The rivals will face off for gold when Dricus du Plessis defends his UFC middleweight title against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, which takes place in Perth, Australia.
Du Plessis has nine wins by knockout and ten by submission in his MMA career. The former EFC and KSW welterweight champion became the first South African medalist at the WAKO World Championships, defeating former champion Robert Whittaker to win against champion Sean Strickland. The 30-year-old defeated Strickland on mixed scores to take the belt.
Adesanya, a former kickboxer, is a two-time UFC middleweight champion and defeated Whittaker for the belt in Melbourne. “The Last Stylebender” lost the title to Alex Pereira but defeated his rival in the next fight to win it back. Adesanya was inactive after a lackluster performance against Strickland in September and lost the title via unanimous decision.
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They have been challenging each other for some time. Adesanya, the Nigerian-born New Zealander, contradicted du Plessis, saying he would be the first fighter living and training in Africa to hold a UFC belt. A fight was hinted at but never agreed to. Now the fight will finally come to fruition.
“The SUN of Africa is the same sun that lights up our planet,” Adesanya wrote on Instagram. “The SUN will set and rise until you step into it. Enjoy the SUN while it shines. When it sets, darkness falls.”
Here’s what we know about UFC 305, including the card, odds, rumors, latest news and more.
UFC 305 fight card, odds
Subject to change in fights and order
- Dricus du Plessis (c) against Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight title
- Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg; Flyweight
- Mateusz Gamrot vs Dan Hooker; Lightweight
- Tai Tuivasa vs Jairzinho Rozenstruik; Heavyweight
- Li Jingliang vs Carlos Prates; Welterweight
- Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker; Heavyweight
- Josh Culibao vs Ricardo Ramos; Featherweight
- Casey O’Neill vs. Luana Santos; Flyweight
- Jack Jenkins vs. Herbert Burns; Featherweight
- Tom Nolan vs. Alex Reyes; Lightweight
- Song Kenan vs Ricky Glenn; Welterweight
- Stewart Nicoll vs. Jesus Aguilar; Flyweight
*Betting odds courtesy of BetMGM are currently unavailable
MORE: Who is fighting at UFC 305 in Perth?
UFC 305 – Tune-in info
- Date: Saturday, 18 August
- Location: RAC Arena – Perth, Australia
- Start time: 10:00 p.m. ET (8:00 p.m. ET for preliminaries) | 3:00 a.m. BST (Sunday) | 12:00 p.m. AEST (Sunday)
- How to watch:
- US: ESPN+ ($79.99 PPV fee plus $10.99/month membership)
- UNITED KINGDOM: TNT Sports (£3.99/month or £39.99/year via Discovery+)
- Canada: DAZN ($69.99)
- Australia: Kayo Sports ($59.95)
UFC 305 takes place on August 18 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Early prelims begin at 6 p.m. ET, with preliminary fights starting at 8 p.m. ET. Main fights begin at 10 p.m. ET, and du Plessis and Adesanya should arrive in the Octagon around 12:30 a.m. ET, depending on how long the prelims last.
Fight fans can watch UFC 305 on ESPN+ PPV (US), TNT Sports (UK), DAZN (Canada) and Kayo Sports (Australia).
Upcoming UFC TV Schedule
| Date | Event | Location | How to watch |
| June 29, 2024 | UFC 303: Pereira vs. Prochazka 2 | T Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, USA | ESPN+ |
| July 13, 2024 | Barber against Namajunas | Ball Arena – Denver, Colorado | ESPN, ESPN+ |
| July 20, 2024 | TBA vs TBA | UFC APEX, Las Vegas, USA | ESPN+ |
| July 27, 2024 | UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad 2 | Share “Co-op Live – Manchester” with your friends. Save “Co-op Live – Manchester” to your collection. | ESPN+ |
| 3 August 2024 | UFC Abu Dhabi: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov | Etihad Arena – Abu Dhabi | ABC, Fubo, ESPN+ |
| 10 August 2024 | TBA vs TBA | UFC APEX, Las Vegas, USA | ESPN+ |
| 18 August 2024 | UFC 305: du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya | RAC Arena – Perth, Australia | ESPN+ |
