Du Plessis vs Adesanya Takes Centre Stage as UFC 305 Heads Down Under

On Sunday, August 18th, the title fight for the UFC Middleweight Championship will headline the card at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Champion Dricus “Stillknocks” Du Plessis will face “The Last Stylebender” Israel Adesanya in a contest that is notable for the fact that it will be the first time two African-born athletes meet for a championship bout in the UFC.

The event will have 12 total contests, with 3 early prelims, 4 prelims, and 5 main card fights. Interestingly, the event is set for a Las Vegas-centric start time, which means the main card will start at 10 am in Perth.

UFC 305 will mark the organization’s third-ever stop in Perth and the first one since UFC 284 in February 2023. It is also the first UFC event as part of a multiyear deal for biannual events in the city.

The main card starts with China’s Li Jingliang vs Carlos Prates of Brazil in the Welterweight division. The second bout on the card is a Heavyweight contest between Australian Tai Tuiavasa and Jairzinho Rozenstruik of Suriname. In the third fight, we have number 5 ranked Mateusz Gamrot of Poland facing New Zealand’s Dan Hooker in a match that could provide interesting scenarios for the lightweight division. In the penultimate match, we will have a Flyweight contest with number 4-ranked Kiwi Kai Kara-France fighting hometown hero Steve Erceg.

The main event between Du Plessis and Adesanya is set to be a clash of styles. While Dricus is known for a no-nonsense approach, Adesanya is more of a trickster. Whoever wins, this will be a cracker of a title fight.