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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Alex Pattle

Israel Adesanya: ‘I’ve beaten everyone with the old blueprint – I want to refresh my art’

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Israel Adesanya’s ascension to UFC middleweight champion came in front of a fittingly seismic backdrop, inspiring a fittingly divisive reaction.

Never in UFC history have as many fans gathered for a fight night as on 5 October 2019, when more than 57,000 packed out the Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. One narrative thread running through the main event of UFC 243 was familiar to many sporting fans, with Whittaker in one corner representing Australia, and Nigerian-born Adesanya standing across the Octagon representing New Zealand.

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