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Michael ‘Venom’ Page Predicts Head Kick KO In UFC 305 Main Event: ‘The King Is About To Return To The Throne!’

Michael “Venom” Page recently offered his insights into the highly anticipated middleweight title showdown between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, suggesting that the fight could end with a spectacular head kick knockout. “Stillknocks” is set to defend his championship for the first time in a grudge match against Adesanya in the […]

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“Stillknocks” is set to defend his championship for the first time in a grudge match against Adesanya in the headline bout of the upcoming pay-per-view event, scheduled for this weekend at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia.

The two fighters were initially expected to square off last September following their dramatic face-off at UFC 290 in July 2023, yet destiny had other plans when an untimely injury derailed Du Plessis. During that time, “The Last Stylebender” faced a surprising setback, losing the middleweight title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293.

In the wake of his defeat, Adesanya announced that he would be taking a hiatus to prioritize his mental well-being and recalibrate his career. Meanwhile, the South African power puncher made a triumphant return, narrowly defeating Strickland by a split decision to seize the 185-pound title at UFC 297.

Despite returning from a loss and a year-long break, Adesanya still stands as the odds-on favorite against Du Plessis. The Nigerian-born Kiwi is hailed as one of the most formidable middleweight champions in UFC history, with five successful title defenses under his belt. His reign of dominance is credited to his intricate fighting style, a puzzle that many opponents struggle to solve, combined with his remarkable ability to land potent strikes while maintaining flawless control of range.

A virtuoso of unconventional striking techniques himself, Page has a deep understanding of just how lethal ‘The Last Stylebender’ can be on his feet against Du Plessis…

Page Expects ‘Old-School’ Adesanya To Shine Against Du Plessis

During a recent UFC 305 prediction video on his YouTube channel, “Venom” offered his thoughts on the looming clash between Du Plessis and Adesanya. Page threw his support behind the former middleweight champion, suggesting that Adesanya’s time away from the octagon has likely reignited his hunger and determination.

“The middleweight division is just crazy right now with its constant handovers when it comes to the belt, but I do think the king is about to return to his throne,” Page said. “There’s a different level of focus right now when it comes to Izzy after he had a little back and forth with [Alex] Pereira, got his one back. That was unbelievable because he put so much mental strength into that. He kind of just wasn’t in the same mindset after that; he kind of relaxed a bit too much and then obviously lost the belt. Now he’s back after giving himself some time to just, I guess, get that motivation again.”

The Englishman further added that he anticipates a striking clinic from Izzy, one that will expertly neutralize the grappling and takedown threats posed by “Stillknocks”.

“I do think we’re going to see the old school Izzy. Dricus is going to want to grab him and take him down to the floor. I think he’s [Adesanya] going to struggle initially to try and find the timing, but then when he starts getting plugged, it’s going to be a bit of a desperate takedown, which he may get, but I see Izzy standing straight back up on him and then just getting to work on his hands until I think he just gets demoralized. My boy is going to find a way to land. I could even see a head kick coming or a big punch that’s going to rock him and take him out of the fight.”

Adesanya stands on the brink of history. If he secures a victory on August 17, he will join the exclusive ranks of the legendary Randy Couture by claiming an undisputed UFC title for the third time in a division. This monumental achievement would firmly establish his place among the greatest icons in MMA history.

Read More: Tom Aspinall Pays Rich Tribute To Israel Adesanya Ahead Of UFC 305: ‘I Have Learned A Lot Just From Watching Him…’

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Darren Till’s Detailed Advice To Israel Adesanya On How To Fight Dricus Du Plessis: ‘You’re A High Level Striker So You Know What Am On About…’

Former UFC middleweight contender Darren Till and Israel Adesanya have had an interesting relationship with one another during their careers. When Till made the decision to move up to middleweight, he was immediately on the radar of the champion at the time. As a former title challenger at 170-pounds, his win over Kelvin Gastelum immediately […]

Continue Reading Darren Till’s Detailed Advice To Israel Adesanya On How To Fight Dricus Du Plessis: ‘You’re A High Level Striker So You Know What Am On About…’ at MMA News.

Former UFC middleweight contender Darren Till and Israel Adesanya have had an interesting relationship with one another during their careers.

When Till made the decision to move up to middleweight, he was immediately on the radar of the champion at the time.

As a former title challenger at 170-pounds, his win over Kelvin Gastelum immediately put him in the mix and with both Till and Adesanya being specialist strikers, the match-up sold itself.

The fight never did materialize after “The Gorilla” suffered three consecutive losses before parting ways with the promotion.

His final outing inside the Octagon came at UFC 282 where he faced the man that would go on to become champion and defend the title against Adesanya this weekend at UFC 305.

Darren Till Gives Breakdown & Advice For Israel Adesanya On How To Beat Dricus Du Plessis

In a post on X, Till gave Adesanya some advice based on what he learned in his fight with Dricus Du Plessis in December of 2022.

The scouse fighter was submitted in the third and despite taking a beating in the opening round, he was able to have some success in the striking ranges against “Stillknocks” in the second.

His accurate combinations were much too fast for Du Plessis at the time and this is where he believes that Adesanya may be able to capitalize.

Till passed some knowledge on to “The Last Stylebender” about drawing reactions from the champion as well as standing his ground instead of fighting off of the back foot.

“Got some advice for Izzy on how to fight DDP on Saturday. Lots of feints… he reacts to them so much and throws from the hills. Then you can step back. Have a look and either for for the punch combo or knee maybe a kick. Ur a high level striker so u know what am on about. Everyone on here won’t have a clue but they will try to understand it. Only the elite strikers get it.

“As he rushes in also do what you did against rob and I did the same. Urs knocked rob out as where as mine didn’t but still same same. DDP will rush in. Instead of standing back or going back like most of these silly stupid strikers do. Stand ur ground and just hit him with either again the punch combo or even a knee up the middle. I personally love the elbow as they are lunging in but it’s whatever suits at that time and whatever you have practiced. Hope this advice goes well with you IZZY.”

Got some advice for Izzy on how to fight DDP on Saturday.
Lots of feints… he reacts to them so much and throws from the hills. Then you can step back. Have a look and either for for the punch combo or knee maybe a kick.
Ur a high level striker so u know what am on about.…

— DT (@darrentill2) August 13, 2024

Continue Reading Darren Till’s Detailed Advice To Israel Adesanya On How To Fight Dricus Du Plessis: ‘You’re A High Level Striker So You Know What Am On About…’ at MMA News.

Dricus Du Plessis To Israel Adesanya Ahead Of UFC 305: ‘Pull Out Of The Fight!’

Despite the previous tensions between Dricus Du Plessis and his first title challenger, Israel Adesanya, the champion has shown his opponent some respect ahead of August 17. “Stillknocks” does have a lot of appreciation for what the former champion has been able to accomplish in his career. For all of the plaudits that “The Last […]

Continue Reading Dricus Du Plessis To Israel Adesanya Ahead Of UFC 305: ‘Pull Out Of The Fight!’ at MMA News.

Despite the previous tensions between Dricus Du Plessis and his first title challenger, Israel Adesanya, the champion has shown his opponent some respect ahead of August 17.

“Stillknocks” does have a lot of appreciation for what the former champion has been able to accomplish in his career.

For all of the plaudits that “The Last Stylebender” has rightfully earned during his six-year run with the UFC, Du Plessis questions whether he can continue fighting at this level.

The champ believes that Adesanya’s time at the top may have run it’s course and has theorized whether he still has that same hunger inside of him at this stage.

Dricus Du Plessis Says He Would Try To Pull Out Of The Fight If He Was In Israel Adesanya’s Shoes

In a recent interview with New York Post Sports, Du Plessis was asked what he would do if he was in his opponent’s shoes if, like he says, Adesanya doesn’t have enough left in the tank to become middleweight champion again.

His response was a joke about avoiding the fight altogether at this stage, but he went on to explain more about what he sees as the key difference between them.

With him being just around the corner from his first title defense as Adesanya looks to become a three-time middleweight champion, he believes that the two men are just at very different points in their careers heading into UFC 305 in Perth.

“Well if I was in his shoes right now, I would find a way to pull out of this fight to be honest because I’m coming. I’m feeling great, I’m feeling the best I’ve ever felt and that’s the banter in me, getting ready for that but in all honesty, to go and say he doesn’t have the fire, I think the fire might be there. But, it’s just too small. My fire is just shadowing his fire, maybe that’s why I don’t see the fire in him because of the fire in me.”

Continue Reading Dricus Du Plessis To Israel Adesanya Ahead Of UFC 305: ‘Pull Out Of The Fight!’ at MMA News.

UFC Commentator On People Underestimating Adesanya Ahead Of UFC 305: ‘Izzy’s Not The Type Of Beast I’d Want To Awaken…’

Jon Anik recently cautioned fans not to undervalue Israel Adesanya ahead of his upcoming title fight against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305. Adesanya is set to take on the reigning middleweight champion in the highly anticipated main event of the pay-per-view extravaganza, scheduled for August 17 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia. […]

Continue Reading UFC Commentator On People Underestimating Adesanya Ahead Of UFC 305: ‘Izzy’s Not The Type Of Beast I’d Want To Awaken…’ at MMA News.

Jon Anik recently cautioned fans not to undervalue Israel Adesanya ahead of his upcoming title fight against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305.

Adesanya is set to take on the reigning middleweight champion in the highly anticipated main event of the pay-per-view extravaganza, scheduled for August 17 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia.

“The Last Stylebender” is gearing up for his Octagon return after an 11-month hiatus—the longest of his UFC career. After his title defeat to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 last September, Adesanya took a voluntary break to concentrate on his mental well-being.

Adesanya is currently navigating the most challenging stretch of his career since his unsuccessful attempt to capture the light heavyweight title against then-champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259. Following that setback, he endured his first middleweight defeat—a fifth-round TKO loss to his longtime rival Alex Pereira at UFC 281.

In light of his recent performances, some MMA pundits have begun to question Adesanya’s ability to stand toe-to-toe with a formidable opponent like “Stillknocks”, with whom he’s shared a fierce rivalry for some time. However, Anik firmly believes that “The Last Stylebender’s” skills are beyond reproach and should not be doubted…

Anik Suggests Adesanya’s Success Depends On Tempering Aggression Against Du Plessis

During a recent interview with MMAFightingonSBN, Anik shared his excitement for the highly anticipated showdown between Du Plessis and Adesanya. The UFC play-by-play commentator emphasized that the simmering tension between the two fighters not only adds intrigue to the bout but also raises the stakes, making it a more challenging encounter for both competitors.

“I can’t wait, right? If I gotta go from South Florida to Perth, Western Australia, 37 hours from door to door if you really want to know—thankfully, it’s for a main event of this magnitude,” Anik said. “I mean, Izzy’s not the type of beast that I’d want to awaken or add sort of extra fuel to, but at this level, I feel like these guys competitively make for a fascinating stylistic matchup, and they’ll bury the hatchet. If there’s a knockout, you know, maybe there’s some extra friction here, but I think it’s just two guys who have a lot of pride in where they’re from and who they are, and two guys who just aren’t going to back down.”

Anik went on to say that although Adesanya is the premier striker in the middleweight division, he’ll need to rein in his assertive approach when facing “Stillknocks”, a dangerous power puncher. He added that the former UFC middleweight champion must be strategic in his offense to avoid getting caught by Du Plessis’ heavy hands.

“I’m curious to what extent Izzy is going to not throw caution to the wind but sort of manage risk and manage aggression because he is maybe the best striker that I have ever seen in there, and a lot of people like this matchup for him. He is the betting favorite right now, increasingly so in those latter rounds. You know, how is he going to manage risk if the bout continues to just come at him? You know, that’s a big question mark for me. I think Izzy is going to be in prime form. I just think that this is a guy you really have to separate from consciousness, and I think if anybody’s capable of doing that, it’s Izzy.”

Read More: Israel Adesanya Compares Dricus Du Plessis’ ‘Awkward’ Style With Former Opponent

Continue Reading UFC Commentator On People Underestimating Adesanya Ahead Of UFC 305: ‘Izzy’s Not The Type Of Beast I’d Want To Awaken…’ at MMA News.

UFC 305: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya Weigh-In Results: One Fighter Misses

UFC 305 takes place tomorrow night, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results! For the first time in 2024, the Octagon is Down Under, with the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, playing host to the promotion’s latest pay-per-view event. And the mixed martial arts leader has brought a lineup worthy of […]

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UFC 305 takes place tomorrow night, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results!

For the first time in 2024, the Octagon is Down Under, with the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, playing host to the promotion’s latest pay-per-view event. And the mixed martial arts leader has brought a lineup worthy of the occasion with it across the world, including a title fight and a host of notable undercard bouts.

The championship clash at the top of the card will see Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya’s heated feud finally reach the steel surroundings of the Octagon, with the South African’s middleweight title on the line.

Elsewhere, top flyweights Kai Kara-France and Steve Erceg will look to engineer themselves a second shot at UFC gold in the co-main event, while Oceanic favorites Dan Hooker and Tai Tuivasa will also hope to deliver highlight victories on the main card.

UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Weigh-In Results

UFC 305 takes place Saturday, August 17 (August 18 local time) at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT.

See above for a replay of the UFC 305 Weigh-In Show, and check out the full results below!

Main Card:

Middleweight Championship Main Event: Dricus Du Plessis (185lbs) vs. Israel Adesanya (184lbs)
Flyweight Co-Main Event: Kai Kara-France (125lbs) vs. Steve Erceg (125.5lbs)
Lightweight: Mateusz Gamrot (156lbs) vs. Dan Hooker (155.5lbs)
Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa (265lbs) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (259lbs)
Welterweight: Li Jingliang (171lbs) vs. Carlos Prates (170lbs)

Preliminary Card:

Heavyweight: Junior Tafa (244lbs) vs. Valter Walker (252lbs)
Featherweight: Joshua Culibao (146lbs) vs. Ricardo Ramos (145.5lbs)
Women’s Flyweight: Casey O’Neill (125.5lbs) vs. Luana Santos (126lbs)
Featherweight: Jack Jenkins (145.5lbs) vs. Herbert Burns (146lbs)

Early Preliminary Card:

Lightweight: Tom Nolan (155.5lbs) vs. Alex Reyes (156lbs)
Welterweight: Song Kenan (171lbs) vs. Ricky Glenn (171lbs)
Flyweight: Stewart Nicoll (126lbs) vs. Jesus Aguilar (127.5lbs)*

*Jesus Aguilar missed the flyweight limit by 1.5 pounds, fight status TBC

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UFC 305: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya Ceremonial Weigh-In Faceoffs & Full Stream

UFC 305 takes place on Saturday night, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins! The upcoming pay-per-view event at Perth’s RAC Arena provides a chance for UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis to further enhance his legacy on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage. After unseating Sean Strickland in […]

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UFC 305 takes place on Saturday night, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins!

The upcoming pay-per-view event at Perth’s RAC Arena provides a chance for UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis to further enhance his legacy on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.

After unseating Sean Strickland in the American’s first defense this past January, the South African will look to avoid the same fate when he puts the gold on the line Down Under opposite former two-time champ Israel Adesanya.

Title stakes could be down the line for the co-main event winner, meanwhile, with recent challenger Steve Erceg looking to immediately bounce back from his first UFC setback against the returning Kai Kara-France.

Elsewhere on the UFC 305 card, lightweight fan favorite Dan Hooker shoots for a top-five ranking opposite Mateusz Gamrot, hard-hitting heavyweights Tai Tuivasa and Jairzinho Rozenstruik likely swing for the fences, and China’s Li Jingliang makes a long-awaited comeback.

Ahead of the event, 23 out of the 24 fighters successfully made weight, with Jesus Aguilar’s 1.5-pound miss of the flyweight limit marking the sole indiscretion on the scale.

Nevertheless, every fight has remained intact, and all that remained on Friday night (Saturday local time) was for the athletes to face off one final time at the UFC 305 ceremonial weigh-ins!

Check out a stream via the official UFC YouTube channel below, followed by all the faceoffs!