UFC 305 Adesanya vs. Du Plessis: Live updates and analysis

August 17, 2024, 8:00 PM ET

Dricus Du Plessis defends his middleweight title against two-time former champion Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 305 on Saturday, August 17 in Perth, Australia.

The main card at RAC Arena will stream on ESPN+ pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET, with prelims on ESPN and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. and early prelims on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m.

Du Plessis (21-2) has won nine straight fights, most recently a split decision over Sean Strickland in January to capture the 185-pound title. Du Plessis is No. 1 in ESPN's middleweight rankings.

Adesanya (24-3) has not fought since losing his title to Strickland by unanimous decision last September. He is No. 7 in ESPN's men's pound-for-pound rankings.

What are the storylines behind the main fights at UFC 305? How do the experts analyze them? What do the fighters have to say? Here's the fight card, how to watch it, and a roundup of all the UFC 305 essentials.

What do betting experts and MMA analysts think about Adesanya-Du Plessis?

How to watch fights

Watch the PPV and all other fights on ESPN+: Get ESPN+ here.

Watch the preliminaries on ESPN. Download the ESPN app | WatchESPN | TV programming

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Did you buy the fight on your phone and want to stream it on your TV? Find out how here.

There is also FightCenter, offering live updates for every UFC card.

The fight card

Emotional Adesanya delivers passionate message ahead of UFC 305

Israel Adesanya shares an emotional moment with his family at the UFC 305 press conference ahead of his title fight against Dricus du Plessis.

Middleweight Championship: Dricus Du Plessis (c) vs. Israel Adesanya
Men's Flyweight: Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg
Lightweight: Mateusz Gamrot vs. Dan Hooker
Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Welterweight: Li Jingliang vs. Carlos Prates
Heavyweight: Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker
Featherweight: Josh Culibao vs. Ricardo Ramos
Women's Flyweight: Casey O'Neill vs. Luana Santos
Featherweight: Jack Jenkins vs. Herbert Burns
Lightweight: Tom Nolan defeated Alex Reyes
Welterweight: Song Kenan defeated Ricky Glenn
Men's Flyweight: Jesus Aguilar defeated Stewart Nicoll
(c) = defending champion

'It's old Izzy, but also old Izzy'

By the time Adesanya steps into the cage, his sabbatical will have lasted just over 11 months. His break included two months in which he didn't step foot in a gym for “his own sanity.”

“I had no idea how long I would be out, but I knew it wouldn't be until 2027,” Adesanya said. “It was a joke. Don't worry. I'm back.”

The time away allowed the 35-year-old to rethink what it means to be a professional athlete, as well as find the right motivation to step into the Octagon, before his desire to compete could be completely extinguished.

“Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and I have a big head and a big crown,” Adesanya said.

Hale: Israel Adesanya is back at UFC 305, motivated

Storylines: Adesanya-Du Plessis rivalry, heavyweights knocking out nobody and more

When the eight-sided cage returns to Australia on Saturday, the former two-time champion will challenge Dricus Du Plessis in the main event of UFC 305 in Perth. At stake will be not just a shiny strap, but the pride of a continent 5,000 miles away, as both fighters have roots in Africa, though they have very different life experiences.

That's the origin of just one of the many intriguing storylines that will unfold this weekend. Here are five things to keep an eye on at UFC 305.

Wagenheim: UFC 305 Storylines: Can Adesanya Reclaim Middleweight Crown?

The burning fire drives Dricus du Plessis against Israel Adesanya

When South African Dricus “Stillknocks” du Plessis was awarded the UFC middleweight belt in January by beating Sean Strickland in a split decision, his first request was: “Bring me my flag.”

Taking on the nation’s rainbow colours was a moment of symbolic significance for his gym, CIT Performance Institute, which he co-owns with long-time friends and training partners Claudia and JT Botha, and all the work they are doing to grow the sport at home.

Du Plessis, sitting on a diving board after training, told ESPN: “The flag represents to me that this is not just my title, it's the country's title, the flag represents the incredible support that I've been getting and that we've been getting.

Solms: Du Plessis to defend 'homeland' UFC belt against Adesanya

Rest, reset and golf: Israel Adesanya's 11-month break

But back to 2023, when Adesanya and du Plessis seemed destined to meet before the year was out, or at least early in 2024, and the Nigerian-born New Zealander's shock loss to Sean Strickland eliminated the possibility of that showdown.

And just like that, Adesanya was gone.

“That was definitely the straw that broke the camel's back, because it's not just the fights, it's also the camp, the training, that's what really got to me and my body just wasn't right,” Adesanya told ESPN of his decision to walk away from the sport.

Bruce: Inside Israel Adesanya's 'levelling up'