dricus du plessis | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

‘I’m Not F***ing Leaving’ Israel Adesanya Not Looking to Retire Despite Loss

Israel Adesanya was adamant about the future after losing to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305, maintaining that this…

Israel Adesanya was adamant about the future after losing to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305, maintaining that this would not be the end for him.

The battle was very even in the first few rounds. Eventually, Adesanya looked to be edging out a lead with the aid of some spectacular body shots in the third round. However, Du Plessis wasn’t about to give up, and he wobbled ‘The Last Stylebender’ in the fourth round, which led to him securing a takedown and later on the submission victory over Adesanya.

At 35 years of age and coming off back-to-back losses, Adesanya could easily step away from the sport. According to his account, that’s not what he intends to do, though. He didn’t even seem in very bad spirits after the fight and held a rather optimistic outlook.

Israel Adesanya makes it clear that his MMA career isn’t over

“…I’m disappointed in myself but at the same time proud,” Israel Adesanya told Daniel Cormier during his post-fight interview in the octagon. “Cuz this is the best I’ve ever felt. This is the best I’ve ever looked. And I just had the better man on the night, so I give him respect for that.”

Cormier pointed out that this fight would be Adesanya’s 12th consecutive title fight and asked him what he intended to do next. Israel Adesanya didn’t hesitate to be upfront with his answer and maintained that he intended to go absolutely nowhere. “I’m not f***ing leaving!” Adesanya would exclaim, the crowd roaring in approval.

Now, on a bit of a skid, it is unclear when Adesanya wishes to return to MMA action. At his age, it will undoubtedly take an extraordinary fight to motivate him to return. Who knows what the UFC’s Middleweight title landscape will look like when he does?

Do you think Dricus Du Plessis has what it takes to go on a memorable title reign?

Sean Strickland calls for Dricus du Plessis rematch after UFC 305: ‘Time for war Dutchman’

Former undisputed middleweight champion, Sean Strickland has already been pegged for a title rematch with Dricus du Plessis ahead…

Former undisputed middleweight champion, Sean Strickland has already been pegged for a title rematch with Dricus du Plessis ahead of UFC 305 overnight, however, now that the South African has prevailed, the ex-champion has made his feelings on an immediate rematch clear.

Strickland, the current number one ranked contender, most recently returned to winning ways in the co-main event of UFC 302 back in May in New Jersey, landing a decision win over former title challenger, Paulo Costa.

The win returned the former gold holder to winning-ways following a prior January loss to the above-mentioned, du Plessis at UFC 297 in January – in hugely controversial circumstances.

As for du Plessis, the Pretoria native continued his stunning, roughshod run through middleweight elites overnight in the main event of UFC 305 in Perth, settling his longstanding grudge with common-foe, Israel Adesanya.

Battling the City Kickboxing striker over the course of four rounds, du Plessis would land the first defense of the middleweight title – courtesy of a stunning rear-naked choke win, marking an end to their bitter feud in the wake of their matchup.

Dricus du Plessis called out by Sean Strickland at UFC 305

And while he has suggested a pairing with former champion and prior opponent, Robert Whittaker should come first, du Plessis has already been welcomed as a foe by a host of suitors – most notably, Sean Strickland.

“Time for war Dutchman,” Sean Strickland posted on his official X account in reaction to Dricus du Plessis’ win over Israel Adesanya at UFC 305.

Time for war Dutch man……

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) August 18, 2024

And while Strickland has welcomed a rematch with du Plessis, the undisputed middleweight kingpin has already been sought out by incumbent light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira – who has vowed to return to his old stomping ground of 185lbs to make good on a title fight with the South African.

UFC 305: Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya End Rivalry with a Kiss

The leadup to UFC 305 between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya was a bad-blood affair filled with trash-talking…

The leadup to UFC 305 between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya was a bad-blood affair filled with trash-talking about colonialism and a person’s roots. But, after the fight, the two athletes showed respect to one another and sealed it with a kiss.

Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya End Rivalry with a Kiss

“The Last Stylebender” Israel Adesanya is a Nigerian-Kiwi fighter who proudly represents his home nation of Nigeria and the continent of Africa. Along with Francis Ngannou and Kamaru Usman, these athletes called themselves the three kings of Africa when all of them held UFC titles.

In the leadup to the fight, Adesanya criticized Du Plessis for not being an African as he is a white person. Stillknocks” Dricus Du Plessis was confused as he was born in South Africa where he still resides to this day. In response, the South African fighter countered by saying Adesanya grew up wealthy.

After four rounds of action, in a closely fought back-and-forth fight, Dricus Du Plessis was able to defend his middleweight crown against the former division champion by fourth-round submission. “The Last Stylebender” was graceful and said that tonight Africa won. Du Plessis said that Adesanya is a legend and it was an honor fighting him, he also gifted his opponent a jacket from South Africa.

After the fight, while in the cage, the two hugged, and Israel Adesanya kissed his fingers and placed them on Dricus Du Plessis’s lips which caused both to laugh. See the video below:

Dricus Du Plessis was congratulated on his win by the president of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa. His next middleweight bout is likely a rematch against Sean Strickland, the man he originally took the middleweight crown from. Other top contenders include the winner of Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev who are booked for UFC 308.

President of South Africa Congratulates Dricus Du Plessis on UFC 305 Win

Stillknocks” Dricus Du Plessis was congratulated on his title win by the president of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa. Live…

Stillknocks” Dricus Du Plessis was congratulated on his title win by the president of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa. Live from Perth, Australia, Du Plessis defended his middleweight championship at UFC 305 with a submission against the former champion Israel Adesanya.

President of South Africa Congratulates Dricus Du Plessis

Leading into UFC 305, there was a series of trash talk regarding whether or not Dricus Du Plessis was truly African as he is a white person. The Nigerian-Kiwi Adesanya felt that “Stillknocks” does not represent Africa which Du Plessis didn’t understand as he was born and still lives in South Africa.

After the fight, the two fighters had a great showing of respect for each other. Du Plessis said that it was an honor to share the cage with Adesanya while the Nigerian Kiwi said that tonight Africa won.

After UFC 305, the South African-born athlete got some high praise. The president of South Africa congratulated Dricus Du Plessis on his impressive win and representing the nation. On X, formerly Twitter, Cyril Ramaphosa said:

Congratulations, Dricus Du Plessis, on retaining your UFC middleweight world championship with a submission in #UFC305. As a bonus, you kept our Flag flying hours after the Springboks scored an historic a 2-0 series win in Perth as well. We couldn’t wish for a better day in the office.

Australia and South Africa have long had a bitter sports rivalry in Rugby and Cricket. Recently, the South African rugby team, known as the Springboks, defeated the Australian team, the Wallabies. This match was part of a series, and South Africa’s win in Perth marked a 2-0 series victory over Australia

Cyril Ramaphosa is proud of his nation, having Rugby wins and Dricus Du Plessis’s victory on the same weekend. Nelson Mandela had Ramaphosa as secretary general when he was in office. After a lifetime in South African politics, he was elected president in 2018.

UFC 305 Stats: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya Breakdown

This is the stats breakdown for Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya, the middleweight title fight that went down…

This is the stats breakdown for Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya, the middleweight title fight that went down at UFC 305. “Stillknocks” Du Plessis, of South Africa, was able to get his hand raised after a submission in the fourth round.

But, the ending does not tell the full story. Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya was a closely contested matchup with the challenger out-landing the champion, but the division king controlled his domain on the ground. So let’s take a closer look at Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya.

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya – Stats

Dricus Du Plessis landed 90 out of 197 significant strikes, achieving a 45% accuracy rate, while Israel Adesanya landed 97 out of 203 significant strikes, with a 47% accuracy rate. In terms of total strikes, Du Plessis landed 99 out of 206, and Adesanya landed 105 out of 211.

Du Plessis also attempted more takedowns, looking to control the kickboxer by going to the ground. He completed 4 out of 9, and the Nigerian-Kiwi fighter was often able to work back to his feet. In terms of control time, Du Plessis was well ahead with 3 minutes and 39 seconds compared to Adesanya’s 9 seconds, who was only grappling defensively.

Adesanya targeted the body more frequently, landing 26% of his strikes to the body compared to Du Plessis’s 7%. For leg strikes, Du Plessis landed 24%, while Adesanya landed 8%. Du Plessis focused his significant strikes primarily on the head, landing 67% of his strikes there, compared to Adesanya’s 64%.

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya – Round by Round

In Round 1, both fighters were evenly matched, with Du Plessis landing 22 out of 52 significant strikes (42% accuracy) and Adesanya landing 16 out of 37 (43% accuracy). Most of Du Plessis’s strikes landed this round were leg kicks with a total of 12. Neither fighter attempted a takedown. Judges were split on scoring this round.

In Round 2, Adesanya slightly outperformed Du Plessis in significant strikes, landing 17 out of 30 (56% accuracy) compared to Du Plessis’s 13 out of 25 (52% accuracy). Du Plessis attempted five takedowns, successfully landing three. Du Plessis also had one submission attempt and controlled the fight for 3 minutes and 28 seconds. While Adesanya out-landed his opponent, the grappling success of Du Plessis gave him the round.

In round 3, the former champion began finding his range and was landing well, especially digging punches to the body which were the best strikes of the entire fight. This round saw Du Plessis landing 31 out of 75 significant strikes (41% accuracy) and Adesanya landing 40 out of 83 (48% accuracy). Neither fighter attempted a takedown.

Round 4 ended the fight as Du Plessis secured a takedown, advanced position, took Adesanya’s back, and submitted him.

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya UFC 305

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya – Judges Scorecards

Here are the judges’ scorecards for the UFC 305 main event – Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya.

081724 dricus du plessis israel adesanya official scorecards 1

Dricus Du Plessis Gifts Israel Adesanya Backstage In Show of Respect

UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis squashed their beef after their wild battle inside the Octagon at UFC 305….

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

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.