In his post-fight interview following the Fight of the Night clash, Hooker spoke about the number of exciting options that he now wants to chase down after this win.
Part of his declaration to the matchmakers sitting cage side included Conor McGregor, which took some by surprise.
“Look at me now! I want them all brother! I want the BMF, I want Conor McGregor, I want a title eliminator, I want everything brother! I want it all Sean, I want it all Hunter!”
Dan Hooker Explains “Troll” Motivation Behind Conor McGregor Call Out
In a post-fight interview with TheMacLife, Hooker explained why he chose to mention McGregor’s name inside the Octagon after getting his hand raised.
Of course, McGregor is still the biggest fight out there across the entire sport, let alone the lightweight division, which means he often gets called out and has done for nearly a decade.
Hooker’s call to namedrop “The Notorious” wasn’t necessarily financially motivated, though that is a huge incentive for trying to get this fight.
He said that this decision was made more because he thinks it would be hilarious to get this fight instead of McGregor being welcomed back to the UFC by Michael Chandler, which fans have waited so long to see at this point.
Hooker was defeated by Chandler back when “Iron” Mike made his UFC debut in 2021 so taking the biggest fight of his career away from him would be sweet revenge.
“I didn’t necessarily call him out, I just said like, because I am absolute troll, so it’s like the biggest troll move you could do of all time is to snake that fight off Chandler. Like he waits all that time and then Conor just fights me anyway, like that would be gold. I would feel like the biggest snake troll of all time.”
UFC featherweight Josh Culibao was disappointed not to have his hand raised on home soil, especially given his view on the judges’ scoring.
Culibao was among the Australians in action at this past weekend’s UFC 305 pay-per-view event in Perth, facing Ricardo Ramos during the preliminary card. The Sydney native’s most recent win came in the promotion’s previous visit to the city in February 2023, with Culibao submitting Melsik Baghdasaryan at UFC 284.
After that result, the 30-year-old fell to his first career skid, dropping consecutive decisions to Lerone Murphy in London and Danny Silva in Las Vegas. And UFC 305 saw “Kuya” fall on the wrong side of a split verdict for the second straight fight.
Culibao, though, believes he still deserved the nod…
Culibao Apologizes To Fans After Narrow UFC 305 Loss
Hours on from his defeat at the RAC Arena, Culibao took to social media with his first comments since having his run of losses extended to three.
After giving credit to his opponent, “Kuya” apologized to his supporters. Culibao did, however, still express disagreement with the score reached by two of three judges cageside.
“It is what it is, hats off to you @ricardoramosmma you brought the fight and made a great dance partner,” Culibao wrote. “Sorry to all my fans and supporters out there. I couldn’t get it done. I felt I still won the fight but that’s not up to me to decide. Glad I still got to go out and perform and put on a show for the Aussie crowd.”
It remains to be seen what will come next for Culibao, who is months away from his first winless year in the UFC since 2020, in which he was stopped by Jalin Turner at lightweight and fought to a split draw with Charles Jourdain in his return to 145 pounds.
Dricus Du Plessis retained his middleweight title at UFC 305 by submitting former champion Israel Adesanya in a back-and-forth encounter.
Though he was able to secure the tap in the fourth round, it was the striking from “Stillknocks” that led to the finish.
His unorthodox and sometimes reckless approach to moving through ranges whilst looking to land big punches found a home and hurt “The Last Stylebender” which was the beginning of the end.
On his YouTube channel, bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley gave his immediate reaction to the main event where he highlighted Du Plessis’ blitz assault and gave props to both men.
“DDP has some funny a** like blitzes that just looks so sloppy and weird but he connects somehow and they’re heavy f****** punches and Izzy did look good. He looked like he was in good shape, defended that good takedown a few times. Like he said, he made a few small little mistakes. I mean I thought he was winning a decision, close fight. DDP showed why he’s the champ.”
Sean O’Malley Believes Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland 2 Will Be Another Close Fight
In the aftermath of this past weekend’s event in Perth, it appears that the next time Du Plessis will be back inside the Octagon will be for his first rematch in the UFC.
“Sean Strickland is fighting the winner, we already knew that. DDP versus Sean Strickland 2, the first fight was very, very, very close, could have gave it to Sean Strickland. He was the champion at the time and I feel like if you’re going to beat the champ in a split decision, it’s got to be more dominant than that so that was a very, very close fight, that’s going to be a fun one to run back.”
“Suga” went on to say that he believes this particular match-up is won or lost by who performs better on that night due to their styles.
“I think those guys can fight 10 times, it’s a coin flip every time. I don’t think it’s going to be f****** one guy is going to dominate. Those two styles are just going to be whoever shows up better on that night.”
Things didn’t go to plan for heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa at UFC 305, as his lengthy losing skid got further extended by Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Since rising to a career high #3 in the rankings when a knockout of Derrick Lewis put him on a five-fight winning run, fan favorite Tuivasa has experienced nothing but defeat inside the Octagon.
This year began with “Bam Bam” suffering a fourth straight loss, with Marcin Tybura adding to the woes of the Australian’s setbacks opposite Ciryl Gane, Sergei Pavlovich, and Alexander Volkov.
And at this past weekend’s pay-per-view in Perth, Australia, it was the turn of Rozenstruik to get in on the action. “Bigi Boy” followed up on his headline win over Shamil Gaziev earlier in 2024 by comfortably outpointing Tuivasa in enemy territory.
Tuivasa On UFC 305 Setback: ‘We Live To Fight Another Day’
Following his latest defeat, Tuivasa soon took to social media with his first comments.
In a post on Instagram, “Bam Bam” acknowledged the effort he put into camp and expressed understandable disappointing at failing to have his hand raised in front of his home fans Down Under.
Nevertheless, the Aussie won’t be kept down, with the 31-year-old telling his fans that he “lives to fight another day.”
“Fuck. What a sport,” Tuivasa wrote. “I put my all into this camp and didn’t come away with the win. Big love to all my fans I put my all into this didn’t get the treats. My bad 😌 love you all the real ones ❤️ Live to fight another day. AUSSIE FANS I LOVE YOU C**TS BEST IN THE BIZZO 🥰🥰 We live to fight another day 😌”
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Tuivasa. He had previously outlined his intention to return for a third fight this year following UFC 305. Whether or not that plan remains after Saturday’s loss is unclear.
UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis had nothing but kind words for the parents of defeated opponent Israel Adesanya this past weekend.
The pair appeared to have one of the more heated rivalries seen on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage this year, centered around Du Plessis’ controversial remarks last year about becoming the first Africa-residing champion.
The two rivals quickly patched things up inside the Octagon, showing immense respect for one another following an enthralling and competitive headliner. And that trend continued backstage at the RAC Arena, where the families of both fighters embraced.
Du Plessis, Adesanya Families Enjoy Respectful Interaction Post-Fight
Footage captured by MMA Junkie soon after UFC 305 showed Du Plessis and Adesanya catching up behind the scenes, with the champ gifting the Nigerian-born New Zealander a custom-made, South Africa-themed jacket.
While Adesanya shared some words with his victorious opponent’s family and coach, Du Plessis interacted with the former two-time titleholder’s parents, thanking both for “raising a warrior.”
Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya share an incredible backstage moment after #UFC305 and embrace each other families. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Dsu7btTZyV
“You have an incredible son,” Du Plessis said at one point during the interaction.
During his post-fight press conference, the champ opened up on his brief conversation with Adesanya’s family and the gift he had prepared for his challenger.
“I will never disrespect your parents, and he said he understands that,” Du Plessis said. “We’re not friends because on a personal level, we do not see eye-to-eye. But warrior-to-warrior, and after spending time (with him) in that octagon and what he’s achieved in the sport, you can’t not respect that man.
“To give him that jacket was a reminder, a token of appreciation and a thank you for this,” Du Plessis continued. “It’s a memory for me, it’s such a massive moment in my life. I brought the jacket here specifically to give it to him.”
On Saturday night, the mixed martial arts leader returned for its latest pay-per-view event, UFC 305.
For the first time this year, the UFC was Down Under this week, where Perth’s RAC Arena played host to the promotion’s latest Australian show. And the promotion brought with it across the globe a notable lineup that included a title fight and a host of intriguing undercard scraps.
The championship clash at the top of the billing saw Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya’s heated feud finally reach the the Octagon, with the South African’s middleweight belt on the line seven months on from his crowning at the expense of Sean Strickland in “The Great White North.”
Elsewhere, former flyweight title challengers Kai Kara-France and Steve Erceg looked to stake their claims for a second shot at UFC gold in the co-main event, while Oceanic fan favorites Dan Hooker and Tai Tuivasa also hoped to deliver standout triumphs on the main card.
But did all those names come together to put on an entertaining night of fights? Let’s find out with all the positives and negatives from UFC 305.
Jesus Aguilar has two hobbies (among other things, I’m sure. Perhaps he’s partial to some ballroom dancing. Who knows?) — fighting Australians and locking in guillotine chokes. Combining them must have been like Christmas at UFC 305.
The Mexican entered the cage as an underdog for the first fight of the night in Perth, which many expected to be a coming out party for Australia’s newest hot prospect, the previously undefeated Stewart Nicoll.
But the 29-year-old fell to the same fate as his fellow countryman Shannon Ross did at UFC 290 in July 2023 — being left unconscious in the very first round.
In Las Vegas last year, Ross was absolutely obliterated on the feet by Aguilar in just 17 seconds in one of 2023’s most brutal knockouts. Nicoll’s demise came on the ground when he had his strong start rendered null after getting caught in Aguilar’s favorite submission move. The Mexican was, indeed, not silly. When the opportunity presented itself, he jumped the gilly and put Nicoll out — not that anybody bar Aguilar actually noticed.
That left a scary visual of the Aussie wide-eyed as his sleeping body fell back. On another note, could the referee not have maybe caught his head as it thundered onto the canvas? It feels like we regularly see superhero saves from officials in Muay Thai fights over in Asia, but on this occasion, it looked like the ref practically dodged Nicoll’s head.
Regardless, the finish was incredibly impressive from Aguilar, who now has five guillotines out of his six fight-ending chokes.
Accept a bout with Aguilar at your peril, Australian flyweights!
Negative – What One Burns Can Do, The Other Burns… Well, Can’t
With the watering down of the UFC product, there’s been quite a few instances of fighters entering the cage this year who simply aren’t of a sufficient quality to be competing on the sport’s biggest stage.
Herbert Burns, however, is a veteran of that group.
It’s fascinating to watch back Burns’ knockout of Nate Landwehr in 2020. I try not to buy into ‘fluke’ narratives, but that is a compelling one. Since then, the Brazilian has lost four straight by TKO, two of which have been the same type of retirement.
Against both Bill Algeo in 2022 and Jack Jenkins on Saturday night, “The Blaze” — an apt moniker for someone whose UFC career has gone up in smoke — responded to adversity by attempting to pull guard and collapsing to his back when desperation takedowns failed.
After a while of doing so in both instances, Keith Peterson and Marc Goddard waved the bouts off. With the memory of the Algeo fight growing ever clearer as Burns’ UFC 305 bout played out, I remarked to colleagues, “He’ll do it (fall to his back) enough times until Goddard stops it.” Like clockwork.
You know it’s bad when your brother’s own podcast is flaming you on social media, before hastily deleting…
Of course, credit has to go to Jenkins for his performance on home soil. Regardless of the opposition level, “Phar” looked on it in the striking realm. But his crisp boxing wasn’t enough to override the negative that is Burns’ latest disastrous display inside the Octagon.
Negative – A Mess
Well, the UFC 305 featured prelim when swimmingly, didn’t it?
The fight’s conclusion came after the Brazilian clutched onto his Aussie counterpart’s leg and locked in a heel hook. Things suddenly came to an end, with replays showing that Tafa had yelled out in pain. That stoppage ended up being controversial, not because it was wrong, but because the sport’s leading promotion employs commentators who don’t know the ruleset of what they’re tasked with describing to a global audience.
It’s remarkable to say, but we had two legendary former champions, Daniel Cormier and Dominick Cruz, questioning the third man inside the cage. The latter — who never shies away from using his agenda against Keith Peterson to slam referees — even went as far as to group the moment with instances of fighters having their chance to compete cruelly taken away.
Guys…Read. The. Rules.
Verbal tap out: When a contestant verbally announces to the referee that he or she does not wish to continue or makes audible sounds such as screams indicating pain or discomfort.
The fact we had to sit through five minutes of doubting the referee’s decision before texts from those better informed arrived to save the day is yet further evidence as to why Laura Sanko needs to be a permanent fixture on the commentary desk.
#UFC305 Official Result: Valter Walker defeats Junior Tafa by Technical Submission at 4:56 in Round 1.
An unhappy Tafa responded by butting heads with Walker before slapping him. The UFC has been pretty inconsistent when it comes with dealing with similar instances — Khabib Nurmagomedov continued his title reign post-instigating the UFC 229 brawl, while Paul Daley was cut and forever ousted from the promotion for his sucker punch against Josh Koscheck at UFC 113.
What happens next in the career of Tafa remains to be seen, but a release shouldn’t be out of the question.
Positive – Nightmare? I’ll Say
The welterweight division always seems to have one major prospect establishing himself as one to watch, with recent years seeing Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry following successful arrivals with climbs into title contention.
All signs point toward Carlos Prates joining them soon enough.
There aren’t enough superlatives to do justice to the Brazilian’s performance. He became the first man to knock out Li Jingliang, but his display was by no means defined by a sudden fight-ending sequence. Prates frankly beat “The Leech” up for the best part of nine minutes.
That’s evidently what it was going to take to get the returning Chinese fighter out of there — soften up what’s long been an iron chin with knockdown after knockdown, before uncorking one of the most clubbing hooks in recent memory to finish the job.
Add Prates to the list of, “Oh, he’s on the card? Hell yeah,” fighters in the UFC.
Considering I’m often leaping to the defense of judges, who frequently come under fire from individuals with no concept of how mixed martial arts fights are scored, it feels good to be able to grab a pitchfork this time around.
“Bigi Boy” was clinical with his performance, piecing Tuivasa up while avoiding virtually all of the home favorite’s power shots. Judge Howie Booth, however, must have gotten the red and blue corners confused because it’s hard to see any other explanation for his work at UFC 305.
Thankfully, he was relieved from his duties for the rest of the night (not that it mattered anyway given how the co-main event finished…more on that soon). But, to be honest, that scorecard is so bad that Howie probably shouldn’t be with scorecard in hand ever again.
Even hours later, I’m still trying to recall a scorecard that even comes close. Chris Lee’s 48-47 in favor of Paul Felder over Rafael dos Anjos, perhaps?
It’s 2024 and Dan Hooker is in the lightweight top five (or at least should be come next week’s update). Redemption arcs don’t come much better than that.
Hooker entered the cage at UFC 305 with an almighty task ahead of him, getting his wish to feature on the card granted in the form of a showdown with the highly regarded Mateusz Gamrot. Be it odds, fans, or analysts, basically every metric had “The Hangman” falling short to the smothering grappling of “Gamer.”
Round one saw both men exchange knockdowns, before the second frame was more a tail of the Polish fighter’s control versus Hooker’s strikes while defending Gamrot’s wrestling. And the concluding stanza was just a war that can be summed up by two-and-a-half minutes of striking success each.
Judge that.
Two cageside scorers ultimately leant the way of “The Hangman,” and with that he’s rendered the 1-4 run he entered UFC 281 in 2022 riding a distance memory. And with three straight wins and a triumph over a name like Gamrot, he is well and truly back in the mix.
If Dustin Poirier is looking for one last hurrah…rematch, anyone?
He wants it ALL! 😤@DanTheHangman is talkin' his talk after beating Mateusz Gamrot at #UFC305!
Speaking of underdogs who made a mockery of their betting lines…
Steve Erceg was perhaps one or two ill-advised takedowns away from a shock title win in Brazil this past May. And his efforts left many heavily favoring him to bounce back at the expense of the returning Kai Kara-France at UFC 305.
But in the words of the New Zealander’s teammate Israel Adesanya, “Y’all must have forgot.”
With Kai Asakura’s signing and Kara-France’s emphatic performance on Saturday night, Alexandre Pantoja isn’t short on possible challenges. And with that, the flyweight division remains among the most exciting, and one in which you absolutely should not blink.
it always seemed unlikely that the UFC 305 main event would disappoint. It was just always going to deliver, wasn’t it? But even so, what we got in Perth was special.
Add in a bit of a feud, the story of Adesanya’s return, and Du Plessis’ continued habit of proving his sizable group of doubters wrong, and you’ve got all the ingredients for a Fight of the Year contender.
Through three rounds, I had the champ leading 29-28, but that was by no means a clear and easy score. As has been the case with the South African in the past, the tale was his power shorts versus his opponents’ volume. In the end, after that had already put him up on the scorecards, “Stillknocks” connected hard in a fourth frame that had been all Adesanya, eventually putting him down and locking in a rear-naked choke.
The positives here are all around, from the entertaining nature of the fight to the pair’s respectful exchange in the Octagon in the aftermath to Adesanya’s humble approach to another setback.
Du Plessis, of course, deserves the main plaudits. He is beginning to amass a largely unrivaled résumé in the UFC, with his 8-0 record including a knockout of Robert Whittaker and the feat of being the first to submit another all-time great in “The Last Stylebender.”
UFC 305 took place tonight from the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights!
In the main event, Dricus Du Plessis put his middleweight title on the line against former champ Israel Adesanya. While in the co-main event, Kai Kara-France took on Steve Erceg in a flyweight matchup.
UFC 305 Results: Main Card
Middleweight Championship Main Event: Dricus Du Plessis def. Israel Adesanya via submission: R4, 3.38
Flyweight Co-Main Event: Kai Kara-France def. Steve Erceg via TKO: R1, 4.04
Lightweight: Dan Hooker def. Mateusz Gamrot via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29)
Heavyweight: Jairzinho Rozenstruik def Tai Tuivasa via split decision (29-28, 30-27, 27-30)
Welterweight: Carlos Prates def Li Jingliang via KO: R2, 4.02
Preliminary Card
Heavyweight: Valter Walker def. Junior Tafa via technical submission: R1, 4.56
Only one fighter missed weight at the weigh-ins, with Jesus Aguilar tipping the scales 1.5 pounds over the flyweight limit.
The early preliminary card begins at 6:30 PM ET, the preliminary card at 8:00 PM ET and the main card at 10:00 PM ET. Make sure to catch all the UFC 305 results and highlights as they happen below!
Preliminary Card Highlights
Jesus Aguilar earned the first finish of UFC 305 with a guillotine submission of Stewart Nicoll in the first round of their flyweight bout.
Valter Walker earned a technical submission win after an apparent verbal tap by Junior Tafa at the end of the first round of their heavyweight matchup.
Kai Kara-France is back in the win column by knocking out Steve Erceg in the first round at UFC 305. The fight started slow with both fighters making reads. However, an overhand left from the New Zealander in the final minute dropped Erceg, eventually ending the fight.
Kara-France was on a two-fight losing streak heading into his UFC 305 co-main event bout. Although his split-decision loss to Amir Albazi was criticized by many, he needed a win to re-enter the title picture.
With his UFC 305 win, Kara-France has reminded fans of his threatening style and ability to finish the fight spontaneously. On the flip side, many of Erceg’s supporters have admitted to expecting a better striking display from “Astroboy”.
Fans Back Kai Kara-France To Fight Alexandre Pantoja For The UFC Flyweight Championship Next
Wowwww statement made by Kara-France. He’s got some power at flyweight, a rematch with the champ awaits #UFC305
After bagging his thirteenth first-round finish, “Don’t Blink” asked for a title fight in his post-fight interview. Fans admire his explosive fighting style, and a win over Erceg could be enough for the UFC to hand him a title shot.
Dan Hooker will find himself back in the upper echelon of the lightweight division once again after UFC 305, as he defeated Mateusz Gamrot in a closely contested war.
Gamrot got off to a strong start in the opening round, landing damaging shots on Hooker and nearly locking him in a submission. Hooker, however, seemed to show some fire in the closing seconds of the round.
That fire continued into the second round, as “The Hangman” brought forth plenty of pressure against Gamrot, including some sharp elbows. That said, Gamrot did not relent in his offense either.
The third ultimately proved to be a very even round, with both men trading control throughout.
Two judges gave the fight to Hooker, giving the win to the Oceania fighter.
MMA Fans React To Hooker’s UFC 305 Win Over Gamrot
Im not trying to a miserable freak but this sport is so past its peak lmao. Terrible events, low skill level every card, boring cards, now we have dan hooker top 5 at LW. Nah, this sport is so passed its peak. #UFC305pic.twitter.com/Ae3C0HCDI6
Hooker has now won three straight and will be likely in for a big opportunity in his next outing. The New Zealander himself mentioned in his post-fight interview a BMF title fight with Max Holloway, a showdown with Conor McGregor and a title eliminator (or interim title fight) with Arman Tsarukyan.
This fight snapped a three-fight win streak for Gamrot, meanwhile. Entering this fight, only he and Tsarukyan had wins in their most recent fights out of those in the top five of the lightweight contender rankings.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik may find himself back in the top-10 of the UFC’s heavyweight rankings come next week, but the story after his win doesn’t come from his performance, but that of one judge’s scorecard.
Rozenstruik pieced up Tai Tuivasa in their UFC 305 encounter, being technical with his striking and doing serious damage. Tuivasa hurt his leg with a leg check in the second round, and Rozenstruik nearly finished with a couple of flurries in the round.
But while one judge saw the fight 29-28 Rozenstruik, and another 30-27 Rozenstruik, a third judge, Howie Booth, scored every round for Tuivasa — despite unanimous agreement from MMA media and MMA fans that Rozenstruik won rounds two and three.
MMA Fans And Media Blast Judge Who Awarded Tai Tuivasa A 30-27 Card Despite Being Dominated By Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Howie Booth can retire early tonight. Don’t need someone that inept judging fights. They gotta look into that guy and see if he has some money on Tui. Ain’t no way he won that. None. Gtfo. #UFC305
Rozenstruik has now won three of his last four fights.
Tuivasa, meanwhile, has dropped five straight.
UPDATE: The judge who scored the fight for Tuivasa has been relieved of his duties for the rest of the night.
Howie Booth, who had Tuivasa winning 3-0, was scheduled to work co-main event between Kara-France and Erceg, but I have been told he has been PULLED from the bout. He’s done for the night. #UFC305
Carlos Prates has become the first fighter to knock out Li Jingliang in his 29 pro fights. The Brazilian welterweight entered the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series and has now racked up three wins in the promotion.
“The Nightmare” displayed his striking prowess at UFC 305 from the get-go but never rushed to the finish. He knocked down Jingliang a couple of times before finally landing the knockout blow in the second.
“The Leech”, as usual, showed heart and walked forward even while taking Prates’ best shots. This is the first time he has suffered two consecutive losses in his pro record.
While it’s unclear what’s next for Jingliang, Prates has grabbed all the praise from fans and fighters worldwide.
Carlos Prates’ Explosive Fighting Style Could Make Him A Problem In The UFC Welterweight Division
The UFC welterweight division already has contenders like Jack Della Maddalena and Shavkat Rakhmonov with high finish rates. Prates climbing the ranks in similar fashion can naturally make the division more intriguing for the fans.
A highly contentious aftermath came as the result of the finish of the featured UFC 305 prelim, as Valter Walker pulled off a sudden first-round win over Junior Tafa.
After getting rocked by Tafa’s striking early, Walker took the fight to the ground, where he secured solid control of the fight and did not let up.
As the seconds of the first round ticked down, Walker locked in a leg lock and got a yell of pain from Tafa, which caused the referee to step in.
Tafa protested, slapping Walker after the fight and exchanging barbs with him.
Though Tafa was unhappy and the UFC commentary team initially confused, the referee, under the Unified Rules of MMA, is allowed to call a verbal submission if a fighter cries out from pain.
Valter Walker Scores Verbal Submission Win Over Junior Tafa
That was a clear verbal tap in both bjj and MMA, I wonder what will happen for the slap. It wasn’t much but Dana has made it very clear how he feels about post fight physicality. #UFC305
IMO that’s not a verbal tap, how can making a noise in pain be a tap? we hear people make noises while getting choked but the ref wouldn’t stop it for that, especially with only a few seconds left in the round, if he wanted out of the fight he would’ve just tapped #UFC305
Even tho he didn't verbal tap but screaming in agony to Hell hook which is a career ending submission, i see the justice in that stoppage by the ref. But Tafa cmon bro this is a professional sport, have a bit of class. #UFC305
#UFC305 That's not an early stoppage. Referees main focus is fighter safety and Tafa was screaming in pain. If he'd have screamed, the referee does nothing- then broke his leg, everyone would say that's bad refereeing. Was a spot on call in the moment. 🤷♂️
but how does one determine if a cry out is in fact pain or just sheer rage etc? they mind readers now then yeah? Not a decision for the referee to make without crystal clear indication surely #UFC305
That’s a verbal tap. Every ref is clear in the locker room, if you scream in any type of pain, I’ll consider that a verbal tap and the fight is over. #UFC305
Josh Culibao and Ricardo Ramos fought a competitive battle during the UFC 305 prelims, with two judges ultimately feeling Ramos deserved the nod in a close, controversial split decision.
Though Culibao damaged Ramos’ leg badly, leaving him limping, the Brazilian had complete control once the fight went to the ground, threatening a choke and nearly finishing the fight there in round one.
Culibao got back to work in the second round, landing more with his striking and having some fun in the process – courtesy of a ballerina-style spin.
Just under a year after suffering an injury in his last fight, Jack Jenkins is back in the win column, defeating Herbert Burns during the UFC 305 prelims.
Jenkins overwhelmed Burns on the feet, as he worked several hard-hitting combinations, compared to the single shots that Burns offered. Burns dropped to his back multiple times during the second half of the fight, unsuccessfully inviting Jenkins to get into his guard, with the referee forcing the fight back to the feet.
Jenkins dropped Burns early in the third round with a low kick and punch, and Burns was unable to get to his feet, forcing the referee to stop the fight and award Jenkins the win.
Burns’s lackluster performance was targeted on social media.
Jack Jenkins Forces Herbert Burns Unable To Continue At UFC 305
Really feel for Burns. Can tell when he gets hurt it ruins his spirit. He looked so defeated there when he was told to get up. Has happened a few times to him before #UFC305
Jenkins, who scored a third-round finish on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022, is now 3-1 in the Octagon. The Australian native scored wins over Don Shainis and Jamall Emmers but suffered an arm injury against Chepe Mariscal at UFC 293 last year.
Burns has now lost four straight, having not tasted victory in the Octagon since UFC 250.
Topping the lineup will be reigning UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis, who is tasked with getting the better of returning great Israel Adesanya if he’s to record a first successful title defense and stall the three-time ambitions of the Nigerian-New Zealander.
Also set to make the walk on Saturday night will be the likes of lightweight fan favorite Dan Hooker, heavyweight slugger Tai Tuivasa, and returning welterweight Li Jingliang.
Ahead of the event, you can get some help from the group of experts at MMA News by checking out their predictions for the UFC 305 main card here.
UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Betting Odds
Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC 305 (as of 8/17), courtesy of DraftKings.
Main Card:
Dricus Du Plessis (-108) vs. Israel Adesanya (-112)
Kai Kara-France (+185) vs. Steve Erceg (-225)
Mateusz Gamrot (-410) vs. Dan Hooker (+320)
Tai Tuivasa (+200) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (-245)
After unseating Sean Strickland in the American’s first defense this past January, the South African will look to avoid the same fate when he puts the gold on the line Down Under opposite former two-time champ Israel Adesanya.
Title stakes could be down the line for the co-main event winner, meanwhile, with recent challenger Steve Erceg looking to immediately bounce back from his first UFC setback against the returning Kai Kara-France.
Elsewhere on the UFC 305 card, lightweight fan favorite Dan Hooker shoots for a top-five ranking opposite Mateusz Gamrot, hard-hitting heavyweights Tai Tuivasa and Jairzinho Rozenstruik likely swing for the fences, and China’s Li Jingliang makes a long-awaited comeback.
Nevertheless, every fight has remained intact, and all that remained on Friday night (Saturday local time) was for the athletes to face off one final time at the UFC 305 ceremonial weigh-ins!
Check out a stream via the official UFC YouTube channel below, followed by all the faceoffs!
The championship clash at the top of the card will see Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya’s heated feud finally reach the steel surroundings of the Octagon, with the South African’s middleweight title on the line.
UFC 305 takes place Saturday, August 17 (August 18 local time) at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT.
See above for a replay of the UFC 305 Weigh-In Show, and check out the full results below!
Main Card:
Middleweight Championship Main Event: Dricus Du Plessis (185lbs) vs. Israel Adesanya (184lbs)
Flyweight Co-Main Event: Kai Kara-France (125lbs) vs. Steve Erceg (125.5lbs)
Lightweight: Mateusz Gamrot (156lbs) vs. Dan Hooker (155.5lbs)
Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa (265lbs) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (259lbs)
Welterweight: Li Jingliang (171lbs) vs. Carlos Prates (170lbs)
Preliminary Card:
Heavyweight: Junior Tafa (244lbs) vs. Valter Walker (252lbs)
Featherweight: Joshua Culibao (146lbs) vs. Ricardo Ramos (145.5lbs)
Women’s Flyweight: Casey O’Neill (125.5lbs) vs. Luana Santos (126lbs)
Featherweight: Jack Jenkins (145.5lbs) vs. Herbert Burns (146lbs)
Early Preliminary Card:
Lightweight: Tom Nolan (155.5lbs) vs. Alex Reyes (156lbs)
Welterweight: Song Kenan (171lbs) vs. Ricky Glenn (171lbs)
Flyweight: Stewart Nicoll (126lbs) vs. Jesus Aguilar (127.5lbs)*
*Jesus Aguilar missed the flyweight limit by 1.5 pounds, forfeits 20 percent of his purse
Darren Till recently expressed frustration with the backlash he received online after offering fight advice for Israel Adesanya’s upcoming bout against Dricus Du Plessis.
Drawing upon his own encounter with Du Plessis at UFC 282 in December 2022, Till recently took to X to offer Adesanya some strategic insights for his highly anticipated return. He highlighted the critical role of feints, advising Adesanya to use them to provoke overreactions from Du Plessis, who has a tendency to overcommit under pressure.
“The Gorilla” suggested that Adesanya maintain his distance and wait for the perfect moment to unleash his powerful strike combinations. Reflecting on his own fight, Till noted that “Stillknocks” often charges in recklessly and urged the Nigeria-born Kiwi to be cautious in those moments. Instead of retreating, the Brit advised that Adesanya should stand his ground and counter with a well-timed strike, turning Du Plessis’ aggression into an opportunity for a decisive blow.
Till’s analysis and fight recommendations were grounded in realism and could prove invaluable for the former longtime champion. However, what he didn’t foresee was the wave of mockery from fans, who quickly turned on “The Gorilla” due to his loss to Du Plessis.
Now, the former UFC star has a few words for the MMA community…
Till Strikes Back At Critics Of UFC 305 Advice For Adesanya
Frustrated by the torrent of online criticism following his advice to Adesanya, Till recently took to X to clap back at his naysayers.
The former UFC welterweight title challenger highlighted the irony of the MMA community, pointing out that while fans are quick to impose their opinions, they rejected his insights simply because they came from an ex-UFC fighter.
“MMA fans & trolls are the best. I see them all the time giving advice to fighters and opinions, etc,” Till tweeted. “But me…. An ex-UFC fighter is not allowed to give anyone advice cos they jump on saying what do I know, etc… Arghhhh, swear to god, you just have to love the internet. It’s great…”
MMA fans & trolls are the best. I see them all the time giving advice to fighters and opinions etc… But me…. An ex UFC fighter is not allowed to give anyone advice cos they jump on saying what do I know etc… Arghhhh swear to god you just have to love the internet. It’s great…
After a series of tough losses in the Octagon, “The Gorilla” chose to part ways with the UFC and stepped into the world of free agency. He returned to competition for the first time since UFC 282, making his squared-circle debut in a four-round exhibition bout against Mohammad Mutie at Social Knockout 3 last month.
Till secured a second-round TKO, but the future of the 31-year-old Scouser in combat sports now remains uncertain.
Dan Hooker has a lot to gain in his first fight of 2024 when he takes on Mateusz Gamrot this weekend at UFC 305.
“The Hangman” has produced back-to-back wins in the lightweight division over Jalin Turner and Claudio Puelles to earn himself the #11 ranking.
Gamrot, on the other hand, sits at #5 having beaten the likes of Rafael dos Anjos and Arman Tsarukyan during his time in the UFC.
Had the division’s champion, Islam Makhachev, been able to make a quicker turnaround to face Tsarukyan, who solidified his status as the number one contender by beating Charles Oliveira at UFC 300, there’s a world in which Gamrot wouldn’t need to take this fight.
Dan Hooker Says Mateusz Gamrot Has To Fight Him To Make Himself More Viable For A Title Shot
Hooker believes that his opponent this weekend in Perth didn’t take this fight because he wanted to go to Australia to test himself against “The Hangman.”
Other contenders may have chosen to wait knowing that once Makhachev does return from injury to fight Tsarukyan, he’s likely to be the next up when you look at the rest of the top five.
He has some impressive wins on his record, but as the Kiwi fighter pointed out during a recent interview on the FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Gamrot’s recent wins haven’t been dominant displays.
“Yeah I feel like they made him do it. I feel like he’s not doing it by choice. I feel like if it was a choice, he would sit out like he’s the next contender in line for a title shot. So obviously, Arman is potentially booked for Islam, I hear Islam’s injured and that’s like up in the air at the moment, but Gamrot’s the next guy. In the top five, a lot of the big names are coming off losses if you look down the (rankings), like (Dustin) Poirier, (Justin) Gaethje, Oliveira, are all coming off losses.
“Gamrot, like a close edging win after like pretty much his last two fights, he got dropped by ‘RDA’ and he got dropped by Jalin Turner and then managed to grab ahold of them and survive and panic and win, you know what I mean? So to say that this guy is the next in line for a title is very hard to market I guess for the UFC. So for in terms of Gamrot, he needs like, a big win over a guy with an exciting fighter with a big name, and so that’s me. But I’m in the game of opportunities.”
Demetrious Johnson recently shared his prediction for the highly anticipated middleweight clash between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya at UFC 305.
Du Plessis will defend his UFC middleweight title for the first time in a rivalry-charged showdown against Adesanya, headlining the upcoming pay-per-view event this weekend at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia.
The two fighters have been caught in a maelstrom of animosity for some time now and were originally expected to clash in September 2023. However, an injury sidelined “Stillknocks.” Consequently, Sean Strickland took the South African’s spot and dethroned Adesanya in a short-notice bout at UFC 293.
Following his loss, “The Last Stylebender” announced he would be stepping away from the Octagon for a while, choosing to focus on his mental health and reassess his career trajectory. During his absence, Du Plessis made a powerful comeback, defeating Strickland in a hard-fought split decision at UFC 297 to claim the 185-pound title.
“Mighty Mouse” believes these attributes give the Nigerian-born Kiwi a massive edge over a formidable power puncher like Du Plessis…
Johnson Confident Adesanya Shuts Down Du Plessis In Close-Range Fight
During a recent video on his YouTube channel, Johnson weighed in on the upcoming title clash between Du Plessis and Adesanya.
The reigning ONE Championship flyweight champion emphasized that the outcome of this fight will likely hinge on how well each fighter manages distance and navigates close-pocket exchanges.
“There is no secret I’m a big Izzy fan. I hope he wins,” Johnson said. “If Izzy does not go out there and (impose) his will on DDP, I think it’s going to be a long night for Izzy Adesanya. He does a very good job creating that void between him and his opponent and forcing them to come across the distance with his feints, his teeps, his high kicks, and his inside kicks—whatnot. That’s what he does best.”
“Mighty Mouse” went on to say that it will be crucial to observe how much Adesanya has evolved since his last fight and whether he can keep his emotions in check, avoiding reckless charges against “Stillknocks,” a masterful counter-striker.
“I’m looking at this fight to see how Izzy bounces back from his last loss against Sean Strickland,” Johnson added. “How is he going to approach this fight against DDP? There’s a lot of bad blood. Is Izzy going to let emotions take over the fight? I don’t foresee DDP knocking out Izzy unless Izzy makes a mistake. But if Izzy hasn’t evolved to where he’s like how he fought Robert Whittaker the first time, when he was sitting there hunting, it’s a risky game… If Izzy goes out there, implements and executes his game plan, and forces DDP to make a bad choice, to overextend in the void, or just goes out there and works him, I have Izzy winning that fight.”
UFC 305 headliner Israel Adesanya increased his prominence en route to the middleweight throne by adding the legendary name of Anderson Silva to his record in 2019.
Adesanya captured the 185-pound crown for the first time as an undefeated fighter by stopping Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 in October 2019. The result was the culmination of a successful 3-0 year in the cage for the Nigerian-New Zealander, and it started against a GOAT contender.
Eight months before his undisputed win, Adesanya shared the cage with Silva. The pair’s flashy striking styles collided in the UFC 234 main event, getting promoted to the headline spotlight on short notice after the cancellation of Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum’s scheduled title fight.
The three-round contest, which collected Fight of the Night honors, delivered plenty of highlights, with Adesanya ultimately running out a unanimous decision win over one of the greatest the sport has ever seen.
Ahead of Saturday’s event, the promotion has released the full Adesanya vs. Silva fight from UFC 234 on its official YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz_ecf5jYR0
Since that result, Adesanya has made good on the decision many made to brand his victory over Silva a passing of the torch moment. With two reigns and numerous notable wins, “The Last Stylebender” now sits just below “The Spider” in the division’s all-time list for many.
And he’ll have the chance to further cement that spot this weekend by achieving a record third crowning at 185 pounds at the expense of Du Plessis.
However, having recaptured the 185-pound title once before, the big question is whether the time that he has spent away will produce a rejuvenated Adesanya at UFC 305 this weekend.
He was incredibly active before taking a year off, and this meant that he was battling through injuries and potentially lost some focus heading into UFC 293 last September,
His loss to Sean Strickland was a shocking upset but it could have potentially led to what would be a third title reign for Adesanya.
Brendan Schaub Predicts Israel Adesanya Is Far From Done In MMA Following UFC 305
During his preview of all the action that is set to take place at UFC 305 this Saturday (Sunday local time) in Perth, Brendan Schaub gave his prediction for Adesanya’s path to retirement.
Unlike Du Plessis, he doesn’t think that “The Last Stylebender” is ready to walk away right now without becoming a UFC champion once again.
“This is how Izzy’s career is gonna go. He’s gonna beat Dricus, he’s gonna outclass him on Saturday. He’s gonna beat the s*** out of him, he’s gonna outclass this dude. It’s gonna be the old vintage Izzy. By old I mean, a year ago. He’s gonna beat the s*** out of him because he’s had rest, he’s no longer the hunted, he’s the hunter.
“He’s gonna beat Dricus, then he’s gonna fight Sean Strickland and he’s gonna be 100 percent focused. He’s gonna beat Sean Strickland. Then, he’s gonna take a break and then you’re gonna get Alex (Pereira) vs. Izzy at 205 (pounds); it’s his last fight ever and his wins over Dricus and Sean Strickland, I think there’s an argument now, makes him the greatest middleweight of all time. That’s how his story ends.”
Du Plessis’ “real African” comments early on in his UFC career and subsequent statements regarding being the first African-residing titleholder rubbed Adesanya the wrong way. And when the topic came up at the presser, emotions rose to the surface…
MMA Fans React To UFC 305 Presser: ‘DDP Making This Personal Was A Mistake’
After initially trading light-hearted barbs, a comment Du Plessis directed at Adesanya regarding “servants” increased tensions. “The Last Stylebender” fired back before later breaking down in tears while explaining his emotions.
The moment drew out plenty of reactions across the mixed martial arts community, with many pointing to Sean Strickland’s tears following trash talk from Du Plessis to acknowledge Adesanya as the second consecutive opponent whom the champ has made cry.
Others warned “Stillknocks” that he’s committed a grave mistake by making things so personal for Adesanya, who is returning from an 11-month layoff in pursuit of “taking heads.”
Dricus Du Plessis has lowkey the best trash talk in UFC right now. First he made Sean Strickland cry and now he is doing the same thing to Israel Adesanya. pic.twitter.com/i2bEIx7qRe
His frequent calls to secure a spot on the upcoming card Down Under were eventually answered in the form of a showdown with top-five contender Mateusz Gamrot. “The Hangman” will enter as a sizable underdog against “Gamer,” who has come under criticism in recent times for his control-heavy fight style.
And more than just Gamrot, the lightweight veteran believes a number of names high up the ladder took over the division by stifling those who have long kept up its reputation as an entertaining roster.
Hooker: Oliveira, Poirier, Gaethje, & Others ‘Stifled’ By Lightweight Grabbers
During a recent interview on the FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Hooker looked ahead to his opportunity to climb back into title contention at 155 pounds and assessed the current state of the weight class’ top five.
“The Hangman” put his upcoming opponent alongside champion Islam Makhachev and top contender Arman Tsarukyan as three names who moved toward the lightweight mountaintop by smothering any and all exciting styles.
“I guess it’s like the elites — not necessarily the elites, but lightweight is such a stacked division, there’s so many exciting fighters, (Charles) Oliveira, (Justin) Gaethje, (Dustin) Poirier, (Jalin) Turner, (Michael) chandler; there’s a lot of very exciting fighters within that,” Hooker said. “But now you can see the guys that — because obviously being an exciting fighter, wanting to go out there and perform, put on a show, put on an incredible fight for the fans, you need the other guy to oblige.
“If I go out there and say, ‘I just wanna go out there, slang some leather, put on an exciting fight,’ and the other guy’s plan is to just grab ahold of me and stifle me until he wins, then he’s gonna win,” Hooker continued. “I feel like the top echelon of the lightweight division now with Islam, Arman, and Gamrot is the guys that have just stifled the division. That’s why the lightweight division is in such a weird place now. These guys have been able to stifle the exciting guys.”
Hooker will look to put a stop to that trend and avoid being “stifled” by Gamrot at UFC 305 this Saturday night (Sunday morning local time).
Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya knows the mistakes Dricus Du Plessis’ past opponents made that he cannot afford to replicate this weekend.
Adesanya, on the other hand, will be targeting a record third title crowning in the division — a feat yet to be achieved by any middleweight. To do so, the Nigerian-New Zealander must achieve another first.
The South African champ is yet to taste defeat on MMA’s biggest stage, going 7-0 to secure his place on the throne. Among those to fall to Du Plessis’ rise are the great Robert Whittaker and recent titleholder Sean Strickland.
But “The Last Stylebender” believes he knows how to avoid joining that list of victims, and the errors made by the likes of “The Reaper.”
Adesanya Won’t Play Into Du Plessis’ ‘Game’ At UFC 305
During an interview for UFC.com, Adesanya looked ahead to his opportunity to make history in Perth, which comes 11 months on from his shock title defeat to Strickland in Sydney last time out.
While he and Du Plessis certainly have their differences, both have expressed glimpses of praise for one another’s ability. And “The Last Stylebender” recently threw his opponent’s “spirit” and “toughness” into that mix while identifying the areas in which the South African’s past UFC rivals have failed to give him the necessary respect.
“They underestimate his spirit, his toughness,” Adesanya said. “He’s a tough guy. Also, they play his game. He makes it really dirty. And when I say dirty, it’s not in a bad way. He makes it really ugly and messy and then shoots on them and strikes from all angles and a different pace and cadence. I’ve looked at it, I’ve watched it for a while, and I look forward to exploiting it. He’s going to try to exploit me, but again, we shall see.
“When it’s time to go, when I lock in, and I’m really locked in, I destroy people,” Adesanya continued. “And this one, I’ve been really locked in for this fight and I’m going to destroy this guy.”
Having identified what he needs to be wary of, Adesanya will hope to make good on his promise to make Du Plessis’ reign a short one come fight night Down Under.
