UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya (Ocotber 05, 2019)

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

Pay-per-view 10:00 pm ET
Robert Whittaker vs Israel Adesanya (for middleweight title)
Dan Hooker vs Al Iaquinta
Sergey Spivak vs Tai Tuivasa
Luke Jumeau vs Dhiego Lima
Holly Holm vs Raquel Pennington

ESPN2, 8:00 pm ET
Rostem Akman vs Jake Matthews
Yorgan De Castro vs Justin Tafa
Maki Pitolo vs Callan Potter
Megan Anderson vs Zara Fairn Dos Santos

ESPN+ 6:15 pm ET
Jamie Mullarkey vs Brad Riddell
Nadia Kassem vs Ji Yeon Kim
Bruno silva vs Khalid Taha

[Hugo de Naranja]

Not too deep for a PPV. Great Main Event though!

[unlearn]

Would be shocked if this does 100k buys.

[Thrilla]

Live streamed August 14th, 2019

[Demonata]

Would be shocked if this does 100k buys.

Would be shocked if you ever posted a pending bet.

[firekillex]

biggest venue of all time 60k i doubt they care about PPV for this...

stylebender vs the reaper going to be fireworks

[Baraldsson]

stylebender vs the reaper going to be fireworks

Big time.

Leaning Whittaker. Who ya got?

[Hugo de Naranja]

Big time.

Leaning Whittaker. Who ya got?

I'm taking Adesanya here. I don't see anyone outstriking him on the feet and I don't think Whittaker will be able to get takedowns.

[firekillex]

Big time.

Leaning Whittaker. Who ya got?

very tough call, i lean stylebender with the reach and being active / whittaker getting dropped and hurt so much lately, but he really needs to have his defense on point in this fight

[Hugo de Naranja]

very tough call, i lean stylebender with the reach and being active / whittaker getting dropped and hurt so much lately, but he really needs to have his defense on point in this fight

Two beasts for sure. One of the best fights UFC can make at this point.

[Pinoy-T-X]

Somebody is going to win on the Main Event, If it doesn’t happen it’s gonna be a draw.

[Hugo de Naranja]

Somebody is going to win on the Main Event, If it doesn’t happen it’s gonna be a draw.

Bold prediction

[Thrilla]

Event Background

UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya is an upcoming mixed martial arts pay-per-view event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that is booked for October 6, 2019 at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.^[1][2]

The event will be the fourth that the promotion has contested in Melbourne and second at the venue, following UFC 193 in November of 2015.^[2]

A UFC Middleweight Championship unification bout between current champion Robert Whittaker (also The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes welterweight winner) and interim champion Israel Adesanya is expected to serve as the event's headliner.^[3]

A women’s bantamweight bout between former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm and former title challenger Raquel Pennington was expected to take place at this event.^[4] The pairing previously met at UFC 184 on February 2015, when Holm won via split decision in her UFC debut.^[5] However on September 27, it was revealed that Holm withdrew from the bout due to a hamstring injury and the bout was cancelled.^[6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_243

[Thrilla]

^ Holm hamstring injury, take notes. Valueable info for next bout.

[JIBBBY]

SOLID Card.. I'm in..

I think you gotta go with Whittiker as he usually finds a way to win fights and has more MMA experience.. Just when you think he's gonna be over matched physically he still wins..

[Thrilla]

A middleweight title unification bout headlines UFC 243. Robert Whittaker defends his belt against interim champion Israel Adesanya. Plus, Al Iaquinta takes on Dan Hooker. See these athletes train and prepare ahead of their bouts.

[Baraldsson]

SOLID Card.. I'm in..

I think you gotta go with Whittiker as he usually finds a way to win fights and has more MMA experience.. Just when you think he's gonna be over matched physically he still wins..

Agreed. There's no doubt Adesanya could win it , but I see Whittaker as one of those guys who just finds a way to get it done.

Won't be going big though, just in case.

[Baraldsson]

I'm taking Adesanya here. I don't see anyone outstriking him on the feet and I don't think Whittaker will be able to get takedowns.

I'd be surprised to see many takedowns for sure. Looking forward to all out war on the feet.

very tough call, i lean stylebender with the reach and being active / whittaker getting dropped and hurt so much lately, but he really needs to have his defense on point in this fight

Not gonna lie, the reach does concern me. Just got a feeling Adesanya might try something flashy and get KOd on the counter.

Whatever way it works out, should be a great fight.

[Hugo de Naranja]

Agreed. There's no doubt Adesanya could win it , but I see Whittaker as one of those guys who just finds a way to get it done.

Won't be going big though, just in case.

That seems like silly logic to me. In terms of “finding a way to win” wouldn’t the guy who’s never lost be better than the guy who’s lost multiple times? Even so, that is not a compelling reason to pick either fighter.

What in the style matchup gives Whittaker an advantage? Is he able to impose a wrestling game. Will he catch Adesanya with a knockout blow? Will he land superior volume? Will he have a cardio advantage? These are the questions we ought to be examining. We shouldn’t waste our time with BS like who is “more motivated” or who “always finds a way to win”.

[Baraldsson]

That seems like silly logic to me. In terms of “finding a way to win” wouldn’t the guy who’s never lost be better than the guy who’s lost multiple times? Even so, that is not a compelling reason to pick either fighter.

What in the style matchup gives Whittaker an advantage? Is he able to impose a wrestling game. Will he catch Adesanya with a knockout blow? Will he land superior volume? Will he have a cardio advantage? These are the questions we ought to be examining. We shouldn’t waste our time with BS like who is “more motivated” or who “always finds a way to win”.

What I'm saying is that Whittaker has proven he can come through adversity against top level competition (Romero x 2, for example) and pull a win out the bag, while I'm yet to be convinced Adesanya can/will. To be fair, you can only beat the opponent in front of you and Israel showed some heart against Gastelum, but I'd have to give the advantage to Whittaker here based on what I've seen so far. Happy to eat my words post fight if Israel goes on to prove me wrong.

Matchup-wise, Adesanya's reach concerns me, but I'm just not sure he has the power to finish Whittaker early (maybe with accumulated damage over several rounds like Holloway, though). The longer the fight goes on, the more Whittaker's experience of 5 round title fights could be a factor.

I know a lot of people don't want to hear about hunches, gut feelings etc., so fair enough if you call BS on this, but I really do think there's a strong possibility Adesanya comes in cocky and starts to showboat a bit after a while, throws something needlessly flashy and Whittaker makes him pay. Obviously I could be way off, but hey, I'll look like some kind of genius if it all goes down the way I've described.

[Teem]

Taking Taha, and Pitolo for sure. Thoughts on Riddell/Mullarkey?... Was interested in playing Riddell.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

I really hope Whitaker wins. Not a fan of Adesanya at all. He needs to get humbled.

[JIBBBY]

Whittiker can knock him out or take him down perhaps, neither are completely out of the question with Whittiker.. Hugo is acting like Whittiker has no chance and that his feet are stuck in cement.. I tend to disagree..


Who has Israel fought and beat that's better then Whittiker? I'd say no one to date.. He beat a washed up old Anderson Silva and did get the decision win against Gas.. Those were his most impressive wins probably. https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Israel-Adesanya-56374

[Hugo de Naranja]

What I'm saying is that Whittaker has proven he can come through adversity against top level competition (Romero x 2, for example) and pull a win out the bag, while I'm yet to be convinced Adesanya can/will. To be fair, you can only beat the opponent in front of you and Israel showed some heart against Gastelum, but I'd have to give the advantage to Whittaker here based on what I've seen so far. Happy to eat my words post fight if Israel goes on to prove me wrong.

Matchup-wise, Adesanya's reach concerns me, but I'm just not sure he has the power to finish Whittaker early (maybe with accumulated damage over several rounds like Holloway, though). The longer the fight goes on, the more Whittaker's experience of 5 round title fights could be a factor.

I know a lot of people don't want to hear about hunches, gut feelings etc., so fair enough if you call BS on this, but I really do think there's a strong possibility Adesanya comes in cocky and starts to showboat a bit after a while, throws something needlessly flashy and Whittaker makes him pay. Obviously I could be way off, but hey, I'll look like some kind of genius if it all goes down the way I've described.

Thanks for the clarification. Strength of schedule and championship experience are definitely in Whittaker’s favor.

From a style perspective, I think Adesanya has some similarities to Stephen Thompson, at least in terms of striking acumen and tools. I see Adesanya having success with his kicking game and surviving some difficult moments to outpoint Whittaker. As you note, Adesanya is not a massive single strike hitter so I think his Decision line holds extra value as a play or hedge.

[Hugo de Naranja]

Taking Taha, and Pitolo for sure. Thoughts on Riddell/Mullarkey?... Was interested in playing Riddell.

Riddell trains out of the better camp but his grappling hasn’t been great on the regional scene. Picking up but passing on a bet.

[Hugo de Naranja]

Whittiker can knock him out or take him down perhaps, neither are completely out of the question with Whittiker.. Hugo is acting like Whittiker has no chance and that his feet are stuck in cement.. I tend to disagree..


Who has Israel fought and beat that's better then Whittiker? I'd say no one to date.. He beat a washed up old Anderson Silva and did get the decision win against Gas.. Those were his most impressive wins probably. https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Israel-Adesanya-56374

Cmon Jibs you’re better than this.

I never said either that “he has no chance and his feet are stuck in cement”. Nothing even close to that. Whittaker is a great fighter and to date Adesanya has not beaten anyone that is as good as Whittaker. However, Whittaker rarely goes to an offensive wrestling focused gameplan and I think Adesanya throws better volume on the feet. I see this fight staying standing so I’m picking the guy that I view as the better striker.

Happy to stake some BetPoints to back up my talk.

[JIBBBY]

Cmon Jibs you’re better than this.

I never said either that “he has no chance and his feet are stuck in cement”. Nothing even close to that. Whittaker is a great fighter and to date Adesanya has not beaten anyone that is as good as Whittaker. However, Whittaker rarely goes to an offensive wrestling focused gameplan and I think Adesanya throws better volume on the feet. I see this fight staying standing so I’m picking the guy that I view as the better striker.

Happy to stake some BetPoints to back up my talk.

Ok buddy.. Ummm I'm gonna hedge myself with Adesanya by UD/Whittiker ITD.. I never said I'm 100% sold on Whittiker winning this fight, I just think he has a better chance then most MMA guru's are giving him..

No bet point bet on this fight.. I'll look for another one to bet ya though in the future. I know you're a man of you word Hugo and I have no problem betting ya in the future..

[Hugo de Naranja]

Ok buddy.. Ummm I'm gonna hedge myself with Adesanya by UD/Whittiker ITD.. I never said I'm 100% sold on Whittiker winning this fight, I just think he has a better chance then most MMA guru's are giving him..

No bet point bet on this fight.. I'll look for another one to bet ya though in the future. I know you're a man of you word Hugo and I have no problem betting ya in the future..

Sounds good. I think Whittaker ITD/Adesanya Decision is actually a really smart way to play it.

[Demonata]

SOLID Card.. I'm in..

I think you gotta go with Whittiker as he usually finds a way to win fights and has more MMA experience.. Just when you think he's gonna be over matched physically he still wins..

I'm with you on that. So oldest people here on whittaker lol.

[Demonata]

I really hope Whitaker wins. Not a fan of Adesanya at all. He needs to get humbled.

I hate lasagna

[Demonata]

Lasagna too cocky and takes too long. Whittaker going to knock out his goofy ass. Gastelum almost finished him. Couch potato silva had lasted too. Whittaker going to shut down the hype train.

[Hugo de Naranja]

Looks like I’m on Adesanya Island this weekend haha.

[Teem]

Looks like I’m on Adesanya Island this weekend haha.

Nah man, I'm with you on Adesanya. He's an intelligent striker and he's gonna outwork whittaker. Whittaker looked beat to hell on the Countdown. Lot's of surgeries, scarred up. Adesanya has always trained and fought smart and healthy. Said on the countdown he fought 20 times in one year in China. He knows his body. That fight against Kelvin was insane. Adesanya was even going for submissions too. I like his chances against a worn out, beat up Whittaker.

[turbozed]

Looks like I’m on Adesanya Island this weekend haha.

We've been backing Izzy since he debuted in the UFC IIRC. I think he's got a great shot here to win too. Biggest issue is how he will respond to Whittaker's very explosive first and second layer attacks. I think if Whittaker can't get it done in the first round or two, Adesanya will have no problem getting out of the way and countering him later on. This is especially true if he's lost a step due to all those wars and injuries inside and outside of the cage.

For how good Whittaker is he's not a very slick or tricky striker. Adesanya has seen these types in kickboxing before. Different story with MMA though. 4oz gloves vs 8/10oz gloves isn't a big issue because Adesanya doesn't rely on a guard for defense but distancing, footwork, and head movement. Wrestling may be an issue, but we really haven't seen Whittaker use his wrestling offensively. Integrating a wrestling game well into a striking game is something that seems rather rare and takes a great deal of effort. Whittaker is a great fighter, but it's not safe to assume that because he can defend TDs and strike well, that he's also going to do it offensively too. Actually, his blitzing style of striking means that Adesanya is going to be staying at a longer range which should help defend TDs as well. Because Whittaker throws his strikes almost always at 100% speed/power, he's not in a position to turn it into grappling offense.

Adesanya is different from Wonderboy though in that he stands pretty much flat footed and wants to stay in range and balanced to throw counters. Wonderboy is bouncing on his toes back and forth more, which is probably better defense to get out of the way against a blitzing fighter and not get hit with anything big. If Adesanya keeps the same plant and counter strategy against Whittaker as he did against Gastelum, it's going to be more dangerous for him getting caught, but it's also going to put him in great positions to land clean powerful counters against Whittaker, who is very open to them after throwing his own offense. If Whittaker is as aggressive as in his old fights, I think Adesanya has a good chance of putting him out even as early as Rds 2 and 3. Hard to bet against the durability and recoverability of Whittaker though.

[Pinoy-T-X]

Somebody is going to win on the Main Event, If it doesn’t happen it’s gonna be a draw.