemide in an out-of-competition screening.
Did any fighters miss weight at UFC 243?
Yes. Ji Yeon Kim weighed in at 128 lbs (2 lbs over the non-title flyweight limit) and surrendered 30% of her purse to Nadia Kassem. Khalid Taha weighed in at 137 lbs (1 lb over the bantamweight limit) and was fined 20% of his purse, which was paid to Bruno Silva.
Who called the fights for the UFC 243 broadcast?
The event was called cageside by play-by-play announcer Jon Anik and color analyst Daniel Cormier, with Bruce Buffer serving as the official Octagon announcer.
How did Megan Anderson finish Zarah Fairn?
Megan Anderson secured a triangle choke submission at 3:57 of Round 1, recording the first triangle choke finish in UFC women’s featherweight history.
Who won the heavyweight bout between Tai Tuivasa and Serghei Spivac?
Serghei Spivac executed six takedowns and choked Tai Tuivasa unconscious with an arm-triangle choke at 3:14 of Round 2 to secure his first Octagon win.
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