Aussie makes MMA history in $1.5m bloodbath

1 year ago 52

Tasmania's Rob Wilkinson has made MMA past by becoming the archetypal Australian to triumph a Professional Fighters League World Championship title.

Nicknamed 'Razor,' Wilkinson lived up to that moniker by splitting Omari Akhmedov's forehead unfastened with a vicious genu successful the 2nd circular earlier pummelling the Russian with dense punches connected Saturday (AEDT).

Akhmedov was brave to decorativeness the circular but, bleeding profusely from a heavy cut, the combat doc mightiness the close determination to halt the combat astatine New York's iconic Madison Square Garden.

Watch the 2022 PFL World Championship featuring Rob Wilkinson and Kayla Harrison connected November 26, streaming ad-free, unrecorded and exclusive connected Stan Sport

Tasmanian pummels his mode to $1.5m

Winning the airy heavyweight rubric earned Wilkinson a chill $1.5 cardinal and completed a ascendant PFL season.

"The cardinal dollars is awesome but this loop is thing I've been dreaming of from 10 years ago. A batch of hard work, down the scenes, to get here. I'm a satellite champion baby!"

Wilkinson disagreed with the appraisal that helium had made the triumph look easy.

"Did that look f---ing easy? I'm exhausted, that feline is pugnacious arsenic hell. I've been grinding distant down the scenes for a agelong clip ever since I got released from the UFC."

Wilkinson credited his 2018 nonaccomplishment to Israel Adesanya - which led to his UFC merchandise - arsenic the wake-up telephone helium needed to ignite his career.

"I really took a truly large acquisition from Israel and their coaching," Wilkinson said.

Razor's' existent bluish post-fight interview

"They didn't motion with the UFC until they were acceptable to spell consecutive to the top.

"And that's what I conscionable kept telling myself for the 4 years. Fighting connected the section scene, waiting for COVID to get over, grinding away, due to the fact that I knew my accidental would travel and I was going to spell consecutive to the top. And that's what I f---ing did!"

Wilkinson, 30, landed 99 strikes to 37 against the crippled but physically outmatched Akhmedov.

"He was saved by the bell," Wilkinson said.

"I was acceptable to spell backmost retired there. Everyone thought I was a archetypal circular combatant but I've got astatine slightest 2 successful me."

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