Israel Adesanya. Photo / Getty Images
Kiwi fighters have made a knack for putting on exciting fights when they step inside the UFC octagon. Christopher Reive looks at the five greatest UFC bouts to feature a Kiwi fighter.
Honourable mentions:
- Mark Hunt beats Derrick Lewis via fourth-round TKO, UFC Fight Night 110, Auckland, June 2017
- Brad Riddell beats Jamie Mullarkey via unanimous decision, UFC 243, Melbourne, October 2019
- Mark Hunt draws with Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva, UFC Fight Night 33, Brisbane, December 2013
UFC on Fuel TV 4, California, July 2012
During the fight, Kiwi Te Huna was likely wondering what more he had to do to knock Beltran out. Now, more than seven years later, the same question stands. Beltran's iron chin adds a lot to making this fight one of the best to feature a Kiwi fighter.
You only have to watch the first round to be in awe – or question – Beltran's ability to take a punch. With a solid base in boxing, Te Huna worked from range and popped Beltran with combinations – his good head movement keeping him out of harm's way for the most part. Finding a home for his right hand, Te Huna landed at a high clip and sent Beltran to the canvas late in the opening round. Counting 71 significant strikes in the first five minutes, Te Huna set a UFC record for most signification strikes landed in a round in the history of the light heavyweight division to that point.
It was a similar story in the second round. Te Huna continued to find a home for his strikes, but found himself in trouble late after being rocked by a head kick.
Despite Beltran coming home strong in the final round, Te Huna was able to close out an impressive win. While Te Huna set a record in the first round, the pair's combined 206 significant strikes was the most landed in a UFC light heavyweight bout at the time.
Result: James Te Huna beats Joey Beltran by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 30-26)
Interim middleweight championship. UFC 213, Las Vegas, July 2017
Simply put, this fight lived up to every expectation. With middleweight champion Michael Bisping sidelined due to injury, Whittaker and Romero went head to head for an interim belt, with the winner likely booking a showdown to unify the belts.
Both fighters' in-cage IQ was well displayed through the opening rounds. While they traded shots in exchanges and worked to their strengths, neither put themselves too far into danger. Whittaker, however, was on the back foot from the opening minute of the fight when a leg kick from Romero exacerbated an existing knee injury.
Between the first and second rounds, Whittaker told his team of the injury but in action he refused to be slowed down. He continued to launch kicks and punches leading with the injured left leg and by late in the third round had Romero's gas tank more or less empty. The Cuban did get the better of the first two rounds, but Whittaker found his rhythm in the third and, with a late knockdown, took all of the momentum into the rest period.
It was the first time either fighter had gone beyond the third round in their UFC careers – with all title fights and main events having five rounds if needed – and Whittaker was by far the fitter fighter.
Romero slowed down completely in the final two rounds, and Whittaker took full advantage. The Auckland-born fighter got the better of the final three rounds to become Australasia's first ever UFC champion.
The fight saw Whittaker sidelined for the rest of the year to recover from his knee injury, during which Bisping lost his title to Canadian legend Georges St-Pierre. St-Pierre later vacated the title due to illness and Whittaker was promoted to undisputed champion.
Result: Robert Whittaker beats Yoel Romero via unanimous decision (48-47 x3)
UFC Fight Night 168, Auckland, February 2020
In its three UFC events, Auckland's Spark Arena has been treated to some terrific bouts, none more so than the 25-minute war between two of the best lightweight contenders in the division. Dan Hooker was fighting on home soil for the third time in his UFC career, and for both fighters it was the first time the UFC had given them the opportunity to headline a card.
A common saying around combat sports is that styles make fights. And the way these two matched up on paper, there was no way fans would be disappointed. Two of the best strikers in the division who both had the ability to be a threat in the fight anywhere in the cage, this five-round fight was expected to be a close one. And when Hooker shook his head when Felder attempted to touch gloves at the start of the bout, the anticipation in the arena only lifted again.
Hooker went straight to work battering Felder with calf kicks. As the longer fighter, Hooker was content to hang on the outside, doing work with his kicks and jab while Felder tried to closed the distance, throw a combination and get back out of range.
The damage showed on Felder after the opening round, with his right eye swelling up and his lead leg reddening up. The American returned serve in the second round, finding a home for his left hand and causing some swelling on Hooker's cheek.
There was very little to separate the pair throughout the fight. Their striking numbers were close throughout, both men's chins held up despite being tested a number of times and they were smart enough to find a way to avoid much trouble when it greeted them. It was a takedown late in the fifth round that swung the fight, with Hooker doing enough to have his hand raised in front of the home crowd.
While many fans enjoy seeing fighters just go out with the intention of getting into a brawl and swinging wildly until one falls down, nothing in combat sports compares to a showdown between two elite talents with the fight IQ to match. Hooker's fight against Felder was a prime example of that.
Result: Dan Hooker beats Paul Felder via split decision (48-47 x2, 47-48)
Middleweight championship. UFC 225, Chicago, June 2018
As interesting as their first fight was, they somehow managed to top it the second time around. Romero missed weight and was ineligible to win the title, but the pair put on a fight for the ages regardless.
While Romero tired through the back half of their first encounter, it seemed to teach him a lesson for the second run. Romero did very little in the first round, picking rare spots to throw something heavy to keep Whittaker honest. Whittaker took advantage and touched the Cuban with kicks and punches well spread between Romero's legs, body and head.
Romero began to come more and more into the fight as it went on, but dropped the first two rounds as Whittaker found a home for plenty of his strikes.
The reverse of how their first bout started, it only made sense that Romero would get into the swing of things in the third round. Whittaker became reluctant to let his right hand fly too often - breaking it at some point in the first three rounds - while the powerful Romero was starting to land with volume. Romero dropped Whittaker in the third round, but the Kiwi recovered to see the round out.
The fourth and fifth rounds went back and forth non-stop as both fighters tried looking for a stoppage while trying to get any sort of upper hand in case the fight went to the judges again. When Whittaker was dropped again in the fifth round it looked like Romero might be able to close it out before the final horn, however Whittaker again showed his grit and determination, recovering and taking the fight to the judges.
A much closer affair than their first bout, the relief showed on Whittaker's face as his hand was raised after the 25-minute battle.
Result: Robert Whittaker beats Yoel Romero via split decision (48-47 x2, 47-48)
Interim middleweight championship. UFC 236, Atlanta, April 2019
Not just one of the greatest UFC fights to feature a Kiwi, but one of the greatest UFC fights of all time, Adesanya and Gastelum left everything in their tanks inside the octagon. Both men shed blood, sweat and tears in their quest to claim UFC gold in a bout that featured everything a fan could hope to see.
Unsurprisingly, the opportunity to claim a UFC title brought out the best in both fighters as they put on a display that will one day be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
The longer and taller of the two fighters, Adesanya worked from range and looked to find a home for his jab. Gastelum, knowing he needed to get inside, rushed Adesanya and looked to plant combinations. The American refused to bite on Adesanya's feints early, simply ignoring them in the hope they were feints and not actual strikes so he could get inside. Gastelum found plenty of success with this game plan, and rocked Adesanya with a strong right hand on his way to getting the better of the opening round.
Rounds two and three belonged to the Kiwi. Making adjustments after the opening round, Adesanya began to find his flow and get into a rhythm with his striking. The Kiwi dropped Gastelum in the second and got the better of most exchanges through the second and third rounds, edging closer towards to dream of clinching the title.
Gastelum still had his own moments of success despite losing the rounds, but fought back into the contest in the fourth. The American surprised many – including Adesanya's coaching team – when he rocked the Kiwi with a pinpoint head kick in the final minute of the round. It saw Adesanya stagger on his feet, before a follow up punch had him retreat and fall back against the cage. Gastelum could not take advantage of the opportunity to finish the fight though.
Adesanya survived the round and went on to decimate Gastelum in the final five minutes to claim a 10-8 score for the final round on all three scorecards and close out one of the greatest UFC bouts in history.
Result: Israel Adesanya beats Kelvin Gastelum via unanimous decision (48-46 x3)
New Zealand's newest UFC athlete looked comfortable in his debut win.