Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) finally has a location set for its upcoming UFC 243: “Whittaker vs. Adesanya” blockbuster pay-per-view (PPV) event on ESPN+, scheduled for Oct. 6, 2019 (but airing stateside on Sat., Oct. 5).
Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
With a nearly 60,000-seat capacity, UFC 243 has the potential to set the promotion’s all-time attendance record. That’s why local heroes and bitter rivals, middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and interim 185-pound titleholder Israel Adesanya, are charged with headlining the championship show.
“So this show, it’s well overdue, and to have the opportunity to potentially fight in front of 60,000 people, I’m absolutely pumped,” Whittaker told The Daily Telegraph. “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.”
UFC and Marvel Stadium already share existing attendance records, thanks to the UFC 193: “Rousey vs. Holm” PPV back in late 2015, which drew a staggering 56,214 fans. Holm upset Rousey by way of thunderous second-round knockout.
Whittaker hails from Sydney while Adesanya fights out of nearby Auckland, and no doubt UFC will be looking to stack this card with additional hometown heroes like Alexander Volkanovski, who may be in line for the winner of Max Holloway vs. Frankie Edgar.
Ticket information is expected in the coming weeks.