Tag: UFC 305

Jiri Prochazka weighs up title fight with Dricus du Plessis next: ‘It would be a challenge’

Jiri Prochazka weighs up title fight with Dricus du Plessis next: 'It would be a challenge'Amid his sidelining from action, former undisputed light heavyweight champion, Jiri Prochazka has claimed a potential middleweight title run…

Jiri Prochazka weighs up title fight with Dricus du Plessis next: 'It would be a challenge'

Amid his sidelining from action, former undisputed light heavyweight champion, Jiri Prochazka has claimed a potential middleweight title run may be on the cards next — particularly after Dricus du Plessis retained his title at UFC 305 against former champion, Israel Adesanya.

Prochazka, who still retains the number one rank in the light heavyweight pile, most recently headlined UFC 303 at the end of June during International Fight Week.

Suffering his second defeat to champion, Alex Pereira in their heated title rematch, Czech Republic striker, Prochazka was stopped with a brutal high-kick knockout.

Jiri Prochazka eyes third fight with Alex Pereira despite UFC 303 loss I know I can beat him

And in the immediate aftermath of his loss, the former Rizin FF star weighed up both a middleweight drop in chase of a second Octagon crown — or a title-eliminator against fellow former champion, Jamahal Hill.

In his most recent victory, devastating knockout ace, Prochazka rallied to best Aleksandar Rakic with a stunning second round stoppage at UFC 300 earlier this year to boot.

Jiri Prochazka plans middleweight drop after UFC 303 title fighjt loss it would be a new start

Jiri Prochazka weighs up Dricus du Plessis title charge

And still undecided on his future amid links to an impending return to action later this year, Prochazka has welcomed the chance to take on Pretoria favorite, du Plessis for the middleweight championship.

“I’ve been considering that if (Israel Adesanya) wins, I’ll stay in the light heavyweight division, but if (Dricus) du Plessis wins, I’ll follow him,” Jiri Prochazka said on his official YouTube channel.

“I’ll clear things up in a bit there and take the belt,” Jiri Prochazka explained. “It would certainly be a challenge for me to go for the belt in the [middleweight] division. And then move up [back to light heavyweight].”

Jiri Prochazka spent 3 days with no food or water after booking UFC 303 fight he is that dude
Mandatory Credit: Zuffa LLC

Winning 205lbs gold back in the summer of 2022, Prochazka travelled to Singapore where he toppled then-champion, Glover Teixeira with a stunning fifth round finish — defeating the Brazilian with a rear-naked choke stoppage — sans hooks, with the challenger down on the scorecards heading into the final round.

St-Pierre’s Coach Feels Du Plessis Breaking ‘Old School’ BJJ Principles Led To UFC 305 Win

Dricus Du Plessis retained the middleweight title at UFC 305 by submitting Israel Adesanya in the fourth round. Considering the styles of both fighters, it’s not necessarily surprising to see the champion get the victory in this fashion but the result doesn’t tell the full story. “Stillknocks” was able to get the tap by hurting […]

Continue Reading St-Pierre’s Coach Feels Du Plessis Breaking ‘Old School’ BJJ Principles Led To UFC 305 Win at MMA News.

Dricus Du Plessis retained the middleweight title at UFC 305 by submitting Israel Adesanya in the fourth round.

Considering the styles of both fighters, it’s not necessarily surprising to see the champion get the victory in this fashion but the result doesn’t tell the full story.

“Stillknocks” was able to get the tap by hurting Adesanya on the feet, jumping on his back and quickly locking in the choke which his opponent admitted was caused by a simple mistake that he made in defending it.

Du Plessis has always been a very effective finisher with 20 of his 22 pro wins ending inside the distance but what impressed one of the top minds in the sport was how he circumnavigates a basic rule of Jiu-Jitsu to threaten with submissions.

Firas Zahabi Breaks Down How Dricus Du Plessis Ignores Jiu-Jitsu Fundamentals When Finishing Fights

Firas Zahabi gave his thoughts on the main event during a recent YouTube video on the Tristar Gym channel where he pointed out an interesting element of Du Plessis’ game which may have been overlooked.

The head coach of Georges St-Pierre referenced how one of the first things you’re taught in Jiu-Jitsu is that you go position over submission.

Especially in MMA where strikes are involved, going for an attack and losing your position as a result can be incredibly costly, but the middleweight champion ignores this altogether.

Rather than looking to control Adesanya first, he went right for the choke which caught his opponent off guard and gave him insufficient time to regain his bearings.

Zahabi highlighted this after seeing the South African champ pull off his first title defense.

“He choked him and I realized something about Du Plessis. When Du Plessis gets somebody down, he jumps immediately on the choke, he doesn’t solidify position you know and in Jiu-Jitsu, we’re always taught, the old school mentality was like position, position, position, and then submission. It was like always burnt into our minds. You take the guy down, you stabilize him, you stabilize him, you stabilize him and then you submit him. Well Du Plessis doesn’t do that, he flies in the face of everything everybody ever told us.”

Read also: Jared Cannonier Dismisses Caio Borralho’s Grappling Superiority Ahead Of UFC Fight Night Main Event: ‘I Fought Glover Teixeira!’

Continue Reading St-Pierre’s Coach Feels Du Plessis Breaking ‘Old School’ BJJ Principles Led To UFC 305 Win at MMA News.

St-Pierre’s Coach Feels Du Plessis Breaking ‘Old School’ BJJ Principles Led To UFC 305 Win

Dricus Du Plessis retained the middleweight title at UFC 305 by submitting Israel Adesanya in the fourth round. Considering the styles of both fighters, it’s not necessarily surprising to see the champion get the victory in this fashion but the result doesn’t tell the full story. “Stillknocks” was able to get the tap by hurting […]

Continue Reading St-Pierre’s Coach Feels Du Plessis Breaking ‘Old School’ BJJ Principles Led To UFC 305 Win at MMA News.

Dricus Du Plessis retained the middleweight title at UFC 305 by submitting Israel Adesanya in the fourth round.

Considering the styles of both fighters, it’s not necessarily surprising to see the champion get the victory in this fashion but the result doesn’t tell the full story.

“Stillknocks” was able to get the tap by hurting Adesanya on the feet, jumping on his back and quickly locking in the choke which his opponent admitted was caused by a simple mistake that he made in defending it.

Du Plessis has always been a very effective finisher with 20 of his 22 pro wins ending inside the distance but what impressed one of the top minds in the sport was how he circumnavigates a basic rule of Jiu-Jitsu to threaten with submissions.

Firas Zahabi Breaks Down How Dricus Du Plessis Ignores Jiu-Jitsu Fundamentals When Finishing Fights

Firas Zahabi gave his thoughts on the main event during a recent YouTube video on the Tristar Gym channel where he pointed out an interesting element of Du Plessis’ game which may have been overlooked.

The head coach of Georges St-Pierre referenced how one of the first things you’re taught in Jiu-Jitsu is that you go position over submission.

Especially in MMA where strikes are involved, going for an attack and losing your position as a result can be incredibly costly, but the middleweight champion ignores this altogether.

Rather than looking to control Adesanya first, he went right for the choke which caught his opponent off guard and gave him insufficient time to regain his bearings.

Zahabi highlighted this after seeing the South African champ pull off his first title defense.

“He choked him and I realized something about Du Plessis. When Du Plessis gets somebody down, he jumps immediately on the choke, he doesn’t solidify position you know and in Jiu-Jitsu, we’re always taught, the old school mentality was like position, position, position, and then submission. It was like always burnt into our minds. You take the guy down, you stabilize him, you stabilize him, you stabilize him and then you submit him. Well Du Plessis doesn’t do that, he flies in the face of everything everybody ever told us.”

Read also: Jared Cannonier Dismisses Caio Borralho’s Grappling Superiority Ahead Of UFC Fight Night Main Event: ‘I Fought Glover Teixeira!’

Continue Reading St-Pierre’s Coach Feels Du Plessis Breaking ‘Old School’ BJJ Principles Led To UFC 305 Win at MMA News.

Recently Retired UFC Vet Suggests Israel Adesanya’s Time May Be Up After UFC 305: ‘Maybe 5 Years Ago That Was An Easy Fight For Him’

Israel Adesanya was unable to recapture the UFC middleweight title at UFC 305, meaning that for the first time in his MMA career, he’s coming off of back-to-back losses. “The Last Stylebender” made it clear in his post-fight interview that he’s not leaving the Octagon for good just yet despite his defeat to Dricus Du […]

Continue Reading Recently Retired UFC Vet Suggests Israel Adesanya’s Time May Be Up After UFC 305: ‘Maybe 5 Years Ago That Was An Easy Fight For Him’ at MMA News.

Israel Adesanya was unable to recapture the UFC middleweight title at UFC 305, meaning that for the first time in his MMA career, he’s coming off of back-to-back losses.

“The Last Stylebender” made it clear in his post-fight interview that he’s not leaving the Octagon for good just yet despite his defeat to Dricus Du Plessis in Perth, Australia.

In fact, even though he did show some weaknesses, there were a lot of positives to take away from his main event display. Up until he was hurt by a big looping shot, it appeared that he was on his way to swinging the contest his way in the fourth round.

The big question to answer after he put in a good performance but was ultimately defeated is whether Du Plessis was simply the better man on the night, or is Adesanya not as good as he once was?

Matt Brown Questions Whether Israel Adesanya Is On A Clear Decline

There were certainly shades of the Adesanya that blew everyone away with his rise up the middleweight ladder and subsequent title reign.

His accuracy and shot selection was a work of art but his defense did appear to suffer, and he took some big shots from “Stillknocks.” That eventually led to a mistake on the ground which cost him the fight.

During the latest episode of Fighter vs. Writer on MMA Fighting, UFC veteran Matt Brown weighed in with his thoughts on this past weekend’s title clash.

Like many, he liked what he saw from the former champion but he did address some concerns over whether at 35, things aren’t getting any easier for “The Last Stylebender.”

“I’ve had the question, Izzy is 35, he’s got a lot of miles on him from kickboxing and MMA, is his peak just ending? Is that what happened over the weekend? Is his peak just ending? When he fought [Sean] Strickland, maybe he just had an off night, but maybe he’s slowing down too. Maybe five years ago that was an easy fight for him, and he’s just not in peak form anymore.

“The way he looked against Dricus, I thought he looked really good, but that could have been him still slowing down a little bit. I thought his defense didn’t look as good as it had in the past, which was kind of the unique thing because he relies so much on reactions. He’s not necessarily a hands tight, high guard, really defensive guy in that sense, really technical. He kind of relies on reactions. When those start slowing down, that’s when guys like Dricus start hitting you. That’s when guys like Strickland start hitting you a lot more. If he’s slowing down a little bit, maybe his time is up?”

It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the career of Adesanya. In terms of the title picture, it would appear a clash of his former opponents is to come, with Du Plessis expected to run it back with former champ Sean Strickland.

Continue Reading Recently Retired UFC Vet Suggests Israel Adesanya’s Time May Be Up After UFC 305: ‘Maybe 5 Years Ago That Was An Easy Fight For Him’ at MMA News.

Mateusz Gamrot Sets Sights On Next Opponent After UFC 305 Setback: ‘If The UFC Likes It…’

While he’s still reflecting on what went wrong Down Under this past weekend, UFC lightweight Mateusz Gamrot already has a next matchup in mind. Gamrot emerged from the UFC 305 pay-per-view event in Perth, Australia, $50,000 better off after playing his part in the Fight of the Night. But the Polish standout failed to secure […]

Continue Reading Mateusz Gamrot Sets Sights On Next Opponent After UFC 305 Setback: ‘If The UFC Likes It…’ at MMA News.

While he’s still reflecting on what went wrong Down Under this past weekend, UFC lightweight Mateusz Gamrot already has a next matchup in mind.

Gamrot emerged from the UFC 305 pay-per-view event in Perth, Australia, $50,000 better off after playing his part in the Fight of the Night. But the Polish standout failed to secure his main objectives — a fourth straight win and potential title shot next time out.

Those plans were stalled by Dan Hooker, who has risen up the 155-pound pecking order by six places after falling on the right side of a split decision opposite Gamrot inside the RAC Arena.

Having lost his place in the top five, “Gamer” is now out for redemption. Not for his latest defeat, though. Gamrot has another setback he wants to avenge before the year is out…

Gamrot Targets Dariush Rematch For December.

Speaking to Polsat Sport’s Pawe? Wyrobek this week, Gamrot looked ahead to his plans to return to action for one more fight in 2024.

And in his bid to immediately bounce back from his loss to Hooker, the #8-ranked lightweight wants the man directly above him in the rankings — and the man who first halted his charge toward gold back in 2022.

“I think December would be good to come back,” Gamrot said. “If the UFC likes it too, I would like to fight Beneil Dariush. It would be good time to do this. I lost first fight with him, so I think it’s good time for a rematch.”

When the interviewer suggested the winner of the upcoming Paris showdown between Benoît Saint Denis and Renato Moicano as another possible option, “Gamer” reiterated that Dariush is his firm preference.

Gamrot and Dariush shared the cage at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. Coming off a Fight of the Night victory over current top contender Arman Tsarukyan, “Gamer” was looking to snap his veteran opponent’s lengthy losing skid to secure an opportunity at the belt.

Dariush had different plans, dropping Gamrot at one point in the fight en route to a unanimous decision verdict. The American hasn’t had his hand raised since, falling via knockout to both Charles Oliveira and Tsarukyan.

Continue Reading Mateusz Gamrot Sets Sights On Next Opponent After UFC 305 Setback: ‘If The UFC Likes It…’ at MMA News.

Israel Adesanya barrels down P4P rankings following submission loss at UFC 305

Israel Adesanya barrels down P4P rankings following submission loss at UFC 305Following his submission defeat to middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis over the course of the weekend at UFC 305,…

Israel Adesanya barrels down P4P rankings following submission loss at UFC 305

Following his submission defeat to middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis over the course of the weekend at UFC 305, former two-time titleholder, Israel Adesanya may remain the number two ranked challenger, however, has slumped down the pound-for-pound pile.

Adesanya, a former two-time middleweight gold holder, headlined UFC 305 over the course of last weekend, suffered his second consecutive defeat since September of last year – following a prior dominant title fight loss to Sean Strickland in Sydney last annum.

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And meeting South African star, du Plessis ‘Downunder’ last weekend in the main event of UFC 305, Adesanya, who found himself on the wrong side of judge’s scorecards during the fourth round, was submitted in the first of two championship frames, with a taut rear-naked choke.

Following the defeat, however, Adesanya remains just behind the previously mentioned, Strickland in the middleweight listings, as the number two ranked challenger.

However, seated as the number thirteenth ranked male fighter in the pound-for-pound pile ahead of his UFC 305 title fight comeback, City Kickboxing is barely in the rankings off the back of his loss, landing at number fifteen behind former champions, Charles Oliveira, and Strickland, respectively. 

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Israel Adesanya falls down pound-for-pound rankings after UFC 305

Off the back of his loss to the Pretoria native, Adesanya boldly claimed that he believed du Plessis was likely there for the taking in the fourth round before he succumbed to a rear-naked choke defeat. 

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“He’s (Dricus du Plessis) tough, he’s stubborn that is what it is,” Israel Adesanya said. “Even if he’s tired – which one was it – I sprawled on him, was it round four? Beginning of round four, I hit him with one of the meanest sprawls because he just shot and I just put his face into the mat, and boom.”

“I tried to kick his body and then told him to get up,” Israel Adesanya continued. “Marc (Goddard) was like ‘Get up’, and he laid there on the ground and took a breath, and I was like, ‘He is done.’ So I try to go for him.”