Yas Island Fight Night winds down with Whittaker comeback victory
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Robert Whittaker landing one of his 52 strikes on his English opponent Darren Till. They were fighting in an empty arena in the UAE.
PHOTO: REUTERS
YAS ISLAND • Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker bounced back to defeat Darren Till yesterday as UFC's first "Fight Island" drew to a successful close in Abu Dhabi.
"My brain is on overload," Whittaker said after throwing everything at England's Till in a unanimous points win, with all three judges scoring 48-47 for the Kiwi-born Australian.
"That fight was so stressful," he added. "I hope the fans and everybody can appreciate it because that was one of the most technical fights I've ever had."
His win brought the curtain down on the Ultimate Fighting Championship's successful excursion to the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi.
The 26 sq km Yas Island resort complex was sealed off as the Las Vegas-based UFC shielded its fighters from the coronavirus pandemic.
Around 2,500 staff and fighters set up camp under strict bio-secure protocols with constant testing for Covid-19 before, during and after arrival and then regular follow-up checks throughout.
Those who tested positive for coronavirus were excluded, with the biggest casualty being Brazilian Gilbert Burns, who lost his shot at fighting Nigerian-American UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman two weeks ago as a result.
The 29-year-old Whittaker (22-5) said before the contest that the only thing that worried him was Till's powerful left fist, a weapon that had given the man from Liverpool 10 knockout victories in an 18-2-1 record coming into the fight.
But it was a left elbow from Till instead that put the Aussie on the floor in the first. Whittaker shook it off quickly and then got down to work, lashing out constantly at Till's leading leg and picking away with jabs.
By the end, the total strike count was 156-81 to Whittaker, who landed 52 to Till's 29 with the Australian also showcasing superior wrestling skills.
Whittaker had lost his belt when he was knocked out by Nigerian-New Zealander Israel Adesanya (19-0) in October.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
