UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis squashed their beef after their wild battle inside the Octagon at UFC 305.
Du Plessis rallied to beat Adesanya by fourth-round submission to retain the middleweight title in Perth. After Adesanya appeared to find his timing on the feet, du Plessis’s relentless forward pressure paid big dividends as he knocked down the former titleholder and sank a rear-naked choke.
It was an incredibly entertaining conclusion to the bad blood between du Plessis and Adesanya ahead of UFC 305. The two sides traded barbs for months entering the fight, and some of du Plessis’s trash talk drew an emotional reaction from Adesanya at the pre-fight press conference.
Things took a sharp, positive pivot between du Plessis and Adesanya following their middleweight title fight.
After the event, du Plessis gifted Adesanya a jacket following their epic clash.
Dricus du Plessis gifts Israel Adesanya a jacket after UFC 305
Respect among rivals
#UFC305 pic.twitter.com/4NF93tafl3
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) August 18, 2024
Du Plessis captured the UFC middleweight title by dethroning Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in January. He has amassed a 10-fight winning streak overall and is unbeaten in his UFC tenure, with wins against the likes of Robert Whittaker and Darren Till.
Adesanya made his return at UFC 305 after a year-long hiatus from competition. He’s lost back-to-back MMA fights for the first time in his career, after falling to Strickland at UFC 293 last year.
Du Plessis will likely face Strickland next in a rematch of their UFC 297 clash. Meanwhile, it’s uncertain when Adesanya will return to the Octagon, as he admitted after UFC 305 that he’ll take his time.
Du Plessis and Adesanya entered UFC 305 with one of the most heated pairings in UFC history, a rivalry that included personal attacks. The UFC’s return to Perth marked a new chapter in their relationship.