“The Reaper” saw his middleweight championship reign come to an end on Saturday night in Melbourne, Australia, when he was finished via strikes by Israel Adesanya.
Adesanya, the interim champ, unified the middleweight title in the second round of the UFC 243 main event, handing Whittaker his second knockout loss and first setback at 185 pounds. Whittaker hadn’t fallen short since February 2014.
The fallen champ’s fight with Adesanya took place almost entirely on the feet, a strategy that may have surprised some, given that “The Last Stylebender” is known for his striking expertise.