Tag: UFC 305

Darren Till Bemoans Negative Reaction To His UFC 305 Advice For Israel Adesanya: ‘You Just Have To Love The Internet’

Darren Till recently expressed frustration with the backlash he received online after offering fight advice for Israel Adesanya’s upcoming bout against Dricus Du Plessis. “The Last Stylebender” is poised to challenge the reigning middleweight champion in the main event of UFC 305, set to take place this weekend at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western […]

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Darren Till recently expressed frustration with the backlash he received online after offering fight advice for Israel Adesanya’s upcoming bout against Dricus Du Plessis.

“The Last Stylebender” is poised to challenge the reigning middleweight champion in the main event of UFC 305, set to take place this weekend at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia.

Drawing upon his own encounter with Du Plessis at UFC 282 in December 2022, Till recently took to X to offer Adesanya some strategic insights for his highly anticipated return. He highlighted the critical role of feints, advising Adesanya to use them to provoke overreactions from Du Plessis, who has a tendency to overcommit under pressure.

“The Gorilla” suggested that Adesanya maintain his distance and wait for the perfect moment to unleash his powerful strike combinations. Reflecting on his own fight, Till noted that “Stillknocks” often charges in recklessly and urged the Nigeria-born Kiwi to be cautious in those moments. Instead of retreating, the Brit advised that Adesanya should stand his ground and counter with a well-timed strike, turning Du Plessis’ aggression into an opportunity for a decisive blow.

Till’s analysis and fight recommendations were grounded in realism and could prove invaluable for the former longtime champion. However, what he didn’t foresee was the wave of mockery from fans, who quickly turned on “The Gorilla” due to his loss to Du Plessis.

Now, the former UFC star has a few words for the MMA community…

Till Strikes Back At Critics Of UFC 305 Advice For Adesanya

Frustrated by the torrent of online criticism following his advice to Adesanya, Till recently took to X to clap back at his naysayers.

The former UFC welterweight title challenger highlighted the irony of the MMA community, pointing out that while fans are quick to impose their opinions, they rejected his insights simply because they came from an ex-UFC fighter.

“MMA fans & trolls are the best. I see them all the time giving advice to fighters and opinions, etc,” Till tweeted. “But me…. An ex-UFC fighter is not allowed to give anyone advice cos they jump on saying what do I know, etc… Arghhhh, swear to god, you just have to love the internet. It’s great…”

After a series of tough losses in the Octagon, “The Gorilla” chose to part ways with the UFC and stepped into the world of free agency. He returned to competition for the first time since UFC 282, making his squared-circle debut in a four-round exhibition bout against Mohammad Mutie at Social Knockout 3 last month.

Till secured a second-round TKO, but the future of the 31-year-old Scouser in combat sports now remains uncertain.

Continue Reading Darren Till Bemoans Negative Reaction To His UFC 305 Advice For Israel Adesanya: ‘You Just Have To Love The Internet’ at MMA News.

Dan Hooker Suggests Mateusz Gamrot Isn’t Fighting Him ‘By Choice’ At UFC 305: ‘Really Hard To Market…’

Dan Hooker has a lot to gain in his first fight of 2024 when he takes on Mateusz Gamrot this weekend at UFC 305. “The Hangman” has produced back-to-back wins in the lightweight division over Jalin Turner and Claudio Puelles to earn himself the #11 ranking. Gamrot, on the other hand, sits at #5 having […]

Continue Reading Dan Hooker Suggests Mateusz Gamrot Isn’t Fighting Him ‘By Choice’ At UFC 305: ‘Really Hard To Market…’ at MMA News.

Dan Hooker has a lot to gain in his first fight of 2024 when he takes on Mateusz Gamrot this weekend at UFC 305.

“The Hangman” has produced back-to-back wins in the lightweight division over Jalin Turner and Claudio Puelles to earn himself the #11 ranking.

Gamrot, on the other hand, sits at #5 having beaten the likes of Rafael dos Anjos and Arman Tsarukyan during his time in the UFC.

Had the division’s champion, Islam Makhachev, been able to make a quicker turnaround to face Tsarukyan, who solidified his status as the number one contender by beating Charles Oliveira at UFC 300, there’s a world in which Gamrot wouldn’t need to take this fight.

The issue some have put forth, however, is that the Polish fighter potentially lacks that extra factor which would build excitement for him earning a title shot…

Dan Hooker Says Mateusz Gamrot Has To Fight Him To Make Himself More Viable For A Title Shot

Hooker believes that his opponent this weekend in Perth didn’t take this fight because he wanted to go to Australia to test himself against “The Hangman.”

Other contenders may have chosen to wait knowing that once Makhachev does return from injury to fight Tsarukyan, he’s likely to be the next up when you look at the rest of the top five.

Not only was there a need for Gamrot to stay active by fighting down in the rankings, Hooker believes that “Gamer” is in need of more highlights if he’s going to fight for the title.

He has some impressive wins on his record, but as the Kiwi fighter pointed out during a recent interview on the FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Gamrot’s recent wins haven’t been dominant displays.

“Yeah I feel like they made him do it. I feel like he’s not doing it by choice. I feel like if it was a choice, he would sit out like he’s the next contender in line for a title shot. So obviously, Arman is potentially booked for Islam, I hear Islam’s injured and that’s like up in the air at the moment, but Gamrot’s the next guy. In the top five, a lot of the big names are coming off losses if you look down the (rankings), like (Dustin) Poirier, (Justin) Gaethje, Oliveira, are all coming off losses.

“Gamrot, like a close edging win after like pretty much his last two fights, he got dropped by ‘RDA’ and he got dropped by Jalin Turner and then managed to grab ahold of them and survive and panic and win, you know what I mean? So to say that this guy is the next in line for a title is very hard to market I guess for the UFC. So for in terms of Gamrot, he needs like, a big win over a guy with an exciting fighter with a big name, and so that’s me. But I’m in the game of opportunities.”

Continue Reading Dan Hooker Suggests Mateusz Gamrot Isn’t Fighting Him ‘By Choice’ At UFC 305: ‘Really Hard To Market…’ at MMA News.

Demetrious Johnson Predicts Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya At UFC 305: ‘If He Does Not Impose His Will…’

Demetrious Johnson recently shared his prediction for the highly anticipated middleweight clash between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya at UFC 305. Du Plessis will defend his UFC middleweight title for the first time in a rivalry-charged showdown against Adesanya, headlining the upcoming pay-per-view event this weekend at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia. […]

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Demetrious Johnson recently shared his prediction for the highly anticipated middleweight clash between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya at UFC 305.

Du Plessis will defend his UFC middleweight title for the first time in a rivalry-charged showdown against Adesanya, headlining the upcoming pay-per-view event this weekend at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia.

The two fighters have been caught in a maelstrom of animosity for some time now and were originally expected to clash in September 2023. However, an injury sidelined “Stillknocks.” Consequently, Sean Strickland took the South African’s spot and dethroned Adesanya in a short-notice bout at UFC 293.

Following his loss, “The Last Stylebender” announced he would be stepping away from the Octagon for a while, choosing to focus on his mental health and reassess his career trajectory. During his absence, Du Plessis made a powerful comeback, defeating Strickland in a hard-fought split decision at UFC 297 to claim the 185-pound title.

Even after returning from a loss and a year-long hiatus, Adesanya is still widely regarded as the favorite against Du Plessis, likely due to his exceptional distance control and top-tier striking skills.

“Mighty Mouse” believes these attributes give the Nigerian-born Kiwi a massive edge over a formidable power puncher like Du Plessis…

Johnson Confident Adesanya Shuts Down Du Plessis In Close-Range Fight

During a recent video on his YouTube channel, Johnson weighed in on the upcoming title clash between Du Plessis and Adesanya.

The reigning ONE Championship flyweight champion emphasized that the outcome of this fight will likely hinge on how well each fighter manages distance and navigates close-pocket exchanges.

“There is no secret I’m a big Izzy fan. I hope he wins,” Johnson said. “If Izzy does not go out there and (impose) his will on DDP, I think it’s going to be a long night for Izzy Adesanya. He does a very good job creating that void between him and his opponent and forcing them to come across the distance with his feints, his teeps, his high kicks, and his inside kicks—whatnot. That’s what he does best.”

“Mighty Mouse” went on to say that it will be crucial to observe how much Adesanya has evolved since his last fight and whether he can keep his emotions in check, avoiding reckless charges against “Stillknocks,” a masterful counter-striker.

“I’m looking at this fight to see how Izzy bounces back from his last loss against Sean Strickland,” Johnson added. “How is he going to approach this fight against DDP? There’s a lot of bad blood. Is Izzy going to let emotions take over the fight? I don’t foresee DDP knocking out Izzy unless Izzy makes a mistake. But if Izzy hasn’t evolved to where he’s like how he fought Robert Whittaker the first time, when he was sitting there hunting, it’s a risky game… If Izzy goes out there, implements and executes his game plan, and forces DDP to make a bad choice, to overextend in the void, or just goes out there and works him, I have Izzy winning that fight.”

“The Last Stylebender” is returning from the longest layoff of his UFC career, and all eyes will be on how he has grown, both physically and mentally, to overcome a formidable challenge like Du Plessis.

Adesanya is presently enduring the most arduous phase of his career inside the Octagon, having gone 4-3 across his last seven bouts.

Continue Reading Demetrious Johnson Predicts Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya At UFC 305: ‘If He Does Not Impose His Will…’ at MMA News.

Daniel Cormier Says Dricus Du Plessis Can Become a Double Champ in the UFC

Daniel Cormier Says Dricus Du Plessis Can Become a Double Champ in the UFCDaniel Cormier firmly believes that Dricus Du Plessis can do anything he sets his mind to, including capturing a…

Daniel Cormier Says Dricus Du Plessis Can Become a Double Champ in the UFC

Daniel Cormier firmly believes that Dricus Du Plessis can do anything he sets his mind to, including capturing a second UFC title.

On Saturday, ‘Stillknocks’ will defend his middleweight strap for the first time since stealing a split decision against ex-titleholder Sean Strickland in January. Standing in Du Plessis’ way of a successful defense will be Israel Adesanya, who looks to make history by becoming the promotion’s first-ever three-time champ at 185.

The two will headline UFC 305, emanating from RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

Israel Adesanya vs. Dricus Du Plessis

Sharing his take on Du Plessis’ meteoric rise from prospect to world champion, Cormier believes the South African’s unique style has been largely responsible for his immense success and he expects that to continue in The Land Down Under.

“The problem with Dricus is that the things he does don’t look like everybody else’s,” Cormier told Submission Radio. “His feet may cross at an odd time, he may throw a punch from a weird angle, or he might do a takedown in a weird way, but it’s working. So you have to accept that just because it looks different, it’s not wrong—it’s his way, right? It’s his style, and he’s mastered it. He’s mastered it to the point that he’s the world champion. So I think that awkwardness will play to his benefit on Saturday night” (h/t MMA News).

Cormier confident Dricus du Plessis can capture double-gold with ‘the right matchup’

Having not yet defended the middleweight title, pundits were quick to caution Du Plessis’ desire to move up and try to claim a second crown. However, ‘DC’ is done doubting ‘DDP,’ suggesting that the man who made Izzy cry can do anything he wants inside the Octagon.

“I’m not doubting him no more. I’m just done doubting Dricus Du Plessis, man. I think he can do whatever he wants, you know? He’s shown time and time again that he can do anything, and Alex Pereira showed that it’s possible, right? Going from middleweight to light heavyweight and winning, and winning a lot. So yeah, I think he could, under the right circumstances. A lot of times it’s about matchups, right? The right person holding the belt is what makes you make that decision, and I think with the right matchup, Dricus can be a double champ.”

Dricus Du Plessis

With Adesanya on Saturday and Sean Strickland already on deck, it’ll probably be a while before ‘Stillknocks’ is allowed to move up, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t already salivating over the idea of a champion vs. champion clash between Dricus Du Plessis and Alex Pereira.

Alex Pereira

Former UFC Fighter Makes Bold Prediction For How Israel Adesanya’s Career Will End: ‘Bookmark This Clip…’

An ex-UFC heavyweight contender thinks he has a good idea of how the final chapter of Israel Adesanya’s career will play out. Dricus Du Plessis believes that after everything that Adesanya has accomplished in his career, he no longer has the same hunger to compete at the highest level. “The Last Stylebender” has a great […]

Continue Reading Former UFC Fighter Makes Bold Prediction For How Israel Adesanya’s Career Will End: ‘Bookmark This Clip…’ at MMA News.

An ex-UFC heavyweight contender thinks he has a good idea of how the final chapter of Israel Adesanya’s career will play out.

Dricus Du Plessis believes that after everything that Adesanya has accomplished in his career, he no longer has the same hunger to compete at the highest level. “The Last Stylebender” has a great run in the UFC’s middleweight division, and even if he was to walk away today, he’d be regarded as one of the best to ever do it in his weight class.

However, having recaptured the 185-pound title once before, the big question is whether the time that he has spent away will produce a rejuvenated Adesanya at UFC 305 this weekend.

He was incredibly active before taking a year off, and this meant that he was battling through injuries and potentially lost some focus heading into UFC 293 last September,

His loss to Sean Strickland was a shocking upset but it could have potentially led to what would be a third title reign for Adesanya.

Brendan Schaub Predicts Israel Adesanya Is Far From Done In MMA Following UFC 305

During his preview of all the action that is set to take place at UFC 305 this Saturday (Sunday local time) in Perth, Brendan Schaub gave his prediction for Adesanya’s path to retirement.

Unlike Du Plessis, he doesn’t think that “The Last Stylebender” is ready to walk away right now without becoming a UFC champion once again.

Schaub believes that Adesanya still has some career-defining fights left in him and went bold on the idea that when all is said and done, he will overtake the great Anderson Silva as being the best fighter to ever grace the middleweight division.

“This is how Izzy’s career is gonna go. He’s gonna beat Dricus, he’s gonna outclass him on Saturday. He’s gonna beat the s*** out of him, he’s gonna outclass this dude. It’s gonna be the old vintage Izzy. By old I mean, a year ago. He’s gonna beat the s*** out of him because he’s had rest, he’s no longer the hunted, he’s the hunter.

“He’s gonna beat Dricus, then he’s gonna fight Sean Strickland and he’s gonna be 100 percent focused. He’s gonna beat Sean Strickland. Then, he’s gonna take a break and then you’re gonna get Alex (Pereira) vs. Izzy at 205 (pounds); it’s his last fight ever and his wins over Dricus and Sean Strickland, I think there’s an argument now, makes him the greatest middleweight of all time. That’s how his story ends.”

Continue Reading Former UFC Fighter Makes Bold Prediction For How Israel Adesanya’s Career Will End: ‘Bookmark This Clip…’ at MMA News.

UFC 305 Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Du Plessis vs. Adesanya, Gamrot vs. Hooker, Tuivasa vs. Rozenstruik, & More

UFC 305 is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for Saturday’s lineup. The upcoming pay-per-view takes place Saturday, August 17, 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 […]

Continue Reading UFC 305 Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Du Plessis vs. Adesanya, Gamrot vs. Hooker, Tuivasa vs. Rozenstruik, & More at MMA News.

UFC 305 is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for Saturday’s lineup.

The upcoming pay-per-view takes place Saturday, August 17, 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.

Topping the lineup will be reigning UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis, who is tasked with getting the better of returning great Israel Adesanya if he’s to record a first successful title defense and stall the three-time ambitions of the Nigerian-New Zealander.

Before they go to battle, the co-main event will see another two Oceanic fighters in action. Pursuing a win in his home city is Steve Erceg, who competes again three months on from a narrowly failed title bid opposite Alexandre Pantoja. Hoping to send him to a first career skid is Kai Kara-France.

Also set to make the walk on Saturday night will be the likes of lightweight fan favorite Dan Hooker, heavyweight slugger Tai Tuivasa, and returning welterweight Li Jingliang.

Ahead of the event, you can get some help from the group of experts at MMA News by checking out their predictions for the UFC 305 main card here.

UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Betting Odds

Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC 305 (as of 8/17), courtesy of DraftKings.

Main Card:

  • Dricus Du Plessis (-108) vs. Israel Adesanya (-112)
  • Kai Kara-France (+185) vs. Steve Erceg (-225)
  • Mateusz Gamrot (-410) vs. Dan Hooker (+320)
  • Tai Tuivasa (+200) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (-245)
  • Li Jingliang (+275) vs. Carlos Prates (-345)

Preliminary Card:

  • Junior Tafa (-118) vs. Valter Walker (-102)
  • Joshua Culibao (-122) vs. Ricardo Ramos (+102)
  • Casey O’Neill (+120) vs. Luana Santos (-142)
  • Jack Jenkins (-625) vs. Herbert Burns (+455)

Early Preliminary Card:

  • Tom Nolan (-1200) vs. Alex Reyes (+750)
  • Song Kenan (-218) vs. Ricky Glenn (+180)
  • Stewart Nicoll (-205) vs. Jesus Aguilar (+170)

Continue Reading UFC 305 Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Du Plessis vs. Adesanya, Gamrot vs. Hooker, Tuivasa vs. Rozenstruik, & More at MMA News.