UFC 243 may turn out to be the massive, oft-discussed Australian event the promotion has been discussing for months.
According to a recent report from Combate’s Raphael Marinho (via Aaron Bronsteter), the event will reportedly head for Melbourne’s 55,000-plus capacity Marvel Stadium this October:
“Combate’s @raphamarinho reports that the UFC will be holding UFC 243 at the 55,000+ capacity Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on October 5.
“Dana White hinted yesterday that they would be bringing the fight between Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya to Australia.”
Report Could Confirm White’s Hint
UFC 243’s official venue has not been officially announced as of this posting. Yet UFC President Dana White claimed he would ‘blow the f***ing doors off’ Australia thanks to a high-profile card this fall. The claim came during a recent media scrum at the new Apex facility yesterday. This report definitely falls in line with White’s suggestion of a fall event.
He also said the awaited Robert Whittaker vs. Israel Adesanya middleweight title bout will headline the monstrous card. White believes the event will therefore be watched by fans the world over. The UFC has had success putting on huge shows in Australia before, of course. UFC 193 brought in more than 54,000 fans to Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium in late 2015.
And it resulted in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. There, Holly Holm knocked out Ronda Rousey to win the women’s bantamweight title, shocking the entire mixed martial arts world as a result.
It will remain to be seen if UFC 243 can surpass that due to it featuring less star power. As mentioned, we’re not certain it will take place at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium just yet. The event will certainly have a chance to do just that if it does. Stay tuned for any updates about the anticipated PPV spectacle as they arise.
Can UFC 243 top UFC 193’s massive numbers from Melbourne?
