Fox Sports Australia’s Nick Walshaw brings you all the latest news and views in Aussie and global MMA in his weekly column, The Takedown.

AUSTRALIA’S Robert Whittaker will have just nine weeks to prepare for a blockbuster world title trilogy bout against Israel Adesanya – with UFC 293 set to be held in Sydney on September 10.

Fox Sports Australia can reveal Whittaker – and not UFC featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski – is favoured to headline the company’s hyped return to the Harbour City for the first time in six years.

The NSW Government will today announce a unique multi-year deal with the UFC that confirms Sydney as host of three pay-per-views between now and 2027.

While the partnership is a huge win for Australian fight fans, the timing of UFC 293 is a difficult one for the nation’s top two fighters — with both Volkanovski and Whittaker already booked to fight at UFC 290 on July 9.

Watch UFC 289: Nunes v Aldana LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo & Foxtel, Sunday June 11 from 12pm AEST. ORDER NOW >

That event, which headlines International Fight Week celebrations, takes place only nine weeks before the Sydney event.

In the headliner, Volkanovski will defend his featherweight strap against Mexico’s interim champ Yair Rodriguez.

Should The Great retain his title, he will then likely chase a rematch with UFC lightweight champ Islam Makhachev – who he lost to controversially back in February, at UFC 284 in Perth.

Given Makhachev has already travelled Down Under once to fight Volkanovski, that bout is far more likely to take place in Abu Dhabi this October.

Whittaker, meanwhile, is set to face South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis in what is effectively a world title eliminator on the same Las Vegas card.

Already, UFC president Dana White has hinted the winner of that fight will face Adesanya in Sydney.

Only last month, White took to Instagram to reveal the Whittaker versus Du Plessis bout, before adding: “The winner of that fight will fight Adesanya later this year … and that fight is targeted for Sydney, Australia”.

That would mean no matter who wins between Whittaker and Du Plessis, they will have only nine weeks to turn around for the world title fight.

Sources close to Australia’s first UFC champ have suggested that, despite the tight turnaround, he is excited by the challenge required to get a third shot at his Trans Tasman rival.

Volkanovski, meanwhile, would also love to headline in his hometown – and undoubtedly deserves the honour – yet will not likely forgo the chance to throw down with Makhachev.

In a further twist, Australia’s most exciting young fighter, welterweight Jack Della Maddalena, is also booked for the International Fight Week card.

All of which makes for an interesting wait for not only Australia’s top fighters, but also UFC executives.

One fighter who will almost certainly be guaranteed a main card spot for the Sydney event is cult Mt Druitt heavyweight Tai Tuivasa.

Among of the most recognised faces anywhere in the UFC, Tuivasa told Fox Sports Australia in February that he was on a self-imposed ‘Octagon break’ until August or September this year.

Despite closing out last year with consecutive losses against Ciryl Gane and Pavlovich – both of which came within the space of 12 weeks – the No.5 ranked heavyweight knows his next fight will be against another big name.

Other Aussie fighters deserving of a gig include No.14 ranked light heavyweight Jimmy Crute, No.12 ranked women’s flyweight Casey O’Neill and perennial fan favourite Tyson Pedro.

Rising welterweight star Jack Della Maddalena will also be pushing hard for a place on the Sydney card, but also after fighting at UFC 290 alongside Volkanovski and Whittaker.

The Perth striker, who is riding a streak of 14 straight wins, is slated to face the No.9 ranked Sean Brady in what is easily the biggest test of his career.

IZZY’S BID FOR ANOTHER STADIUM SHOWDOWN

ISRAEL Adesanya has long been convinced he could sell out an Australia stadium for UFC 293 – regardless of whether he fights Robert Whittaker or Dricus Du Plessis.

Among the sport’s biggest stars, Adesanya looms as the early favourite to headline the Sydney fight blockbuster after receiving a public push from company boss Dana White.

Back in 2019, a record UFC crowd of 57,000 watched the brash New Zealand striker take the middleweight crown from Whittaker inside Melbourne’s Marvel Arena at UFC 243.

Then last year, the champ told Fox Sports Australia that while his growing profile meant for far more fights Stateside, he wanted to headline at least one more ‘hometown’ Oceania blockbuster – with or without Whittaker.

The preference to fight in Australia, rather than New Zealand, follows his extremely public fallout with the NZ government over what he’s branded unfair treatment regarding COVID-19 restrictions and the Managed Isolation and Quarantine system.

Adesanya has said his City Kickboxing gym, and its fighters like Dan Hooker, had not only been treated differently, but targeted compared to other high profile sports teams like the All Blacks.

Asked how he headlined in Australia without a Whittaker trilogy, Adesanya shrugged: “It doesn’t have to be Rob.

“It can be someone else.

“I want to do one more stadium fight in Australia.

“Fight in Oceania again.

“That way all the Kiwis who want to watch me can fly over and make it a show, just like they did last time (in 2019).

“Because I’m not going to fight in New Zealand.

“That dream’s dead because of the way they treated Dan Hooker and my team.”

AUSSIE AXED AFTER INJURY-PLAGUED RUN

JESSICA-ROSE Clark has been cut from the UFC roster after suffering her third straight defeat, and fifth loss in seven fights.

Speaking with Takedown only last week, Clark had talked of fighting her way into title contention after spending almost a year out of the Octagon with injury.

However the 35-year-old was then submitted last Sunday in her UFC Fight Night match against Tainara Lisboa and was subsequently released by the company.

Clark has suffered a horror injury run over the past three years, which included a busted ACL, dislocated elbow and torn foot ligaments.