Dricus du Plessis will defend his middleweight belt in a highly anticipated clash on August 17. His foe? Israel Adesanya, who seeks to reclaim his championship in this division.
Adesanya lost his belt to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in September by unanimous decision, but he will be hoping to sit atop the middleweight mountain for the third time in his career. Du Plessis, on the other hand, was crowned middleweight champion following a controversial win over Strickland at UFC 297, becoming the first South African to hold a UFC championship belt.
Du Plessis is undefeated in the Octagon so far in his career, and he will hope to extend his reign in his first title defense. At UFC 305, he faces arguably his toughest test yet against the more experienced Adesanya. Ranked No. 3, “The Last Stylebender” has yet to feature in a UFC bout since his loss to Strickland. He had earlier held the belt for five months after reclaiming it from Alex Pereira at UFC 287.
Odds to Win at UFC 305
Sportsbooks are favoring the two-time champion Adesanya to reclaim his middleweight belt. With the stage set in Australia, Izzy will have the luxury of fan support from his home country, New Zealand, and is expected to put on a show.
Du Plessis, on the other hand, could solidify his position as the new superstar in town with a win over Adesanya. The reigning UFC Champion was greeted with a standing ovation after putting on a show in his win against Strickland in January and could give Izzy one of the toughest tests of his career.
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The Controversy Between Du Plessis and Adesanya
UFC 305 won’t be a bout just for the middleweight title; it’s a personal rivalry between Adesanya and Du Plessis. The bad blood dates back to 2020 after Du Plessis expressed that he wanted to be the “first real African champion.” Considered an up-and-coming fighter at the time, Du Plessis explained that while some fighters like Adesanya and Usman represent Africa, they don’t reside in the motherland.
“Good on them if they made a better life elsewhere. They are African-born; that is their heritage and their right, 100%. But to say that you are fighting out of Africa like us guys do, and you’ve been living in another country your whole life, that is basically riding the train in my opinion,” Du Plessis told Independent Online. He went on to declare his aspirations to become the first real African champion in the UFC: “And I just feel that the fans know, feel, and see, and obviously there is proof that I am going to be the first real African-born UFC champion. I was born here, I live here, I have never lived anywhere else, this is my home, South Africa is my home country, this is my home continent, and that is exactly what I meant by it, and I am sticking with that.”
The statement did not sit well with Nigerian-born Adesanya and former Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman, and Francis Ngannou, who was born and raised in Cameroon.
Adesanya was quick to call out Du Plessis after his victory over Alex Pereira in April 2023. Refusing to name-drop anyone, he responded to the statement during a post-game conference: “You gotta choose your words wisely when you speak on people that have come before you. People that paved the way for you. You’ve got to pick your words wisely. You want to try and be a big boy? I don’t want to give him no clout, but if he does work—and I pray to God he keeps winning—I will gladly drag his carcass across South Africa.” sic.
Tensions have since grown between Adesanya and Du Plessis, with the two exchanging harsh words and throwing jabs. The fight was initially set for UFC 293 after Du Plessis defeated Robert Whittaker. But the Orange Free State native missed out due to a foot injury, and Strickland replaced him to face Adesanya instead.
UFC 305 Official Date and Venue Announced
Following a lengthy break from the ring, Izzy took to social media on June 17 to announce his return with a graphic displaying the August 17 date for his fight with Du Plessis and a caption that read: “The SUN of Africa is the same sun that lights up our planet. The SUN will set and rise again until you walk into it. The SUN, enjoy while it shines. Darkness falls when it’s gone.” sic.
UFC CEO Dana White also confirmed this fight in an appearance on the Jim Rome Show Monday. The fight is set to be held at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, at 6 p.m. Eastern Time.
With Adesanya returning, the stage is set for a middleweight bout that has “classic” written all over it.
