Main card (Be sure to refresh regularly for latest updates)
Main event - Jon Jones v Thiago Santos - Jones wins via split decision
Round five - Santos hanging in there impressively but Jones continues to go to work on the Brazilian's injured knee. Santos rushes Jones with some 'Hail Mary' power shots, Jones up to the task and responds with more shots to the knee. Final hooter sounds and the two embrace, this should be a UD win for the champ. Kudos for Santos for staying in the fight after sustaining that significant early knee injury, may well have been an ACL tear.
Round four - Santos going for it now, blitzes to open the round but Jones evades the danger. Jones really attacking Santos' leg now, from all angles. Santos clearly hurting, big round for the champ.
Round three - Replays suggest Santos is certainly injured, not that you'd know it with the aggression he's striking with. Jones eats a couple of shot but counters with a stinging leg kick that sweep Santos' injured leg from underneath him. Spinning back kick to the body from Jones to follow an elbow that's opened a cut on Santos' brow. Jones starting to turn up the volume now, Santos begins to show signs of fatigue as the shots mount up. Santos doing some damage with his inside leg kick though, welt rising on Jones' lead leg. Clear round for Jones there.
Round two - Santos twists awkardly on an ankle, fears he may be hurt dispelled with some agressive offensive, winding up on his shots now. Still tender on the left knee, however. Jones pressing the action, clearly wary of Santos' power. Booming left body kick sends Santos off balance and into the fence, he's not stable on that leg at all. Not that Santos is worried, follows with a heavy right-hand, leg kick combo. Santos edged that one in my books.
Round one - Both fighters feeling each other out to start. Leg kicks exchanged, Jones slowly stalking Santos. Spinning back elbow just misses its target, Santos feisty with the counter shots. The Brazilian patiently awaiting his chance to throw heat, yet to find the mark. Spinning back kick from Jones as the buzzer sounds, may have clinched him a tight opening round.
4pm - So much show-stopping action and we still have a Jon Jones fight remaining. Beautiful.
Amanda Nunes v Holly Holm - Nunes wins via first-round KO
Round one - Head kick from Nunes! Holm goes down, the fairies are swirling and this one is done. What a performance for undeniably the women's GOAT.
3:33pm - Co-main event - can the 'Preacher's Daughter' shock the world again and tame the 'Lioness'?
Ben Askren v Jorge Masvidal - Masvidal wins via first-round KO
Round one - Masvidal blitzes with a flying knee from the opening bell to send Askren flat and out cold! Five-second flying knee KO! That's the new fastest knockout in UFC history. Masvidal knew Askren would duck and shoot immediately and that's precisely what happened, opening himself up for a flush knee. The Cuban followed with two heavy shots then spent a moment taking smack to the lifeless Askren, who'd done a fair amount of his own talk leading up to this one.
3:12pm - 'Funky' Askren enters to Parliament's seminal 'Give up the Funk', followed by a chest-pounding, self-jabbing 'Gamebred' Masvidal. This is the match-up I'm here for. Who will get the next shot at Usman's strap?
Luke Rockhold v Jan Blachowicz - Blachowiz wins via second-round KO
Round two - Huge left hand lands right on the button from Blachowicz to send Rockhold tumbling to the mat! Two follow-up shots that weren't necessary, this one is over. Enormous win for the strapping Polish fighter.
Round one - Rockhold opens with a trio of heavy body kicks, then in comes the shot for the takedown. Blachowicz defends well but Rockhold continues to press. Finally split, more left kicks from Rockhold but nothing lands flush. Jan replies with a couple of his own. Big flurry of shots as the round wound to a close, Jan catches Rockhold with a left hook then a kick that may have landed after the buzzer. That could've stolen the Pole the round.
2:45pm - A noticeably thicker Rockhold makes his entrance. Really looking forward to seeing how he looks at light heavyweight.
Michael Chiesa v Diego Sanchez - Chiesa wins via unanimous decision
Round three - The trend continues for Chiesa, overwhelming Sanchez with his considerable size advantage and non-stop pressure. Utterly dominant performance from Chiesa in this one.
Round two - Chiesa back on top as the second starts and the contest heads right to the mat yet again. Chiesa to the back and the shots rain down. Sanchez all heart, escapes seemingly a brief moment before the referee steps in.
Round one - Chiesa engages his grappling immediately and threatens with an armbar. Sanchez escapes but Chiesa keeps the pressure coming, leaning in the clinch and peppering Sanchez with shots inside. Transitions to the back and cinches the body lock, working for the rear-naked choke. Sanchez survives but is straight onto his back, Chiesa working shots from above. Big round for Chiesa.
2:15pm - Sanchez makes his trademark sprint entrance to Octagon side. Bring back the repeated screaming of "Yes!", I say.
2pm - Here we go, team.. let's dig into this juicy main card action.
The prelims were rounded out with a shutout win for England's Arnold Allen over former lightweight contender Gilbert Melendez, in the Mexican's first fight for almost two years. The writing appears to be on the wall for 'El Nino'.
Kia ora and welcome to live coverage from T-Mobile Arena as light heavyweight champ Jon 'Bones' Jones looks to defend his title against dangerous Brazilian Thiago Santos in the headline act of UFC 243.
It's just one of a host of intriguing bouts on the card, which also includes a women's bantamweight title clash between Amanda Nunes and Holly Holm and a welterweight championship eliminator in Ben Askren against Jorge Masvidal.
Fight-by-fight coverage will start from 2pm. In the meantime, listen to a preview of all the upcoming action with MMA Junkie's John Morgan in the latest episode of the Fight Club podcast.
Main card - Head to head:
Jon Jones ($1.15) v Thiago Santos ($5.00)
Amanda Nunes ($1.25) v Holly Holm ($3.70)
Ben Askren ($1.43) v Jorge Masvidal ($2.65)
Luke Rockhold ($1.39) v Jan Blachowicz ($2.80)
Michael Chiesa ($1.27) v Diego Sanchez ($3.55)
Pre-match banter
Adesanya v Whittaker confirmed for UFC 243
Israel Adesanya's highly anticipated middleweight title unification bout with Robert Whittaker is finally official.
The trans-Tasman showdown will headline UFC 243 on Sunday October 6 in Australia at a city that's yet to be determined.
Initially that location was rumoured to be either Sydney or Brisbane, but the clash with the NRL Grand Final on the same day has seen Melbourne emerge as the more likely host.
Both fighters were present for the announcement at a UFC press conference held in Las Vegas on Saturday (NZT) where they exchanged some light barbs, before standing for the first of many square-offs.
In April, 'The Last Stylebender' beat Kelvin Gastelum in a five-round war to claim the interim middleweight belt while champion Whittaker recovered from hernia surgery.
Injury and illness have meant the NZ-born Aussie has only fought twice in the past two years, a period of inactivity Adesanya - one of the busiest fighters in the promotion - was quick to highlight.
"The last 18 months have been crazy," Adesanya said. "Six fights in and I'm the champ. I can't say that for him.
"The last four months, I took some time off and relaxed. Went on holiday. he keeps talking sh*t about me the whole time and I've just been chilling, minding my own business.
"I'm motivated, I'm inspired and I'm ready to go."
Whittaker acknowledged the unique threat Adesnanya posed following such a lengthy layoff, but was baffled by the suggestion he'd been bad mouthing his opponent.
"It's going to be a very difficult challenge," said the 28-year-old." He's got a very dangerous skillset.
"I don't believe I've been talking that much sh*t. I don't know what I did to him to upset him."
Support at the T-Mobile Arena appeared evenly split between the two as they took to the stage to face-off, Adesanya hoisting his belt high after a prolonged staredown.
UFC president Dana White was adamant the bout will be held in a stadium rather than an arena, with Melbourne's Docklands Stadium and Sydney's Bankwest Stadium mooted as two potential options.
Newshub.
