Sorry, Dan Hooker, but it’s not your turn. That was the response, in essence, from Dustin Poirier, after the victorious Hooker called him out at UFC 243 in Melbourne, Australia. The PPV card had Hooker in the co-main event spot on Saturday night. And he made the most of it, putting on a one-sided showing against Al Iaquinta.

Post-fight, ‘The Hangman’ kept things short and sweet. “I’m going to smash your face in,” he said, addressing Poirier. “Meet me in New Zealand 2020, and I’m going to end you!”

Well, pump the brakes on that idea. Taking to Twitter to respond, Poirier announced that “I’m fighting the Irishman next. You’re close but not yet buddy keep punching.”

I'm fighting the Irishman next. You're close but not yet buddy keep punching @danthehangman

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) October 6, 2019

Poirier has been one of the more frequent suggestions for Conor McGregor’s return fight, expected to take place in early 2020. The pair fought once before, with McGregor knocking Poirier out at featherweight in 2014. Both fighters are coming off losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov. Other options for McGregor include Cowboy Cerrone, and Justin Gaethje.

Hooker’s own Twitter response? “Quit chasing leprechauns, let’s scrap.”

Quit chasing leprechauns, let's scrap.

— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) October 6, 2019

Poirier would later suggest a bout between Hooker and Cowboy Cerrone. Regardless of what fight actually gets made, there are a lot of interesting options among the top lightweights at the moment, with Tony Ferguson likely next for champion Khabib.

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In the end, it was as advertised. The middleweight title unification bout between Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya at UFC 243 was worth the wait. Right from the walkout, that saw Adesanya with his own dance troupe, pulling off a flip that no doubt had UFC officials holding their breath.

But soon enough he was in the cage, ‘The Reaper’ taking big swings at him. Yet much like the fighter Adesanya is oft compared with, Anderson Silva, he was able to lean back, slip punches, and counter with pinpoint accuracy. And in the end it was a counter that rocked Whittaker. Another sent him crashing to the mat.

18-0. Undisputed middleweight champion. Israel Adesanya proved to be the real deal on Saturday at UFC 243.

There were other star turns on the night. Brad Riddell had a Fight of the Night worthy effort. Dan Hooker looked as good as ever against Al Iaquinta, and called out Dustin Poirier afterward. Megan Anderson returned to the win column.

Catch up with some of the night’s biggest winners at the UFC 243 post-fight press conference. The live stream of which you can find above (starting at 1:15AM ET, subject to change).

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UFC 243 is headlined by one of the most anticipated main events in a long time. Middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will look to officially defend his title for the first time against former kickboxing star and interim champion Israel Adesanya.

Whittaker started the fight with a lead leg side kick then hunted for some hooks. A right hand landed for the champion. Whittaker was fighting in bursts, sending Adesanya backwards with a jab. Adesanya let a jab go after another rush from Whittaker, but he couldn’t match Whittaker’s output in the early going. The leg kicks continued to come in from Whittaker, then there was an eyepoke from the champion that led to a brief pause. While Whittaker was striking more, he was having trouble finding the target (aside from his leg kicks). The head movement from Adesanya continued to be impressive, but he simply wasn’t striking much. At the very end of the round, Israel Adesanya landed a beautiful right hand that flattened Whittaker. He popped back up and returned to his corner, not taking any follow-ups because the bell had sounded.

Adesanya drops Whittaker as the horn sounds in round 1! Wow! #UFC243 pic.twitter.com/lR0ss8amj8

— UFC (@ufc) October 6, 2019

Whittaker charged in and landed a right to kick off the round. Whittaker landed a charging left, then another. A solid bounce back for Whittaker in the second round. Adesanya began firing his jab more often, as Whittaker continued to charge in. Adesanya started letting his hands go, landing a combination after firing off a head kick. A left hook connected for Whittaker, then a head kick after an exchange. Whittaker started to force exchanges in the pocket, where he was finding success. He landed a lunging left that snapped Adesanya’s head back. However, Adesanya landed a right hook to left hook combination that sent the champ stumbling, and he was out. We have a new champion.

Naija stand up! HE'S DONE IT!@Stylebender finishes Whittaker in the 2nd round! Wow! #UFC243 pic.twitter.com/IS1f8lL8Lt

— UFC (@ufc) October 6, 2019

Israel Adesanya def. Robert Whittaker by KO (Left Hook) in Round 2 (3:33)

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The UFC 243 co-main event is a lightweight scrap between fan-friendly fighters in Al Iaquinta and Dan Hooker. Iaquinta has approached the pinnacle, receiving a title shot on short notice against Khabib Nurmagomedov and putting forth a spirited effort. Since then, he’s defeated Kevin Lee and fallen to Donald Cerrone, his first non-title loss since 2014. Hooker is 5-1 in his last six, with the one being a brutal loss to Edson Barboza. Those six fights have been since he moved up to lightweight, which has been a great decision.

Hooker began the fight with a leg kick and Iaquinta responded with a big swing that went over the head of a ducking Hooker. The New Zealander stayed busy with the leg kick then ate a body kick from Iaquinta. The pair began exchanging hooks, and one wobbled Iaquinta. After eating a few more shots, Iaquinta began shooting for takedowns. He caught a kick that hit him below the belt, but drove through it for a takedown effort. Hooker sprawled and blasted Iaquinta with elbows. Iaquinta was rocked, and went for a guillotine, then got full mount, followed by back control. Iaquinta survived and stood up with little time, but his lead leg was compromised. A few desperate hooks came up short before time expired.

Iaquinta came out aggressively in round two, closing the distance and walking through shots. Iaquinta came up short on a few takedown attempts, then nailed Hooker with a pair of overhand rights. Hooker stayed strong, but was starting to get hit more. Another leg kick wobbled Iaquinta, then he went deep for a takedown. He nearly secured it twice, but Hooker’s takedown defense was too strong. When they returned to the feet, a right hook nailed Iaquinta and knocked him down. Hooker wasn’t able to get the finish as Iaquinta went for an ankle lock as time expired.

Down two rounds, Iaquinta came out aggressive, but his movement was limited. Hooker landed an inside elbow and a big right hand that rocked Iaquinta on separate occasions. Iaquinta was struggling to get inside the reach of Hooker. A jab stayed in the face of Iaquinta to limit his advances. Late in the round, another leg kick downed Iaquinta. Overall, an excellent performance for Dan Hooker.

Hooker called out the most recent title challenger, Dustin Poirier, for a bout in 2020.

Dan Hooker def. Al Iaquinta by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x2, 30-26)

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Tai Tuivasa entered UFC 243 in Melbourne, Australia looking to snap a two-fight losing streak — the first two losses of his career. Fighting Sergey Spivak, he had an opportunity to right the ship after coming up short against Junior Dos Santos and Blagoy Ivanov.

It did not, however, go as planned. Tuivasa kicked out Spivak’s legs from under him early, then added a few hammer fists for good measure. Spivak made it back up, ate another leg kick, and had to contend with an uppercut and right hand. Spivak, however, caught a leg and dumped Tuivasa on his back. ‘Bam Bam’ scrambled back to the fence and wall-walked up, successfully escaping any harm. Tuivasa would throw a standing elbow that landed; Spivak would get him to the ground again, but Tuivasa would power up and attack on the way up.

Another throw by Spivak had Tuivasa down in the final ninety seconds, and this time, the fight stayed down. Spivak was in side control, working on a front choke, but Tuivasa would escape, with the crowd roaring their approval. A double-leg takedown followed, and it was clear Tuivasa needed to stop the takedown at all costs heading into the second.

Spivak threw a big overhand right to start the second, then changed levels and shot in for the takedown. Landing that, Tuivasa was once again on the ground, back to the fence. Back up they would trade knees, and Tuivasa would fire off a punch over the top. Another takedown would come at the three minute mark, the seventh takedown Spivak had landed to that point. This takedown got ugly. Spivak began landing some hard punches on Tuivasa, bloodying him. He then locked in an arm-triangle choke, and Tuivasa went out! Sergey Spivak, a big underdog coming in, had his first UFC win, handing Tuivasa his third straight defeat.

Official Result: Sergey Spivak def. Tai Tuivasa by technical submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 2, 3:14

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Dhiego Lima, brother of former Bellator welterweight champ Douglas Lima, was back in action at UFC 243 in Melbourne, Australia. There, he took on local favorite Luke Jumeau. Jumeau, a.k.a. ‘The Jedi,’ was a New Zealand native fighting for the first time since 2018.

Lima went to the body early, while Jumeau stayed on the outside. He was looking for a way in, and started with an outside leg kick. Lima would launch a kick of his own moments later; that was followed by another. Single strikes and kicks were the story early on, with neither men getting combinations off. An eye poke by Jumeau then halted the action, but Lima was good to continue.

Back underway, Jumeau was already showing the effects of the leg kicks he had eaten. Lima, as if sensing that, fired another one.

In the second, a brief flirtation with the ground after a leg kick didn’t last, with Jumeau coming right back up. Lima would later catch a kick and try to get his opponent down again; again Jumeau popped back up. They’d go to work along the fence, Lima in control. They’d break; back in the open, Lima would circle on the outside. Again, a slow pace commenced, until the latter part of the round, where an explosive exchange saw both men landing. Jumeau connected with an uppercut. Lima, however, would get Jumeau down against the fence. From there, he’d fire off some short left hands, while Jumeau tried to explode out. He did, just prior to the buzzer.

The third had Jumeau down on the scorecards and in need of a finish. That didn’t seem likely unless ‘The Jedi’ committed to an attack that involved more than a single strike. Lima, meanwhile, continued to unleash those nasty leg kicks. In the end they’d go the distance, and when it came to the scorecards, well, two of them got it right. One judge saw it for Jumeau, for reasons unknown.

Official Result: Dhiego Lima def. Luke Jumeau by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

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With Holly Holm injured and her fight with Raquel Pennington off the UFC 243 card, it was heavyweights opening the PPV. Justin Tafa, a protege of sorts of Mark Hunt, was set to take on Yorgan De Castro, the undefeated Contender Series alum.

Heavyweight fights being what they are, there was a feeling that Tafa vs. De Castro would either end very quickly, or turn into a grueling affair.

It was the former. Tafa held center early and almost immediately tagged De Castro with a right hand. That led to some grappling against the cage, then an exchange, and a solid kick by De Castro. Tafa then drove his opponent into the cage again, with De Castro holding onto an over-hook.

After the break, Tafa would connect with an uppercut. But as the Aussie heavyweight moved in, De Castro absolutely leveled him with a right hand. It was a walk-off knockout reminiscent of Mark Hunt, but it wasn’t his fighter getting the finish on Saturday night in Melbourne. A thunderous debut for De Castro, who thanked the crowd and wished a quick recovery for Tafa post-fight.

WALK-OFF KO!@DeCastroYorgan puts Tafa down with one punch in the first! #UFC243 pic.twitter.com/QmXpyiR0Er

— UFC (@ufc) October 6, 2019

Official Result: Yorgan de Castro def. Justin Tafa by knockout, Round 1, 2:10

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TUF Nations veteran Jake Matthews headed into his 12th octagon outing at UFC 243. The 25-year old ‘Celtic Kid’ entered the fight off a loss to Anthony Rocco Martin last December. However, prior to that, he’d run up three straight wins — and looked to get back in the win column at home against Rostem Akman, who was 0-1 in the promotion to start the night.

Matthew’s chopped away at Akman’s lead leg early, while Akman had his hands going. Matthews would fire off a high kick that was blocked. He looked light on his feet, and that movement would be key against the powerful Rostem Akman.

For all of Akman’s power, however, he fought a measured fight early. And it was Matthews clipping his opponent first, with a right hand. That punch would land several times for the Australian.

In the second, Matthews continued to show the better movement of the two, circling. He’d catch Akman early in the frame. Akman would throw a counter-right on a Matthews entry, but the hometown favorite appeared no worse for the wear.

Matthews would touch his opponent with a front kick, a glancing blow. But neither man seemed to really get going. By the third, Akman was lagging behind, mainly due to accuracy issues. A takedown would do him a world of good, but it never came. He seemed committed to trade with Matthews. It was Matthews who would take the back later in the round, wrenching Akman to the mat. However, he was unable to keep him there. The sudden shift to grappling ate more time that Akman desperately needed, however, and it was Matthews landing off the break.

Official Result: Jake Matthews def. Rostem Akman by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Fresh off his Dana White’s Contender Series win, Maki Pitolo made his UFC debut against Australian’s own Callan Potter on the UFC 243 preliminary card.

Pitolo was dropping back down to welterweight for this bout, for the first time since 2017. He made his Contender Series appearance up at middleweight, knocking out Justin Sumter in under two minutes. The 28-year-old has fought in several promotions, including Bellator, Cage Fury Fighting Championships, Victory FC and X-1. Pitolo has finished 75% of his wins, 50% via knockout and 25% via submission.

Potter made his UFC debut back in February, getting knocked out by Jalin Turner in 53 seconds. The 35-year-old has finished 16 of his 17 wins, but has also been finished in all eight of his losses. Potter has faced Marcin Held and Jake Matthews in the past, losing to both of them via first-round submission. Now, Potter looks for his first UFC win in his home country.

Both fighters made the welterweight weight limit, Pitolo weighing 170-pounds and Potter weighing 171-pounds.

Round 1:

Both men touched gloves to start the first round. Potter landed a left hand early, although there was no power behind it. He landed another strike not too long after, and this time he got his opponent’s attention. Both men were wildly swinging in the first round to that point. Both men have been stunned whilst exchanging through the opening two minutes. Potter attempted a takedown but Pitolo reversed and managed to attempt a rear-naked-choke. Potter survived the choke attempt and got top position against the cage against Pitolo.  They got back to the feet and started exchanging wildly again. Pitolo was landing more often throughout the first round but Potter could miss with his left hand and was the aggressor through the first round.

Cageside Press scored the round 10-9 Potter. 

Round 2:

Throughout the first minute, both men exchanged on the feet with Pitolo landing the better shots. Potter was looking for the clinch and his left hand but Pitolo did a better job early in the second round to keep it into this range. Pitolo attempted his own takedown within the clinch, but Potter defended. Both men battled for positional control before getting broken up by the referee with 90 seconds to go. Pitolo was eating shots as Potter was coming forward, and managed to get back into the clinch position. Both men exchanged strikes after being broken up by the referee to end the round.

Cageside Press scored the round 10-9 Pitolo.

Round 3:

Early within the third round, Potter managed to take Pitolo down and had top control in Pitolo’s guard 20 seconds into the third round. Potter got sloppy with his position though, and Pitolo managed to get out of the bottom position. After a scramble both men went back to the feet. Potter managed to get a second takedown on Pitolo shortly after, this time getting top position in half guard. Potter managed to keep Pitolo on the ground this time, landing short strikes on the ground to his tired opponent. Potter got to mount and kept Pitolo down for the rest of the round.

Cageside Press scored the round 10-9 Potter. 

Official Result: Callan Potter def. Maki Pitolo via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Two UFC newcomers made their UFC debuts on the UFC 243 preliminary card, as Brad Riddell faced Jamie Mullarkey in a lightweight contest.

Riddell entered the contest having won his last three bouts, all in 2019. The City Kickboxing product has a kickboxing background and also holds a knockout win over UFC Fighter Kenan Song back in 2017. Most recently prior to UFC 243, Riddell went to the scorecards for the first time, defeating Mikey Vaotuua via decision at Wollongong Wars 7 back in July.

Mullarkey entered the bout on a four-fight win streak, with all four wins coming via stoppage. The 25-year-old had finished 11 of his 12 wins, seven via (T)KO and four via submission. Mullarkey fought top UFC featherweight contender Alexander Volkanovski in 2016 and is a former BRACE featherweight champion.

Both fighters made weight, both weighing in at 156-pounds for the non-title contest.

Round 1:

Both fighters touched gloves to kick off the contest. Mullarkey landed a nice jab early, causing Riddell to return shortly after with a right hand. Riddell followed up with a combination, which ended with a leg kick seconds later. Riddell threw several combinations through the first 90 seconds, ending it with a leg kick each time. Mullarkey attempted a right hand that missed the target. Riddell landed an overhand right two minutes into the contest but Mullarkey absorbed it well. Mullarkey attempted a takedown almost three minutes into the first round but Riddell defended the initial shot well, although Mullarkey managed to push Riddell against the cage. They would break after a minute and went back to the middle of the Octagon. Riddell landed to the body and then landed with a combination to the head of Mullarkey. They both traded to end the round.

Cageside Press scored the round 10-9 Riddell. 

Round 2:

Riddell started off firing early in the second round, when he landed a combination seconds into the round. Mullarkey went for a takedown after Riddell landed a leg kick, which he got but Riddell managed to get back to his feet. Mullarkey managed to catch a body kick a minute later and this time Mullarkey managed to keep top position. Riddell managed to reverse Mullarkey seconds after though, but Mullarkey went for a single leg takedown to try to regain the dominant position. Riddell managed to defend the takedown and get back into the middle of the Octagon. Riddell landed a leg kick shortly after, and landed a big left hook with a minute left into the round. Mullarkey attempted another takedown, but Riddell defended. Mullarkey went for another takedown, and this time Riddell managed to reverse position to get into mount. Riddell attempted a rear-naked choke, but Mullarkey defended and managed to reverse Riddell at the very end of the round.

Cageside Press scored the round 10-9 Riddell. 

Round 3:

Seconds into the third, Riddell again landed big shots to kick off the round, firstly a leg kick which was followed by a knee. Riddell managed to get his own takedown early into the third round after securing a reactive double leg. However, Riddell let Mullarkey up seconds later to get back to the feet. Riddell landed a big left hook, which staggered Mullarkey. Both men exchanging, and Mullarkey managed to come back and wobble Riddell himself. Mullarkey went for a takedown, attempted a rear-naked choke but Riddell managed to get back the feet. Riddell stunned Mullarkey again but Mullarkey managed to get it to the ground although Riddell landed on top. With over a minute left, Riddell is landing shots on top but stood up. Both men traded for the last minute but Mullakrey managed to survive and hear the final horn. Great third round between the UFC newcomers.

Cageside Press scored the round 10-8 Riddell. 

Official Result: Brad Riddell def. Jamie Mullarkey by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 30-26)

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