Tag: UFC 305

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.”

Brendan Schaub Responds to Slam from Dricus Du Plessis

Brendan Schaub Responds to Slam from Dricus Du PlessisEx-UFC heavyweight fighter Brendan Schaub offered a response to Dricus Du Plessis. ‘Stillknocks’ was successful in his first defense…

Brendan Schaub Responds to Slam from Dricus Du Plessis

Ex-UFC heavyweight fighter Brendan Schaub offered a response to Dricus Du Plessis.

‘Stillknocks’ was successful in his first defense of the middleweight title at UFC 305, scoring a fourth-round submission victory over two-time titleholder Israel Adesanya. It was a rather shocking turn of events considering insiders far and wide heavily favored Adesanya to take back the middleweight strap and kickstart a historic third title reign.

Brendan Schaub responds to Dricus Du Plessis

That includes fighter-turned-comedian Brendan Schaub who boldly predicted that Adesanya was going to “beat the sh*t” out of Du Plessis.

Not long after the belt was wrapped around his waist, Du Plessis hopped on social media to throw some shade at Schaub’s prediction and take a dig at the former fighter’s legacy, or lack thereof.

“@BrendanSchaub great prediction.. You has been JK haha you’ve never been,” Du Plessis wrote.”

Not long after ‘DDP’ slammed him, Schaub delivered a much classier response compared to that of the South African sensation.

“Fair play,” Schaub replied. “I’d be mad too. DDP is a monster.”

The Contenders are already lining up for dricus du Plessis

With the win over Adesanya, Dricus Du Plessis remains undefeated inside the Octagon, going 8-0 with a 75% finish rate. Next, ‘DDP’ is expected to rematch the man he took the title from in January, Sean Strickland.

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Tarzan’ established himself as the next man in line with a decisive victory over Paulo Costa in June. Meanwhile, Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev will meet at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi to secure their own spot in line and ensure that ‘Stillknocks’ stays plenty busy at 185.

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Teddy Atlas Breaks Down UFC 305 Main Event: ‘What He Has Is The Same Thing That Usyk Has!”

Teddy Atlas recently offered his analysis of the UFC middleweight title showdown between reigning champion Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya, which headlined UFC 305. Du Plessis defended his title last weekend at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia, securing a dramatic fourth-round victory over Adesanya with a rear-naked choke. The fight was a […]

Continue Reading Teddy Atlas Breaks Down UFC 305 Main Event: ‘What He Has Is The Same Thing That Usyk Has!” at MMA News.

Teddy Atlas recently offered his analysis of the UFC middleweight title showdown between reigning champion Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya, which headlined UFC 305.

Du Plessis defended his title last weekend at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia, securing a dramatic fourth-round victory over Adesanya with a rear-naked choke.

The fight was a fiercely competitive affair, with both fighters pushing the pace from the moment the bell rang. The first round featured a measured exchange of strikes from both parties, but it was in the second round that ‘Stillknocks’ began to assert his dominance through grappling, securing multiple takedowns despite Adesanya’s stubborn defense.

As the third round began, the challenger seemed on the ropes, but he quickly found his groove, unleashing a barrage of powerful head and body shots that momentarily swung the momentum in his favor.

“The Last Stylebender” came out strong in the fourth, seemingly on the verge of securing a knockout, but the South African was quick to counter. With a sudden surge, he unleashed a relentless series of strikes that paved the way for a flawlessly timed takedown. In a flash, he secured Adesanya’s back, locking in the decisive submission.

Atlas Say Du Plessis Exemplifies ‘Never Judge A Book By Its Cover’

During a recent episode of THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas, the legendary boxing trainer broke down the Du Plessis vs. Adesanya clash. Atlas showered the middleweight champion with praise, noting how Du Plessis has perfected the art of executing the basics in his own unconventional way. He emphasized that Du Plessis consistently outperforms his opponents’ expectations, proving to be far more formidable than they anticipate.

“Even though Du Plessis had shown what looked like fatigue earlier, he always keeps going,” Atlas said. “It always seems like he’s out of gas, and then he’s not out of gas. He learned from the earlier attempts to get that choke hold, which Adesanya survived and escaped at least two times, I believe, earlier. But Du Plessis got the third shot at it, and this time, I think a combination of Adesanya being a little worn out and Du Plessis making sure to capitalize on the opportunity made the difference. But at the end of the day, the first thing I have to say about Du Plessis is that he’s one of those enigmas, one of those guys, one of those rarities where the simple and only accurate way to put it is that he’s better than he looks.”

Atlas further added that “Stillknocks” possesses a relentless drive to win that reminds him of the hunger seen in former undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk.

“There’s nothing dynamic-looking about what he does until he does it—until he gets the end result. Up until then, it’s very deceiving and misleading. He is the perfect example of that old saying, ‘Never judge a book by its cover,’ and he’s physically strong. He’s better in technical areas and subtle areas than meets the eye—he really is. And there’s one other quality that I think describes him: it’s a simple quality, but it’s not something you see every day. No matter how much talent someone has, what he has is the same thing that Usyk has in boxing—an ability to win, a drive, determination. A lot of people have that, but he’s got that plus an uncanny way to know how to win.”

Continue Reading Teddy Atlas Breaks Down UFC 305 Main Event: ‘What He Has Is The Same Thing That Usyk Has!” at MMA News.

Dricus du Plessis responds to insult from Steve Erceg 

Dricus Du Plessis responds to insult from Steve Erceg Off the back of his spectacular victory at UFC 305 over the course of last weekend, incumbent undisputed middleweight…

Dricus Du Plessis responds to insult from Steve Erceg 

Off the back of his spectacular victory at UFC 305 over the course of last weekend, incumbent undisputed middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis has hit out at fellow main card feature, Steve Erceg – who dropped his own knockout loss to Kai Kara-France in Perth.

du Plessis, the current undisputed middleweight champion, headlined the promotion’s return ‘Downunder’ at UFC 305 over the course of last weekend, turning in a stunning fourth round win over the returning former two-time champion, Israel Adesanya.

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Latching onto a fourth round rear-naked choke submission, Dricus du Plessis forced a tap from City Kickboxing star, bringing an end to their high-profile rivalry with a spectacular, definitive stoppage triumph. 

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And hitting out at a host of fighters in the aftermath of his win against Adesanya, Dricus du Plessis mocked former welterweight title challenger, Darren Till – who claimed he would actually make a return to the Octagon in a bid to dispatch the South African as middleweght champion.

Dricus du Plessis mocks Steve Erceg’s loss at UFC 305

However, on the same card, former flyweight title chaser, Erceg dropped his second consecutive defeat in a blistering opening round knockout loss against the previously mentioned, Kara-France, having pushed champion, Alexandre Pantoja the distance over the course of five rounds at UFC 301 in May in a trip to Brazil. 

Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya UFC 305 KISS

And mocking Perth favorite, Erceg for his claims that du Plessis was just a “6 out of 10” fighter ahead of UFC 305, the Pretoria native hit out at the flyweight in a his own mocking response on Instagram. 

Linked with a slew of fights in his third outing as undisputed middleweight champion, du Plessis has received call outs from light heavyweight gold holder, Alex Pereira – as well as former-foe, Sean Strickland, who has already been pegged as the next challenger to the throne by UFC boss, Dana White. 

Israel Adesanya was aiming to finish Dricus Du Plessis in round 4: ‘I was like he is done’

Former two-time middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya claims Dricus du Plessis was there for the taking in the penultimate round…

Former two-time middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya claims Dricus du Plessis was there for the taking in the penultimate round of their UFC 305 title fight – before succumbing to his own submission loss against the South African star.

Adesanya, a former two-time undisputed middleweight champion, suffered a second consecutive defeat for the first time in his storied mixed martial arts career over the course of last weekend at UFC 305 in a return ‘Downunder’.

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Dropping a fourth round submission loss to Pretoria native, du Plessis in his bid to become a three-time middleweight titleholder, Adesanya saw his back taken in the first of two championship rounds against the fence after finding himself on the receiving end of a lengthy barrage – before he was forced to tap after being wrapped in a rear-naked choke.

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Israel Adesanya claims Dricus du Plessis was “done” at UFC 305

However, despite finding himself down on the judge’s scorecards even midway through the fourth frame, City Kickboxing staple, Adesanya has now claimed du Plessis was “done” in the round – and ready for the taking.

Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya UFC 305 KISS

“He’s (Dricus du Plessis) tough, he’s stubborn that is what it is,” Israel Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “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.”

Dan Hooker wants to fight Conor McGregor just to troll Michael Chandler 

Dan Hooker Wants to Fight Conor McGregor Just to Troll Michael ChandlerFresh from his impressive decision win over perennial contender, Mateusz Gamrot over the course of last weekend on the…

Dan Hooker Wants to Fight Conor McGregor Just to Troll Michael Chandler

Fresh from his impressive decision win over perennial contender, Mateusz Gamrot over the course of last weekend on the main card of UFC 305, newly-minted number five ranked challenger, Dan Hooker wants to steal a fight with former two-weight best, Conor McGregor next – just to spite Michael Chandler.

Hooker, now in the midst of an impressive three-fight winning run, turned in a close, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) victory over Polish contender, Gamrot over the course of three rounds in Perth over the course of last weekend.

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The win came as the Auckland striker’s third on the bounce, following a prior decision success over Jalin Turner, as well as a body kick knockout win over Claudio Puelles. 

Dan Hooker sounds out potential “snake” fight with Conor McGregor

And weighing up a slew of fights next – including a title-eliminator against the surging, Arman Tsarukyan next, Dan Hooker has suggested he slide into a mega fight with former two-division best, McGregor – just to stick it to former foe, Chandler.

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“I didn’t necessarily call him (Conor McGregor) out, I just said that because I am an absolute troll, so it’s like the biggest troll move you could do of all-time, is to snake that fight off (Michael) Chandler,” Dan Hooker told The Mac Life. “Like, he waits all that time and then Conor just fights me anyway, like, that would be gold. Like, I would feel like the biggest snake troll of all time. I’ll get my black belt in the troll Olympics.”

Fighting former three-time Bellator MMA lightweight kingpin, Chandler in the Missouri native’s Octagon debut back in 2021, Hooker dropped a spectacular opening round knockout loss to the veteran during their title-eliminator clash on ‘Fight Island’.

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Also weighing up a potential matchup with former undisputed lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira next, Hooker alluded to the fact the promotion have already sounded out a fight for him against the Hooker off the back of his UFC 305 success.