Getty Israel Adesanya
You can order UFC 243 through ESPN+ right here. For pricing details and an event preview, read on below.
A middleweight title unification bout between Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya will headline UFC 243 at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.
While the event starts Sunday locally, the early prelims (6:45 p.m. ET), prelims (8 p.m. ET) and main card (10 p.m. ET) will be on their normal Saturday times in the United States.
If you want to order UFC 243, you can purchase it exclusively through ESPN+ right here. There are a couple different pricing options, so here’s a rundown on how to order the UFC 243 PPV, which is on sale now:
How to Order UFC 243 PPV
You need a subscription to ESPN+ to purchase UFC 243, so your options for ordering are dependent on whether or not you’re already an ESPN+ subscriber:
If You Don’t Have ESPN+: You can get a special deal that includes a one-year subscription to ESPN+ ($49.99 value) and UFC 243 ($59.99 value) for just $79.98.
You can purchase that bundle right here, and you’ll then be able to watch the UFC 243 early prelims card (ESPN+) and the main card (ESPN+ PPV) on any of the ESPN digital platforms (more on that below)
If You Already Have ESPN+: You can buy UFC 243 right here for $59.99. You will also be given the option for the special bundle price if you simply want to extend your current ESPN+ subscription by a year and get UFC 243 for a total of $79.98.
Where to Watch UFC 243
Once you’re signed up for ESPN+ and you’ve purchased the PPV, there are a number of different ways you can watch Whittaker vs. Adesanya and the UFC 243 main card.
You can watch the fights on your computer via ESPN.com, or you can watch on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or other compatible streaming device via the ESPN app.
For all of those options, you’ll need to sign in with your ESPN+ account to watch.
UFC 243 Preview
The expected sellout of the 56,214-seat arena would break the promotion’s attendance record, set at UFC 129 in Toronto’s Rogers Centre.
Whittaker, a New Zealand-born Australian, took the division’s interim strap by besting Yoel Romero at UFC 213, then was elevated to undisputed champion after Georges St-Pierre vacated the title.
Adesanya, who won his interim belt via a unanimous-decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 while Whittaker recovered from surgery, claimed responsibility for UFC 243’s potentially record-breaking draw.
“We have to just be honest. We can’t just lie about it,” the Nigeria-born Kiwi said, according to MMA News. “I’ve been the one pushing the culture forward for fighting down here with my team. And he, unfortunately, hasn’t been because, unfortunately, he’s been pulling out sick.
“And that’s OK. I called in sick back in my old job once in a while. I know the vibes. But, yeah, I’m the one pushing the culture forward, so let’s put it this way: if it was anyone else with Rob, it would not be in Marvel stadium. It wouldn’t sell out the way it has been. But because it’s me, that’s why.”
As is his wont, Whittaker has avoided engaging in trash talk in the lead-up to the fight.
“If it had become personal, I would have taken care of it personally,” Whittaker said, according to MMA Junkie. “He’s just selling the fight, and he’s being human, and he’s running his own thing, and I’m happy for that. It takes work off my plate. But I can’t be anybody but myself. I’m just doing the same thing I always do.
“I find a lot of what he says funny. I get a good chuckle out of it, so yeah, it definitely has not affected me. I look forward to fighting him on Sunday just because he’s a good fighter, plus he wants it.”
Main Card (10 p.m. ET on PPV)
Robert Whittaker (champion) vs. Israel Adesanya (interim champion), middleweight
Al Iaquinta vs. Dan Hooker, lightweight
Tai Tuivasa vs. Sergey Spivac, heavyweight
Luke Jumeau vs. Dhiego Lima, welterweight
Justin Tafa vs. Yorgan de Castro, heavyweight
Preliminary Card (8 p.m. ET on ESPN2)
Jake Matthews vs. Rosten Akman, welterweight
Callan Potter vs. Maki Pitolo, welterweight
Jamie Mullarkey vs. Brad Riddell, lightweight
Megan Anderson vs. Zairh Fairn dos Santos, women’s featherweight
Early Preliminary Card (6:45 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass)
Nadia Kassem vs. Ji Yeon Kim, women’s flyweight
Khalid Taha vs. Bruno Silva, bantamweight