5 most shocking UFC moments in Australia
The UFC has visited Australia 17 times since its inception. So far, fans have witnessed several historic moments down under, and we thought we'd rank the most memorable ones.
On that note, here are the five most shocking UFC moments in Australia.
#5. Robert Whittaker wins on home soil – UFC Fight Night 101
Robert Whittaker joined the UFC roster in 2012 after winning The Ultimate Fighter. After going 3-2 in his first five welterweight outings, the Australian moved up to middleweight, where he emerged as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet.
After his first four wins at 185 pounds, Whittaker was paired up with MMA veteran Derek Brunson and the duo headlined a Fight Night in Melbourne, Australia, in 2016.
Whittaker vs Brunson https://t.co/UK2HFTA9r8
The main event delivered on all fronts, winning two post-fight bonuses despite lasting just over four minutes. The back-and-forth affair saw both fighters earn Fight of the Night honors, but Robert Whittaker's impressive TKO victory saw the Aussie come away with two bonus checks.
Whittaker was notably an underdog heading into his fight against Derek Brunson. With his quick win, 'The Reaper' was now seen as a threat to the title, and two fights later, he won the belt.
Notably, on the same night as Whittaker's first main event, then-unknown Alexander Volkanovski made his UFC debut against Yusuke Kasuya, winning via TKO.
26 November 2016
Volkanovski made his UFC debut at 155lbs Vs Yusuke Kasuya. A hellacious beating. https://t.co/oIK0Wwu0OI
#4. Alexander Volkanovski pushes Islam Makhachev to the limit – UFC 284
The UFC's first-ever pay-per-view in Perth, Australia, went down earlier this year. Featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski and lightweight champion Islam Makhachev squared off in the main event, with the former pursuing champ-champ status.
Makhachev ultimately edged a decision win following a very competitive fight.
The full #UFC284 main event scorecards 📝 https://t.co/zCx1YmqcFb
Despite Alexander Volkanovski's exploits in the featherweight division, very few expected him to defeat Islam Makhachev, who is much bigger and holds a distinct grappling advantage.
However, the ensuing fight saw Volkanovki's stock hit new heights as he pushed his Dagestani counterpart to the absolute limit. 'The Great' performed admirably in many of the grappling exchanges and even finished the final round with a knockdown and ground-and-pound.
While Makhachev walked away with a controversial decision win, this rivalry is far from over, and this rematch is seemingly inevitable.
#3. Israel Adesanya wins undisputed gold – UFC 243
Robert Whittaker won eight fights on the bounce upon moving up to the middleweight division. After back-to-back wars with Yoel Romero and Georges St-Pierre's vacation of the 185-pound title, 'The Reaper' was made the divisional champion.
New Zealand's Israel Adesanya then won the interim championship, paving the way for a historic Aussie vs. Kiwi title unification bout.
Israel Adesanya just changed the walkout game 🤯
@stylebender #UFC243 https://t.co/fyj6zHuqCd
Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya locked horns in the main event of UFC 243 at the Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, with over 57,000 fans in attendance, a record that stands to this day. Whittaker was the slight betting favorite as Adesanya, although a good striker, wasn't very well-rounded.
Adesanya put on a masterclass on the night. 'The Last Stylebender' dropped his Australian counterpart towards the end of the first round and found the mark again in the second, finishing the fight this time. This marked the start of his historic title reign, which stands only behind Anderson Silva in terms of longevity.
The fight that saw Adesanya win undisputed gold remains one of the milestone moments in Oceanic MMA history.
BIG DRAMA IN MELBOURNE!
@stylebender knocks out Robert Whittaker in the second round #UFC243 https://t.co/1vcIOI8gxo
#2. Sean Strickland outclasses Israel Adesanya – UFC 293
Israel Adesanya was widely expected to take on Dricus du Plessis in a grudge match in Sydney this past weekend. However, an injury to the South African challenger saw Sean Strickland step in. While many believed this matchup to be nothing more than a formality for the champion, the MMA gods delivered another shocking upset.
Israel Adesanya, classed as one of the greatest strikers ever, was seen as a nightmare matchup for Sean Strickland, who doesn't really have an imposing grappling game to exploit the champion's shortcomings. However, the challenger somehow defeated Adesanya at his own game.
Using forward pressure, elite defense, and constant output, Strickland walked down Adesanya for almost the entirety of the fight and ultimately came away with a lopsided decision win. Incredibly, the American didn't attempt a single takedown and even dropped 'The Last Stylebender' in the first round.
While we have seen dominant champions lose their belt via a flash knockout or submission, we rarely witness a specialist get completely outclassed in his own strengths.
#1. Holly Holm dethrones Ronda Rousey – UFC 193
Our top entry doesn't even feature a fighter from down under, yet remains one of the most jaw-dropping moments in the history of combat sports.
At @EtihadStadiumAU, @RondaRousey vs. @_HOLLYHOLM face off for #UFC193!! Pre-sale 'UFCSOCIAL': bit.ly/1KchBsj http://t.co/ItPxrhae3s
Back in 2015, Ronda Rousey was the face of the UFC. 'Rowdy' single-handedly convinced Dana White to include women in the famed promotion and was a dominant champion in the bantamweight division heading into the fall of 2015.
At the time, Rousey's record stood at 12-0, with nine submissions and three knockouts. The budding superstar racked up four straight first-round finishes before taking on her next challenger, Holly Holm, in Melbourne, Australia.
Holm made Rousey look like an amateur on the night, bamboozling the champion with pin-point striking and evasive movements. One minute into the second round, 'The Preacher's Daughter' landed a flush head-kick, capping off among the biggest upsets ever.
November 14, 2015: Holly Holm knocks out Ronda Rousey at #UFC193 in Melbourne to win the Women’s Bantamweight Championship https://t.co/uYJ1B3xENA