Whittaker or Adesanya: Which Champ is Better for the UFC’s Business Model?
The ordering process for Ultimate Fighting Championship
pay-per-views has changed: UFC 243 is only available on ESPN+ in the
U.S.
Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.
* * *
On Oct. 5, one of the most anticipated matchups of the year will take place at UFC 243 when interim middleweight champion Israel Adesanya faces off against 185-pound titleholder Robert Whittaker at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. The fight comes after Adesanya defeated Kelvin Gastelum for the interim strap in an absolute war at UFC 236, bringing “Stylebender” to 6-0 in the UFC and 17-0 overall. It will technically be Whittaker’s first defense of the middleweight belt since being promoted to undisputed champion back in 2017, as “The Reaper” has been plagued by a series of injuries and the last time he fought back at UFC 225 Yoel Romero missed weight, making it a non-title bout.
On track to break the UFC’s attendance record in Australia, UFC 243 is a big deal for the promotion in what has been historically one of its strongest overseas markets. The main event of the card being billed as New Zealand vs. Australia by many outlets has captured the excitement of fans down under and their nearby neighbors, and one can hardly blame them. Given the level of talent that both athletes possess and their respective performances during their most recent fights, the bout could very well have the makings of a “Fight of the Year” contender.
So between Whittaker and Adesanya, which champion would be better for business? It comes down to a couple of factors: How exciting they are in the Octagon, their marketability and longevity.
In terms of being exciting to watch, both fit the bill extremely well. Whittaker is currently on a nine-fight win streak with knockouts over names like Derek Brunson and Ronaldo Souza and has had two career-defining matches against Yoel Romero. Adesanya, on the other hand, has gotten progressively more exciting in each of his bouts in the UFC, with head-turning striking that has captivated audiences and given him a somewhat meteoric rise in the promotion. No matter who ends up with the belt, the UFC doesn’t have to worry about having a boring middleweight ruler.
Outside of the Octagon, Adesanya certainly seems to be the bigger presence. Whether it's trading barbs with the light heavyweight champion or taking shots at Whittaker for being injury prone, the 30-year-old Nigerian isn’t bashful when it comes to selling his fights and has a certain swagger about him. The current champion, while charismatic in his own right, tends to be far more respectful and polite in his callouts, rarely engaging in pre- or post-fight antics that are of much note. Despite both having plenty of marketability and pay-per-view buys being far less important than they used to be for the organization, the UFC brand tends to favor someone like Adesanya who stirs the pot and makes things interesting.
When it comes to longevity, Whittaker seems to be somewhat fragile as of late. On average only fighting a couple of times a year, “Bobby Knuckles” has pulled out of two scheduled title defenses in the past two years due to injury and illness, hence never technically defending his title (though in this author’s opinion his fight with Romero at UFC 225 speaks for itself). “The Last Stylebender” meanwhile has competed six times in the past 14 months and shows little sign of slowing down, especially if he ends up with gold wrapped around his waist. In this regard, there’s no doubt that the UFC would rather prefer Adesanya as champion to keep Oceania card headliners intact.
After comparing the two, it seems that Adesanya is a better fit for the UFC’s business model, although not by an exceptional amount. Despite that, Whittaker has proven to have some pull in the region, and the UFC doesn’t suffer any setbacks from him retaining the belt come fight night (It’s not a Zhang vs. Andrade situation after all). Regardless of who wins, the UFC and fans of both fighters are all rooting for one thing in common at UFC 243 -- an instant classic.
Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.
Advertisement
On Oct. 5, one of the most anticipated matchups of the year will take place at UFC 243 when interim middleweight champion Israel Adesanya faces off against 185-pound titleholder Robert Whittaker at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. The fight comes after Adesanya defeated Kelvin Gastelum for the interim strap in an absolute war at UFC 236, bringing “Stylebender” to 6-0 in the UFC and 17-0 overall. It will technically be Whittaker’s first defense of the middleweight belt since being promoted to undisputed champion back in 2017, as “The Reaper” has been plagued by a series of injuries and the last time he fought back at UFC 225 Yoel Romero missed weight, making it a non-title bout.
On track to break the UFC’s attendance record in Australia, UFC 243 is a big deal for the promotion in what has been historically one of its strongest overseas markets. The main event of the card being billed as New Zealand vs. Australia by many outlets has captured the excitement of fans down under and their nearby neighbors, and one can hardly blame them. Given the level of talent that both athletes possess and their respective performances during their most recent fights, the bout could very well have the makings of a “Fight of the Year” contender.
When the dust settles, however, there will only be one champion.
While both Whittaker and Adesanya have amassed a sizeable fanbase
among hardcore MMA enthusiasts, the winner of the main event at UFC
243 has the potential to become a breakout star, especially if the
fight is one to remember. As the UFC looks to continue its
international expansion and secure similar broadcast and venue deals in
Oceania as it has in China and United Arab Emirates, the promotion
will be looking to the star power of the 185-pound king to help
those agreements come to pass, whomever that may be.
So between Whittaker and Adesanya, which champion would be better for business? It comes down to a couple of factors: How exciting they are in the Octagon, their marketability and longevity.
In terms of being exciting to watch, both fit the bill extremely well. Whittaker is currently on a nine-fight win streak with knockouts over names like Derek Brunson and Ronaldo Souza and has had two career-defining matches against Yoel Romero. Adesanya, on the other hand, has gotten progressively more exciting in each of his bouts in the UFC, with head-turning striking that has captivated audiences and given him a somewhat meteoric rise in the promotion. No matter who ends up with the belt, the UFC doesn’t have to worry about having a boring middleweight ruler.
Outside of the Octagon, Adesanya certainly seems to be the bigger presence. Whether it's trading barbs with the light heavyweight champion or taking shots at Whittaker for being injury prone, the 30-year-old Nigerian isn’t bashful when it comes to selling his fights and has a certain swagger about him. The current champion, while charismatic in his own right, tends to be far more respectful and polite in his callouts, rarely engaging in pre- or post-fight antics that are of much note. Despite both having plenty of marketability and pay-per-view buys being far less important than they used to be for the organization, the UFC brand tends to favor someone like Adesanya who stirs the pot and makes things interesting.
When it comes to longevity, Whittaker seems to be somewhat fragile as of late. On average only fighting a couple of times a year, “Bobby Knuckles” has pulled out of two scheduled title defenses in the past two years due to injury and illness, hence never technically defending his title (though in this author’s opinion his fight with Romero at UFC 225 speaks for itself). “The Last Stylebender” meanwhile has competed six times in the past 14 months and shows little sign of slowing down, especially if he ends up with gold wrapped around his waist. In this regard, there’s no doubt that the UFC would rather prefer Adesanya as champion to keep Oceania card headliners intact.
After comparing the two, it seems that Adesanya is a better fit for the UFC’s business model, although not by an exceptional amount. Despite that, Whittaker has proven to have some pull in the region, and the UFC doesn’t suffer any setbacks from him retaining the belt come fight night (It’s not a Zhang vs. Andrade situation after all). Regardless of who wins, the UFC and fans of both fighters are all rooting for one thing in common at UFC 243 -- an instant classic.
Related Articles
