UFC 243 post-event facts: Israel Adesanya joins elite company with title win
The UFC returned to Australia on Saturday with UFC 243, which took place at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne with a main card that aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
In the main event, Israel Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) joined an exclusive group of undefeated UFC champions when he became undisputed middleweight titleholder with a second-round knockout of Robert Whittaker (20-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) in the highly anticipated matchup.
It was a monumental moment for Adesanya, but he wasn’t the only one to earn a key win. For more on the numbers, check below 48 post-event facts to come out of UFC 243.
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General
The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $174,000.
Adesanya, Yorgan De Castro, Brad Riddell and earned $50,000 UFC 243 fight-night bonuses.
Debuting fighters went 2-5 on the card.
UFC 243 drew an announced attendance of 57,127 for a live gate of $5,478,345.
UFC 243’s announced attendance of 57,127 is the highest in company history.
Betting favorites went 9-2 on the card.
Betting favorites improved to 15-16 (one fight had even odds, one ended in a no contest) in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 11-bout card was 2:00:53.
Main card
Adesanya became the 13th fighter in UFC history to win an undisputed title with an undefeated record.
Adesanya became the 11th undisputed middleweight champion in UFC history.
Adesanya’s 18-fight winning streak is third longest among active UFC fighters behind Khabib Nurmagomedov (28) and Weili Zhang (20).
Adesanya’s 18-fight winning streak is the longest among active UFC middleweights.
Adesanya’s seven-fight UFC winning streak at middleweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Adesanya has earned 14 of his 18 career victories by stoppage.
Adesanya’s six fight-night bonuses for UFC middleweight bouts are tied for third most in company history behind Anderson Silva (11) and Whittaker (seven).
Whittaker fell to 8-1 since he moved up to the UFC middleweight division in November 2014.
Whittaker has suffered both of his UFC stoppage losses by knockout.
Dan Hooker (19-8 MMA, 9-4 UFC) improved to 6-1 since he moved up to the UFC lightweight division in June 2017.
Hooker earned the first decision win of his UFC career. His previous eight octagon victories came by stoppage.
Hooker earned just the second decision victory of his career and his first since Sept. 3, 2012 – a span of 2,588 days (more than seven years) and 19 fights.
Al Iaquinta (14-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) has suffered four of his six career losses by submission.
Serghei Spivac (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned all 10 of his career victories by stoppage.
Tai Tuivasa (10-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has suffered three consecutive losses after starting his career 10-0.
Tuivasa suffered the first submission loss of his career.
Dhiego Lima (15-7 MMA, 4-5 UFC) improved to 3-2 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in July 2017.
Lima has earned three of his four UFC victories by decision.
Luke Jumeau (13-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered both of his UFC losses by decision.
De Castro (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) became the first fighter from Cape Verde to earn a UFC win.
De Castro has earned five of his six career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all of those wins by knockout.
Justin Tafa (3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his three-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
Preliminary card
Jake Matthews (14-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) improved to 4-1 since he moved up to the UFC welterweight division in November 2017.
Matthews has earned three of his four victories since returning to welterweight by decision.
Rostem Akman (6-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career 6-0.
Akman has suffered both of his career losses by decision.
Callan Potter (18-8 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned his past two victories by decision after his first 16 career wins came by stoppage.
Maki Pitolo (11-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.
Jamie Mullarkey (12-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.
Megan Anderson’s (10-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) two victories in UFC women’s featherweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Cris Cyborg (four).
Anderson’s two stoppage victories in UFC women’s featherweight competition are tied with Cyborg for most in divisional history.
Anderson earned the first triangle choke submission finish in UFC women’s featherweight history.
Anderson earned her first submission victory since Oct. 11, 2014 – a span of 1,820 days (nearly five years) and 10 fights.
Zarah Fairn (6-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of her career.
Ji Yeon Kim (9-2-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) improved to 3-1 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in January 2018.
Nadia Kassem (5-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting her career 5-0.
Kassem has suffered both of her career losses by stoppage.
Kassem suffered the first knockout loss of her career.
Khalid Taha (14-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has earned 12 of his 14 career victories by stoppage. That includes both of his UFC wins.
Bruno Silva (11-4-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has suffered three of his four career losses by stoppage.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.