UFC 305 main event locked in with middleweight title grudge match between Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya
Perth’s UFC 305 main event has finally been confirmed with a high stakes middleweight grudge match topping the card.
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Perth’s UFC 305 main event is official, with Israel Adesanya set to challenge middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis.
It’s a grudge match over a year in the making, with the Nigerian-born Adesanya and South Africa’s du Plessis sharing a heated moment in the cage moments after DDP’s upset win over Robert Whittaker last July.
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They were initially scheduled to fight at UFC 293 in Sydney last September, but du Plessis was forced out with injury.
Adesanya instead fought and lost to Sean Strickland, who then relinquished the title in his first defence against du Plessis at UFC 297 in Toronto in January.
Adesanya hasn’t fought since his defeat to Strickland, but remains one of the best fighters and biggest stars in the UFC.
Du Plessis is on a phenomenal run in the UFC, with the former rugby union star beating Darren Till, Derek Brunson, Whittaker and Strickland.
His beef with Adesanya threatened to turn ugly as both men claimed they were the “true African champion.”
This masthead first reported in March that the bout was being targeted for the UFC’s return to Perth, but it took months of contract negotiations before it was finally confirmed this week.
Whittaker and Strickland will be the two keenest observers of the high stakes main event.
Whittaker was scheduled to fight a title eliminator against Khamzat Chimaev in Saudi Arabia this weekend.
Chimaev pulled out with an illness, and the Aussie will now face Ikram Aliskerov in the new main event. A convincing win should still be enough to see Whittaker book a title fight, but Strickland also claims he should be next in line for a shot at the belt following his controversial decision defeat to du Plessis.
The middleweight title hasn’t been successfully defended since Adesanya’s 2022 win over Jared Cannonier, with the belt changing hands each of the last four times it was up for grabs.
Further details of the UFC 305 card will be announced over the coming weeks.
Perth local Steve Erceg is expected to face Kai Kara-France on the card, with Kiwi excitement machine Dan Hooker also looking to get a spot on the card.
The UFC was planning for Jack della Maddalena to fight Shavkat Rakhmonov in a welterweight title eliminator, but della Maddalena pulled out after complications following surgery.
A light-heavyweight title fight between current champion Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka was also targeted for the card, with the Brazilian confirming to this masthead that he was interested in the bout in Perth on August 18.
‘Poatan’ will now defend the belt against Prochazka in the new UFC 303 main event in Las Vegas after Conor McGregor pulled out due to injury.
Originally published as UFC 305 main event locked in with middleweight title grudge match between Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya
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