Robert Whittaker vs. Israel Adesanya title unifier to headline UFC 243 on Oct. 5

The UFC middleweight title fight everyone has been expecting is now official.

On Friday, the promotion announced that 185-pound champion Robert Whittaker and interim titleholder Israel Adesanya will meet in a unification bout Oct. 5 at UFC 243.

The promotion did not include a location with its announcement on social media. But just last month, UFC president Dana White said to expect a “massive event” in Australia that would featire Whittaker (20-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) vs. Adesanya (17-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) as the headliner.

“I’m going to put on a fight this fall in Australia that’s going to blow the (expletive) doors off of that country,” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie, during the UFC Apex unveiling. “It’s going to be a massive event over there.”

Rising star Adesanya is undefeated in his pro MMA career and has been one of the most active fighters on the UFC roster since his debut last year. He won the interim title in a spectacular back-and-forth battle with Kelvin Gastelum last April, showing the heart of a champ with an incredible barrage in the fifth round to secure a unanimous decision.

Whittaker hasn’t fought since his “Fight of the Year” performance against Yoel Romero in June 2018 at UFC 225, conquering the Cuban for the second straight time. After coaching “The Ultimate Fighter” against Gastelum, Whittaker was scheduled to defend his title on home soil in Melbourne this past February before emergency abdominal hernia surgery forced him out a few hours before the event.

The UFC then went on to schedule the interim title fight between Gastelum and Adesanya at UFC 226.

For more on UFC 243, check out the UFC schedule.