Adesanya lost his middleweight title to Sean Strickland in one of the biggest title fight upsets in UFC history last year at UFC 293.
Whilst the challenger had a great night in general, the defining moment of the fight was when he caught and dropped “The Last Stylebender” in the first round but was unable to get the finish.
This came as such a shock to many fans who felt like Strickland simply wouldn’t be on the same level as the champion, when it came to the striking exchanges.
Dricus Du Plessis Says He Would’ve Finished Israel Adesanya With The Same Strike
Dricus Du Plessis is much more of a power striker than Strickland, who he defeated earlier this year to become the middleweight champion.
Whilst the former champ may be very accurate and defensively sound, “Stillknocks” has the momentum and force to stop any opponent and that gives him confidence ahead of August 17.
Du Plessis believes that he can close the show on Adesanya in their heated grudge match in Perth, especially if he’s able to land something similar to the strike Strickland landed last year.
He spoke in a recent interview with mainevent on Fox Sports about how “The Last Stylebender” wouldn’t have made it out of the first round if it was him in there that night.
“If I land that shot that Sean Strickland landed, the fight is over right there, 100%. We know that Strickland’s not a power puncher. I’ve felt, and Strickland’s a great boxer, his boxing is really really good. Very awkward and amazing jab, he throws that 1-2 and he does it great but he doesn’t have that starch power and he put him down. I honestly thought the fight was over but if I catch him with that shot then it’s over.”
While the aftermath of the July 27 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the welterweight title picture to the 185-pound championship conversation.
There will also be high stakes and Oceanic interest in the co-headliner, as former flyweight title challengers Kai Kara-France and Steve Erceg collide in the latter’s home city in pursuit of staking their claim for a shot at Alexandre Pantoja’s belt down the line.
Hooker, Tuivasa, ‘The Leech’ Set The Stage For Title Headliner At UFC 305
Before Du Plessis defends his championship in Adesanya’s home continent and the City Kickboxing standout’s teammate “Don’t Blink” makes his comeback, a number of other high-profile names will take to the Octagon looking to make the most of their position on the major card.
Prior to that, Australia’s own Tai Tuivasa will look to bring his patented post-knockout shoey celebration back to the Octagon for the first time since his victory over Derrick Lewis in February 2022. That result marked “Bam Bam’s” fifth straight win and left him at #3 in the heavyweight rankings, but he’s since lost four in a row, the most recent of which came against Marcin Tybura at the Apex this past March. The same month saw his next opponent, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, return to winning ways at the expense of Shamil Gaziev.
And opening the main card is the return of Li Jingliang, who hasn’t made the walk since a controversial defeat to Daniel Rodriguez in their short-notice 180-pound catchweight contest at UFC 279 in September 2022.
See below for the full UFC 305 card, as it stands.
Main Card:
Dricus Du Plessis (C) vs. Israel Adesanya (middleweight championship main event)
Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg (flyweight co-main event)
Mateusz Gamrot vs. Dan Hooker (lightweight)
Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (heavyweight)
Li Jingliang vs. Carlos Prates (welterweight)
Preliminary Card:
Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker (heavyweight)
Joshua Culibao vs. Ricardo Ramos (featherweight)
Casey O’Neill vs. Luana Santos (women’s flyweight)
The build-up to UFC 305 is sure to be an interesting experience for Dricus Du Plessis, given the tension that surrounds his first title defense.
Despite them both trading comments for a year now, it still feels like the rivalry between the champion and his challenger, Israel Adesanya, is yet to hit fever pitch.
Du Plessis, however, doesn’t see the war of words as anything other than giving back the same energy that he receives from opponents.
He was asked about dealing a ’10-8′ scorecard to Israel Adesanya during their recent verbal exchange, in an interview with the Hack Check Podcast. The South African said that he’s always ready to bite back if others think they can push him around.
“If you were coming at me, listen, I will never ever be bullied or pushed around. It’s not going to happen so I’m always good to go. If you treat me with respect, if we make it about the fight only, that’s the way I’m going to handle it. I mean, look at myself and Whittaker, look at myself and even Darren Till, he was chilled when we were at a presser. Every single guy that I fought before this, it wasn’t necessary because even look at Strickland, I was respectful and it wasn’t the trash talking at all up until he tried to bully me with the mic. That’s not gonna happen and that’s exactly what happened there [against Israel Adesanya].”
Dricus Du Plessis Predicts That Israel Adesanya Will Retire After UFC 305
Despite the fact that both men clearly do not see eye-to-eye on some subjects, Du Plessis has given Adesanya his dues for the career that he has had.
The champion is confident that he is steps ahead of the returning Adesanya at this point but that doesn’t mean he feels the need to discredit “The Last Stylebender”.
He once again gave Adesanya props for what he has achieved and said that he has “earned” his retirement if he fails to reclaim the middleweight title.
“Yes. I don’t give it a lot of thought because it doesn’t really matter to me. It’s irrelevant to me but yes probably. But, like I said, it’s not really something I think about and it’s irrelevant to me. Yeah, I mean, the guy’s done it all in the sport. He’s had, to say a great career would be almost underselling. He’s had one of the greatest careers ever so he’s earned it and it’ll be a great time [to retire him].”
Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 15, 2024, we’re taking a look at:
Hooker says Adesanya sparring isn’t on his wish list right now
Anik never lets his relationships affect his commentary
Blaydes says he’s keeping things simple ahead of Aspinall rematch
Dan Hooker Says Israel Adesanya Is Hitting Too Hard For Them To Spar One Another
When Israel Adesanya returns at UFC 305 to try and recapture the middleweight title against Dricus Du Plessis, he will do so off the back of his longest break between fights since signing with the promotion.
In a recent interview with Submission Radio, his City Kickboxing teammate Dan Hooker spoke about how Adesanya has been bulking up outside of training camp.
The lightweight contender, who has sparred with the former middleweight champion for a long time, said that his fellow New Zealander is starting to pack too much of a punch for him to trade shots with.
“I can’t even be bothered sparring him at the moment like the way he’s hitting. I think he’s like 105 kilos [around 230 pounds], I’m just like f******, kicked me in the leg and I was like ‘get f*****!’. He’s had some time off, he was carrying some injuries, he spent a lot of time just packing on some size and like a lot of strength bro and he’s hitting like a truck man. I can’t even be bothered sparring him… like he’s hitting too hard.”
Jon Anik Says Relationship With Belal Muhammad Won’t Affect His UFC 304 Commentary
It’s only natural for UFC commentators to have relationships and friendships with some of the fighters that are signed to the roster.
This is especially difficult in a sport like MMA where the highs are so high and the lows are so low but Jon Anik always looks to separate his work from his personal feelings.
Anik spoke in a recent interview with InsideFighting about how he always looks to serve the moment and both fighters as best as he can, regardless of whether he has personal connections to them.
“No, I feel like once the athlete hits the tunnel, any of those types of feeling or emotions go away. As I’ve said repeatedly, Dominick Cruz is probably the guy I’m closest to, I mean Belal’s obviously right there on his heels as are other athletes.
“you establish a lot of interpersonal relationship and you can’t help that but it certainly doesn’t affect the call. I can assure you and everybody else if Leon Edwards head kicks Belal Muhammad into oblivion, my call is going to reflect that and there was nothing hard about me screaming with veins popping out of my mouth, ‘Stipe gets his revenge’, even though he did it against Daniel Cormier.”
Curtis Blaydes Isn’t Adjusting His Approach For Fighting Tom Aspinall At UFC 304
In the co-main event in Manchester, Tom Aspinall’s interim heavyweight title will be on the line when he faces Curtis Blaydes in a rematch.
Blaydes, who is now a 22-fight veteran, has faced the majority of the top names at heavyweight at this stage.
Rather than working specifically on his opponent’s approach, Blaydes simply looks to bring the best version of himself to England in order to come away with the win.
“Conditioning (has been the focus in camp). That’s the same old,” Blaydes said. “I don’t adjust for anyone. I have prepared for this fight the same way I prepare for everyone. I don’t like to add extra adjustments, extra things to think about. There’s already a whole lot, we don’t need to add anything else.
“Just a normal, standard fight camp,” Blaydes continued. “Eight weeks of sparring, drilling, running, icing; normal stuff.”
A former training partner of Du Plessis’ who is one of the most recognizable names in ONE Championship believes that the champion will be more than a tough test for the returning Adesanya…
Aung La N Sang Points Out Advantages For Dricus Du Plessis Against Israel Adesanya
Aung La N Sang has been one of the poster athletes for ONE Championship for eight years now, having previously reigned as a simultaneous two-weight world champion.
The former middleweight and light heavyweight king, who is set to return on September 6 in Denver, trains out of Kill Cliff FC in Florida, where Du Plessis has also trained in the past.
In a recent interview with The AllStar, “The Burmese Python” weighed in with his thoughts on this fight, speaking about where the champion can cause problems for “The Last Stylebender.”
He pointed out how the physicality of “Stillknocks” and his willingness to walk opponents down could make it a very difficult night for Adesanya.
“For sure, Dricus is my boy. It’s gonna be a good matchup. Styles make fights and Dricus doesn’t care about how good Israel’s kickboxing is, he’s just going to go forward and hit him, you know?
“One thing for sure that I know about Dricus, he’s very very strong physically, very, very strong. If Israel’s not on point, he’s going to have a hard night.”
Dan Hooker has finally locked in a fight with Mateusz Gamrot for UFC 305 after a determined search for an opponent. The update of the bout first broke out when Hooker recently announced it on his Instagram story.
The lightweight banger is set to take place at the upcoming UFC pay-per-view event scheduled for August 17 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
Dan Hooker's long search for a #UFC305 foe ends with Mateusz Gamrot in Perth.
Hooker last fought against Jalin Turner at UFC 290 in July 2023, where he endured a broken arm yet persevered through the entire match to secure a split-decision victory. The 34-year-old New Zealander was previously set to fight Bobby Green at UFC Fight Night Austin in December, but a reinjury to his arm forced him to withdraw from the bout.
“The Hangman” is currently riding a two-fight win streak after an unsuccessful attempt in the featherweight division, where he suffered a first-round knockout against Arnold Allen in March 2022.
Meanwhile, Gamrot is on a three-fight win streak. “Gamer” is set to make his return to the Octagon following a dominant unanimous decision victory over Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 299 this past March.
Dricus Du Plessis knew that he was going to be stirring the pot when he said that by becoming the middleweight champion, he would be the first true African to hold gold.
What he meant was that unlike the likes of Kamaru Usman, Francis Ngannou and Israel Adesanya, who he faces in Perth, he has become champion whilst still living and training out of South Africa.
Adesanya took major issue with these comments but they will finally get the chance to settle the score in their upcoming clash.
Unsurprisingly, “The Last Stylebender” wasn’t the only fighter on the roster with African roots that feels offended by what Du Plessis had to say.
Abdul Razak Hassan Launches Into Fired-Up Rant About Dricus Du Plessis’ Comments
Abdul Razak Alhassan is set to make his return this weekend in Denver when he takes on Cody Brundage and looks to bounce back from a defeat last time out.
During his media day interviews, the middleweight livewire was asked for his opinion on the conversation based on the fact that he represents Ghana.
What followed was an incredibly passionate and heated speech from Alhassan about Du Plessis’s words.
He believes that the middleweight champion would not have said these things if he knew what it meant to truly be African and battle through tough living situations early on in life.
“I respect the things he’s done in MMA but he’s a f****** b****, he’s a f****** a****** for that word that he used right. If he’s a f****** real African and he lived in Africa, he would have never used that f****** word, he’s a f****** b**** a** to use that word because an African, if he was raised with the poor people in Africa, the way I was raised, the way I grew up with how I go days without food. I have to go see my friends eating and I be like, ‘Hey bro can you give me one teaspoon of your food so I can put it in my mouth?’ That’s how I’ll survive for a few days until I can get money.
“So if we get opportunity to leave that s***hole, of course I’m sorry, I’m not trying to call my country a s***hole but I’m poor. If I can go to America or I can go to a different country to make a better life for myself, I’ll f****** cut off my leg to f****** go. If he is a true African, he would have understood that. That means he was living the comfortable life, his family had the money to feed him everyday so he didn’t have to worry about leaving to go and make it so for him to say he’s the true African champion that lived there and he made it, he’s a f****** b**** for saying that. I respect what he’s done but he’s a b**** for that.”
Dricus Du Plessis recently said that he sensed Israel Adesanya was ready to hang up his gloves after avenging his loss to Alex Pereira, feeling as though he had accomplished everything he set out to achieve in the sport.
“Stillknocks” is set to defend his middleweight title for the first time against the former longtime champion, Adesanya, in the main event of UFC 305. The eagerly awaited clash is scheduled for August 17 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
“The Last Stylebender” is set to make his return to the Octagon after an 11-month hiatus, the longest of his UFC career. Following his title loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 last September, Adesanya took a self-imposed break to focus on his mental health.
The Nigerian-born Kiwi is currently enduring the toughest period of his career since his failed bid for the light heavyweight title against then-champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259. Three fights later, Adesanya suffered his first middleweight loss, a fifth-round TKO at the hands of longtime rival Alex Pereira at UFC 281.
However, he made a triumphant comeback by reclaiming the middleweight title from “Poatan” in a rematch at UFC 287, and Du Plessis believes this victory marks the peak of Adesanya’s career.
In a recent interview with Hello Sport, the reigning UFC middleweight champion reflected on his faceoff with Adesanya at the UFC 305 on-sale press conference. The South African expressed respect for “The Last Stylebender’s” achievements but sensed that Adesanya is pushing himself too hard for the upcoming fight.
“When it comes to the title defenses, the winning streaks will never come because he doesn’t have the time, Du Plessis said. “I think his biggest achievement for him personally was beating Alex Pereira. He had this nemesis who had beaten him multiple times, and after that fight, he [Adesanya] was ready to call it quits.
“That’s what I saw in his eyes as well. [He was] trying to convince me but more so trying to convince himself that he still wants to do this and that he still has what it takes to be the best fighter in the world and as soon as you ask yourself that question – you’re in a dark place.”
Adesanya and Pereira’s rivalry stands as one of the most intense and storied in combat sports history, with “Poatan” seemingly having shattered his opponent both physically and mentally – only to suffer a brutal knockout in their latest scrap.
The Brazilian defeated Adesanya twice in kickboxing, and the two have each claimed a victory each in their UFC showdowns.
Dricus Du Plessis Says Being At Peace Heading Into UFC 305 ‘Dangerous’ For Israel Adesanya
Adesanya previously stated that the layoff allowed him to regroup and alleviate the pressure of constantly fighting and enduring the demands of fight camps.
“The time off is not necessarily the problem; it can be good, but it can be bad… When you get to the position where you are so comfortable, where he said he’s at peace, he’s happy with what he has, and it’s a dangerous place to be at because this sport is chaos and chaos is the exact opposite of peace.
“If you’re at peace and you’re getting in the Octagon with me, it’s going to be a problem because I bring chaos.”
Du Plessis and Adesanya have a tumultuous history, with their fates intertwined long before their dramatic altercation at UFC 290 last July. Their rivalry dates back to when “The Last Stylebender” reigned as middleweight champion, and Du Plessis called him out, vowing to become a true African champion and bring the belt back to the continent.
Israel Adesanya is returning to the Octagon to face Dricus Du Plessis for the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 305 in Perth. Last September, he lost the title to Sean Strickland in a huge upset and awaits to finally settle his rivalry with “Stillknocks.”
On his rather quick path to becoming the kingpin, Du Plessis defeated the likes of Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson, and Darren Till. With his unusual grappling style and striking, which were initially doubted heavily by many MMA enthusiasts, he’s become a hard nut to crack in the middleweight division.
Here’s how Adesanya, one of the most celebrated strikers ever, plans to counter Du Plessis’ unique style at UFC 305…
Israel Adesanya Aims To Stick To His Classic Style To Beat Dricus Du Plessis At UFC 305
Adesanya recently appeared in an interview uploaded on The Sias du Plessis Show YouTube channel. The former two-time UFC middleweight champion seemed unbothered by his next opponent’s unpredictable style and physicality.
“The Last Stylebender” remembered his KO win over Alex Pereira, who appeared to hold a size advantage over all middleweights in the UFC. Accordingly, Du Plessis’ size and unorthodox style on fight night won’t compel Adesanya to change his strategy.
“I fought the largest middleweight, Alex Pereira, and I knocked him out,” Adesanya said. “How am I gonna deal with Dricus’ uniqueness? It’s just be unique myself. Be unique to who I am. Never again will I ever stray away from my style or my flow just because I wanna do something different or pander or anything like that.”
Adesanya also revealed that he plans to fight like his usual self at UFC 305. Fans can expect him to maintain distance and attempt to piece up Du Plessis from the outside with clean strikes if this is true.
“I’m always gonna stick to my style and stick to what I do best, which is beating people up in fantastic fashion. And, yeah, I’ve done that my whole career, and I wanna get back to that,” Adesanya added. “I’m not really worried about the outcome. It’s more about the journey.”
The Nigerian-New Zealander repeatedly mentioned that he wants to enjoy the process rather than worry about the outcome of his fight with Du Plessis.
Will this mindset, accompanied by his classic striking style, be enough to reclaim gold at UFC 305? Only time will tell.
UFC heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa has issued a rebuke to social media detractors who constantly bombard him with hateful comments, attempting to school him on fighting techniques.
Tuivasa has previously experienced a three-fight losing streak in the Octagon but managed to turn his fortunes around by racking up five consecutive victories. This time, though, the journey back to the win column seems to have been taking a toll on him.
Tuivasa Pushes Back Against Fans’ Fighting Lessons
“Bam Bam” recently took to X and shared a compilation video showing fans critiquing his fighting style and offering advice in the comments. Tuivasa singled out one fan’s suggestion that he should diversify his approach beyond brute power.
In the caption, the Aussie expressed frustration with the flood of unsolicited advice on his social media posts and in his direct messages, urging those who haven’t competed at his level to refrain from offering opinions.
He emphasized that he competes against the world’s top fighters and values input only from those with comparable experience.
“This is 90% of the c**ts in my comments and DMs telling me how to fight,” Tuivasa wrote. “I fight the top fighters in the world; unless you are one of them or have done it before, keep your opinions to your self!”
THIS IS 90% OF THE C.NTS IN MY COMMENTS AND DMS TELLING ME HOW TO FIGHT 🤦🏽 I FIGHT THE TOP FIGHTERS IN THE WORLD UNLESS YOU ARE ONE OF THEM OR HAVE DONE IT BEFORE. KEEP YOUR OPINIONS TO YOUR SELF 🙏🏽🙏🏽❤️❤️🤦🏽🤦🏽 pic.twitter.com/O74CFVvBZN
— Tai BAM BAM Tuivasa (@bambamtuivasa) July 8, 2024
Tuivasa is gearing up for his comeback fight against Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 305, scheduled to take place at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, on August 17.
I’m back in the desert with my brother @gokhansaki giving this all I got. My head ain’t been too good past couple years but I’m feeling good. Back on track and Ready to punch holes through c.nts ✊🏽 see yall soon ☺️✊🏽❤️🍻👟 @ricetheoriginalpic.twitter.com/YHiJPDt8xX
— Tai BAM BAM Tuivasa (@bambamtuivasa) July 7, 2024
Before his recent setbacks, Tuivasa was riding high on a streak of five consecutive knockout victories, with notable wins over Derrick Lewis, Augusto Sakai, and Greg Hardy. He currently boasts an Octagon record of 8-7.
UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis drew some conclusions from his long faceoff with Israel Adesanya last week.
After a bitter feud dating back to the start of 2023, Du Plessis and Adesanya will finally have the chance to settle their grudge inside the Octagon at the upcoming UFC 305 pay-per-view in Perth, Australia, next month.
Having been unable to make the turnaround post-beating Robert Whittaker to face “The Last Stylebender” in Sydney last September, “Stillknocks” set this bout up once again by dethroning Sean Strickland months after he upset Adesanya Down Under.
With their long-awaited showdown just over a month away, Du Plessis and his challenger went face to face in Perth for an on-sale press conference.
Following some firm words with microphone in hand, the pair engaged in one of the lengthiest and most intense faceoffs in recent memory. And according to the champ, he learned a thing or two from it…
Du Plessis Saw Uncertainty In Adesanya’s Eyes During Perth Faceoff
During a recent appearance on the All Talk podcast, Du Plessis looked ahead to his opening defense of the middleweight title and reflected on his first in-person interaction with Adesanya during the UFC 305 buildup.
The South African spoke about the importance of pre-fight faceoffs, even branding them the first part of a bout. And given what he claims to have seen in the eyes of Adesanya, the champ evidently believes round one went to him.
“Once I get into that zone for any staredown, there’s no humor in that. That’s when things get serious. That’s part of the fight right there, winning that exchange,” Du Plessis said. “Almost a theme for me in this whole fight is seeing that Israel Adesanya…he has done great things in this sport. But when it comes to as big as he’s gonna get, he has been as big as he’s gonna get. When it comes to the title defenses and the winning streaks, that will never come again because he doesn’t have the time.
“His biggest achievement for him personally was beating Alex Pereira. He had this nemesis who’s beaten him multiple times. And after that fight, he was ready to call it quits,” Du Plessis continued. “That’s what I saw in his eyes as well; trying to convince me but more so trying to convince himself that he still wants to do this and that he still has what it takes to be the best fighter in the world. As soon as you’re asking yourself that question, you’re in a dark place.”
Whether or not Du Plessis draws the same conclusion when they go face to face again when fight week rolls around in Perth remains to be seen.
The learning curve once a fighter joins the UFC roster roster can often be a steep one. Many fighters take some time to find their feet and work their way toward chasing a spot inside the rankings, and dreams of fighting for a title often have to be put on hold while they settle into the big leagues and slowly carve out a name for themselves.
Not so for Steve Erceg.
The Australian flyweight, who is set to face Kai Kara-France at UFC 305 later this summer, only made his debut inside the Octagon in June 2023 when he beat David Dvořák by unanimous decision in Canada at UFC 289. He followed that up with another win at UFC 295 against Alessandro Costa, before picking up a highlight reel knockout of Matt Schnell in March of this year.
In a surprising turn of events, the 28-year-old was drafted in to fight Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight title in the main event of UFC 301 in Rio De Janeiro just two months later. While the fight didn’t go his way, “AstroBoy” believes the experience will stand him in good stead going forward.
“I feel like more people know who I am now,” Erceg said during an interview with Submission Radio this week. “That’s obviously good for getting big fights and opportunities, so that’s great, and I found out that I can hang at that level.
“He’s beat a lot of contenders, basically everybody in the division, so the fact that I was able to hang there for five rounds, and I felt that I was the one coming over the top at the end…that was awesome. It just obviously sucks that I have to look at his record now with my name associated with it, but whatever.”
Erceg Aiming For Rematch With Pantoja Post-UFC 305
Erceg was also asked whether he thinks a rematch could be on the cards, and if he believes Pantoja will still be the one holding the belt by the time he’s able to work his way back into title contention.
“I really hope he’s still the champion because I don’t know what I’m gonna do if some other guy can beat him and I f**kin’ couldn’t. … I don’t like to swear, but…yeah, so I’d prefer if it was him at the top still. We’ll sort it out.”
Israel Adesanya is certainly not going to be short on motivation heading into his middleweight title fight at UFC 305.
After the longest break of his fighting career, the former champion returns to try and reclaim the belt against his rival, Dricus Du Plessis.
There has been tension between the two men that stems back to last year when some comments from “Stillknocks” made this feud personal and intense.
Now, Du Plessis had added more fuel to the fire with his statements in interviews and the recent press conference, where he gave his feelings on Adesanya’s career.
Michael Bisping Says Dricus Du Plessis Is Motivating & Firing Up Israel Adesanya Ahead Of UFC 305
Despite their feud, Du Plessis has made it very clear that he has a lot of respect for everything that Adesanya has accomplished in his career.
In a recent video on his YouTube channel, former 185-pound champion Michael Bisping gave his reaction to the words between the two men at the press conference.
He believes that Du Plessis saying these things about Adesanya could end up backfiring by giving his opponent more venom ahead of their eventual meeting in Perth on August 17.
“That’s kind of harsh words for Israel Adesanya to hear and for Israel, that’s going to motivate him big time. That’s going to p*** him off, that’s going to grind his gears, that’s going to get in his head, that is going to force him to train his a** off, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see one of the most dangerous, nasty version of Israel Adesanya that we’ve seen.”
Adesanya’s return comes on Australian soil, where he was shockingly unseated by Sean Strickland last September in Sydney.
He’ll look to return to the throne inside Perth’s RAC Arena, where fellow Oceania-based fighters like Kai Kara-France, Steve Erceg, Junior Tafa, and Jack Jenkins will also be among those in action.
UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis had some strong words for Israel Adesanya when they went face to face for the first time since confirmation of their upcoming fight.
In a bout that has been a long time in the making, Du Plessis will put his 185-pound gold on the line against the division’s former two-time champ at UFC 305 on August 17.
That matchup came about after number one contender “Stillknocks” was unable to make the turnaround after his victory over Robert Whittaker through injury. While that delayed the settling of Du Plessis and Adesanya’s grudge, the South African’s subsequent title crowning in Toronto, Canada, this past January brought it back to the surface.
Du Plessis Uses Golf Jibe To Outline Plan To ‘Retire’ Adesanya
As expected, the historical and sensitive nature of Du Plessis and Adesanya’s heated rivalry was a topic of conversation on stage, with the latter again commenting on the South African’s claim regarding African champs.
After reiterating his defense of that controversy from last year, Du Plessis went in a different direction, using Adesanya’s apparent newfound fondness for golf to predict his impending retirement.
“I’m glad you took up golf, because that’s a retirement sport,” Du Plessis said.
During the presser, the pair also engaged in one of the lengthiest and most intense faceoffs in recent memory on stage.
Suffice to say, there will be plenty more of that when the pair cross paths for promotional events during UFC 305 fight week in August, at the end of which Adesanya will hope to emerge with a third middleweight rule underway.
Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 3, 2024, we’re taking a look at:
Du Plessis has the best reply to Adesanya jab
Jones gives his side of the story on the use of magic and spirits
Diaz knew his own value before taking McGregor opportunity
Dricus Du Plessis Makes Joking Remark To Israel Adesanya During Heated Faceoff
Before the two rivals meet at UFC 305 on August 17 in Perth, they shared an incredibly tense staredown that is sure to build excitement for their eventual meeting.
Adesanya appeared to be the one to say something to Du Plessis first during the staredown which the middleweight champion was asked about after the press conference.
He jokingly made remarks about something that Adesanya’s last opponent, Sean Strickland, also chose to make fun of throughout the build-up to their fight.
Du Plessis referenced a video of Adesanya and his dog which appears to be a bit of a sore subject for “The Last Stylebender”, as was proven after the Strickland fight.
“I think he said, ‘Don’t kiss me’, as far as I know. I said I’m no dog so I won’t and you know, I don’t really know what he was saying. I wasn’t really focused on what he was saying.”
Jon Jones Says He Has Experienced ‘Spirit Channelling’ & Magic’ For Himself Following UFC 303 Controversy
Alex Pereira and Jiří Procházka are two of the most intense individuals in the sport when it comes to fight night.
Before UFC 303 got underway, Procházka spoke about how he believed “Poatan” was using the help of magic and spirits in his fight, asking him to abstain in their rematch.
Whilst Pereira offered a classy response to this in his post-fight interview after beating the former champion, UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones is the latest to weigh in on this.
He posted on social media about how there is some truth to this based on his experiences of stepping into certain arenas and coming up against specific opponents.
“There has been a lot of talk about spirit channeling and magic in MMA lately. This stuff is all very real. I felt all types of weird energies walking into those arenas. Looking certain opponents in the eyes. I want to let you all know that Jesus Christ is king, he is and always will be undefeated. Every knee shall bow.”
There has been a lot of talk about spirit channeling and magic in MMA lately. This stuff is all very real. I felt all types of weird energies walking into those arenas. Looking certain opponents in the eyes. I want to let you all know that Jesus Christ is king, he is and always…
Nate Diaz Reveals How He Negotiated A Much Higher Purse For His First Fight With Conor McGregor
Nate Diaz has always been a cult icon in combat sports but UFC 196 was a moment that changed his life forever.
The Stockton fighter became a huge name overnight when he stepped into the main event on late notice to fight Conor McGregor in one of the most iconic moments in the history of the sport.
Diaz was well compensated for stepping up to save the day in place of Rafael Dos Anjos but he did have to put his foot down in order to get a much higher purse than was initially offered.
He told MMA great Demetrious Johnson during an interview on The MightyCast how he knew what his own value was at the time and made sure he was suitably compensated.
“At the time, it was (the biggest pay check I’d received). But they were trying to give me pennies for that too,” Diaz said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, right. I know what I’m doing here. I’ve been through it.’ I’d already been into it with the organization about that. So they called me and they were like, ‘Hey, while you’re going to do this, we’re going to give you a million dollars.’ I was like, ‘Hey, you’re gonna give me more than that.’
“So I got like five times more than that because of that. I knew the game by then and I was like, ‘F*ck that,’” Diaz continued. “Remember when I was telling you about how if I fight every two months, I could be rich. That basic math attitude kind of f*cking times 10, times 100, over and over again. So I knew what it was with the whole money in the business and sh*t. I might not be educated but I’m not stupid.”
“The Leech” is back, with fan-favorite welterweight Li Jingliang set to make the walk for the first time in almost two years at UFC 305.
Jingliang hasn’t appeared inside the Octagon since falling short in a widely debated split decision opposite Daniel Rodriguez on the shaken-up UFC 279 card back in September 2022.
The Chinese fighter was scheduled to meet Tony Ferguson, but the changes brought about by Khamzat Chimaev’s weight miss saw him face an opponent who weighed in 10 pounds heavier in “D-Rod.”
That, along with his personality being more and more on display, saw Jingliang’s fanbase increase. Unfortunately, he’s not been able to capitalize on that with a return to the Octagon after suffering a spine injury.
Jingliang Out For Bounce-Back Win Against Prates At UFC 305
When Jingliang and Prates do battle Down Under, the former will be looking to return to winning ways at the expense of the fast-rising Brazilian.
Jingliang (19-8) has exchanged victories and losses since moving to a three-fight win streak in 2019. While he fell to defeats at the hands of Khamzat Chimaev and Rodriguez, he sandwiched brutal knockouts of Santiago Ponzinibbio and Muslim Salikhov between them.
If he’s to continue that trend of bouncing back, the Chinese 36-year-old must blemish the UFC record of Prates (19-6). After an emphatic performance on Dana White’s Contender Series to earn a spot on the roster, “The Nightmare” has enhanced his stock with consecutive first-round knockouts of Trevin Giles and Charles Radtke to announce his arrival.
With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at UFC 305 in Perth on August 17 are as follows:
Dricus Du Plessis (C) vs. Israel Adesanya (middleweight championship main event)
Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg (flyweight)
Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (heavyweight)
Joshua Culibao vs. Ricardo Ramos (featherweight)
Li Jingliang vs. Carlos Prates (welterweight)
Casey O’Neill vs. Tereza Bledá (women’s flyweight)
Jacob Malkoun vs. Gerald Meerschaert (middleweight)
The top fighters confirmed to be in action at UFC 305 on August 17 took to the stage for an on-sale press conference in the event’s host city this week.
Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion will return to Perth next month for the first time since last February. On that occasion, the RAC Arena played host to local favorite Alexander Volkanovski’s competitive lightweight title challenge against Islam Makhachev.
This time around, the venue will mark the location for the long-awaited comeback of another standout from the Oceanic region, former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
Also on the lineup is a teammate of Adesanya’s in Kai Kara-France. With concussion issues keeping him out of a fight close to home 10 months ago and leaving him without Octagon action since a narrow loss to Amir Albazi last May, “Don’t Blink” will look to reinsert his name into the title conversation at flyweight.
He likely won’t have the backing of the crowd on August 17, however, as he goes up against Perth’s own Steve Erceg. The contest will mark “Astroboy’s” first since falling short of Alexandre Pantoja’s 125-pound gold at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro a couple of months ago.
With Fight Club Pre-Sale starting on Tuesday, the promotion hosted a press conference in Perth, where Du Plessis, Adesanya, Kara-France, and Erceg all had mics in hand.
See below for a full replay of the presser, followed by all the highlights and one of the longest, most intense faceoffs in recent memory between the two UFC 305 headliners.
It’ll be Oceania vs. Oceania in Oceania when former flyweight title challengers Kai Kara-France and Steve Erceg share the Octagon at UFC 305 on August 17.
Topping the lineup this time will be UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis and divisional legend Israel Adesanya. And the Nigerian-New Zealander won’t be the only fighter from that region competing close to home.
As well as the likes of Joshua Culibao and Jack Jenkins, New Zealand’s Kara-France is set to meet Australia’s Erceg in a key bout in the context of the flyweight division.
Kara-France, Erceg Target Bounce-Back Win At UFC 305
When the #4-ranked Kara-France and #9-ranked Erceg throw down in Perth in less than two months’ time, both will be looking for a crucial rebound performance.
Kara-France (24-11, 1 NC) hasn’t been in action since June 2023 when he suffered a narrow main event decision loss to Amir Albazi at the Apex in Las Vegas. The result sent “Don’t Blink” onto the first losing skid of his UFC career, having followed an interim title defeat opposite Brandon Moreno 11 months prior at UFC 277 in Dallas.
If the New Zealander is to taste victory for the first time since his win over Askar Askrav 27 months ago, he must stall the charge of Erceg (12-2) and his pursuit of a rematch with reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja. The Aussie battled “The Cannibal” in the main event of UFC 301 in Brazil this past May, an opportunity that came off the back of three quick wins following his arrival in the promotion.
Despite a valiant attempt in Rio de Janeiro, “AstroBoy” was ultimately unable to unseat the champ. After expressing his desire to bounce back on home soil this August, Erceg has had his wish granted, and he’ll now look to return to the win column at the expense of Kara-France.
