It’s finally official, UFC 243 will be held in Melbourne.
UFC officials announced that the event is set to take place inside Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. It’s a 60,000-seat venue. UFC 243 goes down on Oct. 5 and will be headlined by a middleweight title unification clash between champion Robert Whittaker and interim title holder Israel Adesanya.
Robert Whittaker Comments On Fighting In Marvel Stadium
Whittaker spoke to The Daily Telegraph to give his reaction to the news. Whittaker expressed his joy in being able to compete inside Marvel Stadium.
“So this show, it’s well overdue,” Whittaker said. “And to have the opportunity to potentially fight in front of 60,000 people, I’m absolutely pumped. This fight, it’s going to be a milestone moment, not only for the Australian fight game but combat sports, period. MMA doesn’t often get these sorts of crowds. So to be one of the few fighters ever who gets to perform in front of an audience so large, it’s awesome.”
Whittaker continued:
“And I draw strength and energy from Australian crowds, definitely. There’s also a lot more comforts that I can take advantage of too, like staying at home longer, being around my kids longer, not having to fly across the world. That’s all stuff I can take into the Octagon with me.”
Adesanya and Whittaker have engaged in a bit of banter leading up to the fight. While Adesanya has ripped Whittaker for reposting disparaging memes on social media, “The Reaper” believes it’s a one-way argument. They’ll get to settle their differences this fall.
