Rivals collide with gold on the line as Dricus du Plessis defends the UFC middleweight title against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305. The event is 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 Championship. He defeated former champion Robert Whittaker to earn a shot at champion Sean Strickland. The 30-year-old beat Strickland for the belt after a mixed bag of scorecards.
Adesanya, a former kickboxer, is a two-time UFC middleweight champion and beat Whittaker for the belt in Melbourne. “The Last Stylebender” he lost against Alex Pereira but beat his rival in his next fight to win it back. Adesanya has been inactive after a lackluster performance against Strickland in September, losing the title via unanimous decision.
They’ve been calling each other for a while. Adesanya, the Nigerian-born New Zealander, took issue with du Plessis, saying he would be the first fighter living and training in Africa to hold a UFC belt. A confrontation was anticipated, but he was never cautioned. Now, the grudge match will finally come to fruition.
“The SUN of Africa is the same sun that illuminates our planet,” Adesanya wrote in instagram. “The SUN will set and rise again until you enter it. The SUN, enjoy it while it shines. Darkness falls when he disappears.”
Here’s what we know about UFC 305, including the fight card, odds, rumors, latest news and more.
UFC 305 fight card, odds
Principal card
- Dricus du Plessis (c) vs. Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight title
*betting odds courtesy of BetMGM are not available at this time
UFC 305 Tuning Information
- Date: Saturday August 18
- Location: RAC Arena – Perth, Australia
- Start time: 10 pm ET (8 pm ET for prelims) | 3am BST (Sunday) | 12pm AEST (Sunday)
- how to watch:
- US: ESPN+ ($79.99 PPV rate plus $10.99/month membership)
- UNITED KINGDOM: TNT Sports (￡3.99/month or ￡39.99/year through Discovery+)
- Canada: DAZN ($69.99)
- Australia: Kayo Sports ($59.95)
UFC 305 will take place at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia on August 18. The first prelims start at 6 pm ET, while the prelims are at 8 pm ET. The main card begins at 10 p.m. ET, and du Plessis and Adesanya should arrive at the Octagon around 12:30 a.m. ET, depending on how long the preliminary fights last.
Fight fans can watch UFC 305 on ESPN+ PPV (US), TNT Sports (UK), DAZN (Canada) and Kayo Sports (Australia).
Upcoming UFC television 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 vs. Namajunas | Ball Stadium – Denver, Colorado | ESPN, ESPN+ |
| July 20, 2024 | To be confirmed vs. to be confirmed | UFC APEX, Las Vegas, USA | ESPN+ |
| July 27, 2024 | UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad 2 | Live Co-op – Manchester | ESPN+ |
| August 3, 2024 | UFC Abu Dhabi: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov | Etihad Arena – Abu Dhabi | ABC, fubo, ESPN+ |
| August 10, 2024 | To be confirmed vs. to be confirmed | UFC APEX, Las Vegas, USA | ESPN+ |
| August 18, 2024 | UFC 305: du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya | RAC Arena – Perth, Australia | ESPN+ |
