UFC 304 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering.
The promotion was in Manchester, England last week, where the Co-op Live played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its latest visit across the pond. Of note were victories for newly crowned UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad, Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall, and rising lightweight Paddy Pimblett.
While the aftermath of the July 27 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the welterweight title picture to the 185-pound championship conversation.
At UFC 305, set for the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, on August 17, reigning middleweight kingpin Dricus Du Plessis will compete for the second time this year, making his first defense of the gold in a long-awaited grudge match against returning former two-time champ Israel Adesanya.
There will also be high stakes and Oceanic interest in the co-headliner, as former flyweight title challengers Kai Kara-France and Steve Erceg collide in the latter’s home city in pursuit of staking their claim for a shot at Alexandre Pantoja’s belt down the line.
Hooker, Tuivasa, ‘The Leech’ Set The Stage For Title Headliner At UFC 305
Before Du Plessis defends his championship in Adesanya’s home continent and the City Kickboxing standout’s teammate “Don’t Blink” makes his comeback, a number of other high-profile names will take to the Octagon looking to make the post of their position on the major card.
That includes fan-favorite lightweight veteran Dan Hooker, whose frequent calls for a spot on the Perth card were finally answered in the form of a crucial showdown with the #5-ranked Mateusz Gamrot. While Hooker has won back-to-back outings against Claudio Puelles and Jalin Turner to begin a resurgence, “Gamer” is riding a three-fight win streak.
Prior to that, Australia’s own Tai Tuivasa will look to bring his patented post-knockout shoey celebration back to the Octagon for the first time since his victory over Derrick Lewis in February 2022. That result marked “Bam Bam’s” fifth straight win and left him at #3 in the heavyweight rankings, but he’s since lost four in a row, the most recent of which came against Marcin Tybura at the Apex this past March. The same month saw his next opponent, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, return to winning ways at the expense of Shamil Gaziev.
And opening the main card is the return of Li Jingliang, who hasn’t made the walk since a controversial defeat to Daniel Rodriguez in their short-notice 180-pound catchweight contest at UFC 279 in September 2022.
See below for the full UFC 304 card, as it stands.
Main Card:
- Dricus Du Plessis (C) vs. Israel Adesanya (middleweight championship main event)
- Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg (flyweight co-main event)
- Mateusz Gamrot vs. Dan Hooker (lightweight)
- Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (heavyweight)
- Li Jingliang vs. Carlos Prates (welterweight)
Preliminary Card:
- Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker (heavyweight)
- Joshua Culibao vs. Ricardo Ramos (featherweight)
- Casey O’Neill vs. Luana Santos (women’s flyweight)
- Jack Jenkins vs. Herbert Burns (featherweight)
Early Preliminary Card:
- Tom Nolan vs. Alex Reyes (lightweight)
- Song Kenan vs. Ricky Glenn (welterweight)
- Stewart Nicoll vs. Jesus Aguilar (flyweight)
Continue Reading What’s Next After UFC 304? Full Confirmed UFC 305 Main Card For Perth On August 17 at MMA News.
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