It looked like the momentum was going against him, but UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis refused to be denied as he walked through the fire to retain his 185-pound title at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia.
In a fascinating clash of styles, Adesanya looked to be having the better of the striking exchanges, with the Nigerian-New Zealander scoring more frequently on the feet. But Du Plessis’ relentless forward pressure and takedowns kept Adesanya honest as the champion forced the two-time champ onto the back foot on regular occasions during the matchup. And Du Plessis’ ability to mix things up on the feet and switch gears and wrestle saw him take two of the first three rounds on the judges’ scorecards heading into the championship rounds.
But, by then, it looked like it looked like the momentum was firmly with the former champion, who was starting to land his strikes almost at will. But Du Plessis would not be denied, and after landing a big shot that appeared to stun Adesanya, Du Plessis blitzed in and landed three big shots before taking his man to the mat.
With Adesanya slightly scrambled, Du Plessis instantly took his back, quickly locked up the rear-naked choke, and applied the squeeze until “The Last Stylebender” was forced to tap.
It was a stunning finish to an outstanding middleweight title fight, and cemented Du Plessis as the premier 185-pounder in the world. But that status will come under threat from any one of a number of sources, with former champ Sean Strickland seemingly next in line for a title shot, and the looming possibility of former middleweight champ, and current light heavyweight king, Alex Pereira returning to the division to try to become a simultaneous two-division champion.
But for now, 185 is Du Plessis’ division, and he celebrated his maiden title defence in the Octagon with his family and friends, including hulking South African rugby star Eben Etzebeth.
Kara-France stuns Erceg early with stunning comeback win
After a lengthy period away from the cage, Kiwi flyweight contender Kai Kara-France produced a stellar performance to stop former title challenger Steve Erceg and put himself right back into the championship mix at 125 pounds.
Both men looked to establish their boxing early, but it was Kara-France who exploded into life with a huge left hook that dropped Erceg hard. The Aussie tried to scramble back to his feet, but was dropped again, and referee Rich Mitchell stepped in to wave off the fight.
Erceg knew it was a good stoppage, and nodded his acceptance to the official while Kara-France wheeled away in celebration. Now the Kiwi could find himself in prime position for a title fight early next year.
Hooker edges Gamrot in three-round war
Dan Hooker catapulted himself into the upper echelons of the UFC lightweight division with a hard-earned split-decision victory over Poland’s Mateusz Gamrot.
The pair went the distance in a breathless back and forth war, as Gamrot attempted to stifle Hooker with his relentless wrestling and improved boxing, while Hooker showcased excellent defensive mat skills to stuff takedowns and get back to his feet when Gamrot was successful in his attempts. And, on the feet, Hooker found his mark with his strikes, and dropped Gamrot with a big shot and hurt him with plenty more as he punished the Pole as the fight wore on.
Eventually, both men were left standing in the middle of the cage awaiting the final verdict, which could easily have gone either way after a superb matchup. But the cards fell Hooker’s way as he took the split decision win to hand Gamrot just his third career loss and, most likely, propel himself into the top five of the UFC’s official lightweight rankings when they’re updated early next week.
Rozenstruik outpoints Tuivasa as one judge loses his mind
The battle of heavyweight knockout artists provided something of a surprise as they battled all the way to the judges’ scorecards, but if going the distance was a shock, that was nothing compared to judge Howie Booth’s final scorecard, as he scored all three rounds to Tuivasa after a fight that Rozenstruik largely dominated.
Fortunately for Rozenstruik, the other two judges were paying better attention to the action, and scored the bout in his favour to ensure he picked up the win his performance deserved.
After the bout, Booth was subsequently relieved of his duties for the remainder of the night.
Prates dismantles “The Leech”
The main card kicked off with a bang, as Brazil’s Carlos Prates made it 10 wins in a row with a stunning second-round knockout of Li Jingliang.
Prates looked outstanding throughout as he quickly found his range on “The Leech” with his straight punches, with his southpaw straight left seemingly laser-targeted on the chin of the Chinese fan-favourite.
Prates dropped Li on multiple occasions during the bout, but never rushed his work and never over-extended as he calmly dismantled his man before eventually knocking him out clean with a huge left hook late in the second round.
It was a win that took his win streak to 10, and put the rest of the welterweight division on notice. The “Fight Nerds” welterweight is on the fast track to the top, and it’s going to take someone pretty special to stop him.
UFC 305: Official results
MAIN CARD
- Dricus Du Plessis def. Israel Adesanya via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 4, 3:38 – for middleweight title
- Kai Kara-France def. Steve Erceg via TKO (punch) – Round 1, 4:04
- Dan Hooker def. Mateusz Gamrot via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
- Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Tai Tuivasa via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 30-27)
- Carlos Prates def. Li Jingliang via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 4:02
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Valter Walker def. Junior Tafa via technical submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 4:56
- Ricardo Ramos def. Joshua Culibao via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Casey O’Neill def. Luana Santos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- Jack Jenkins def. Herbert Burns via TKO (retirement) – Round 3, 0:48
EARLY PRELIMS
- Tom Nolan def. Alex Reyes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Song Kenan def. Ricky Glenn via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 29-28)
- Jesus Santos Aguilar def. Stewart Nicoll via technical submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:39
