UFC 305 will take place in Perth, Western Australia on Saturday, August 17, and there will be many who will have eyes on the main event of this clash. A bout for the UFC Middleweight Championship will be taking place, which will see Dricus Du Plessis defend his title against Israel Adesanya inside the Octagon.
The contest will see two of the biggest and best fighters in the weight division square off, making it one that has attracted interest from fans in other ways, such as in the betting ring. The fight has all the ingredients to be a potential blockbuster, hence why there are many that are already looking up the latest sport betting odds and opportunities that can be found for the upcoming clash Down Under.
Lead Up to the Fight
Both fighters are ranked inside the top #3 when it comes to the world rankings for their weight class, adding to the anticipation and hype surrounding the fight. Although he has suffered in recent fights, Adesanya remains the #1 ranked fighter, with Du Plessis #3.
As mentioned, “The Last Stylebender” has had a mixed bag when it comes to recent results, which may cause some concern for the former champion. In his last fight, he lost the title in a surprising fashion to Sean Strickland by decision, an outcome that many have called a major upset and didn’t expect to happen.
In his last five fights, he has had two defeats, but he did manage to bounce back from the TKO he suffered at the hands of Alex Pereira at UFC 281 in November 2022. In the rematch in April 2023, he dished out revenge and regained his title before losing it to Strickland at UFC 293 in September 2023. He has yet to fight since. For Du Plessis, it will be the first time he will defend the UFC Middleweight Championship, having won it against Strickland by split decision. He defeated the American in January at the UFC 297, becoming the first South African UFC champion in the process.
He will enter the bout with Adesanya with a 21-2-0 record, whereas the Nigerian will enter the contest with a record that reads 24-3-0.
Tale of the Tape
Both fighters appear to be evenly matched when it comes to their records, with them being comparable. That might be the only thing that they are comparable, with their physical statistics being different to each other.
Adesanya is five years older than his opponent, with the 35-year-old also standing taller and having a longer reach. He is 6’4” and can reach 80.0”, whereas the 30-year-old Du Plessis is
6’1” and has a reach of 76.0”. Both men are at the weight limit of 185lbs, with the #1 just slightly heavier.
It will be interesting to see whether those figures will give “The Last Stylebender” the advantage over “Stillknocks” or if they will become a disadvantage over the course of the contest.
Nonetheless, we should be able to expect an incredible headline fight at UFC 305 in Perth, Western Australia.