Tag: UFC 305

Steve Erceg On Potential Alexandre Pantoja Rematch: ‘I Don’t Know What I’m Going To Do If Some Other Guy Can Beat Him…’

The learning curve once a fighter joins the UFC roster roster can often be a steep one. Many fighters take some time to find their feet and work their way toward chasing a spot inside the rankings, and dreams of fighting for a title often have to be put on hold while they settle into […]

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The learning curve once a fighter joins the UFC roster roster can often be a steep one. Many fighters take some time to find their feet and work their way toward chasing a spot inside the rankings, and dreams of fighting for a title often have to be put on hold while they settle into the big leagues and slowly carve out a name for themselves.

Not so for Steve Erceg.

The Australian flyweight, who is set to face Kai Kara-France at UFC 305 later this summer, only made his debut inside the Octagon in June 2023 when he beat David Dvo?ák by unanimous decision in Canada at UFC 289. He followed that up with another win at UFC 295 against Alessandro Costa, before picking up a highlight reel knockout of Matt Schnell in March of this year.

In a surprising turn of events, the 28-year-old was drafted in to fight Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight title in the main event of UFC 301 in Rio De Janeiro just two months later. While the fight didn’t go his way, “AstroBoy” believes the experience will stand him in good stead going forward.

“I feel like more people know who I am now,” Erceg said during an interview with Submission Radio this week. “That’s obviously good for getting big fights and opportunities, so that’s great, and I found out that I can hang at that level.

“He’s beat a lot of contenders, basically everybody in the division, so the fact that I was able to hang there for five rounds, and I felt that I was the one coming over the top at the end…that was awesome. It just obviously sucks that I have to look at his record now with my name associated with it, but whatever.”

Erceg Aiming For Rematch With Pantoja Post-UFC 305

Erceg was also asked whether he thinks a rematch could be on the cards, and if he believes Pantoja will still be the one holding the belt by the time he’s able to work his way back into title contention.

“I really hope he’s still the champion because I don’t know what I’m gonna do if some other guy can beat him and I f**kin’ couldn’t. … I don’t like to swear, but…yeah, so I’d prefer if it was him at the top still. We’ll sort it out.”

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What’s Next After UFC 304? Full Confirmed UFC 305 Main Card For Perth On August 17

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 […]

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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)
Dan Hooker
Image: UFC.com

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Dricus Du Plessis On ’10-8? Trash Talk Win Over Israel Adesanya, Post-UFC 305 Prediction

The build-up to UFC 305 is sure to be an interesting experience for Dricus Du Plessis, given the tension that surrounds his first title defense. Despite them both trading comments for a year now, it still feels like the rivalry between the champion and his challenger, Israel Adesanya, is yet to hit fever pitch. Du […]

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The build-up to UFC 305 is sure to be an interesting experience for Dricus Du Plessis, given the tension that surrounds his first title defense.

Despite them both trading comments for a year now, it still feels like the rivalry between the champion and his challenger, Israel Adesanya, is yet to hit fever pitch.

Du Plessis, however, doesn’t see the war of words as anything other than giving back the same energy that he receives from opponents.

He was asked about dealing a ’10-8′ scorecard to Israel Adesanya during their recent verbal exchange, in an interview with the Hard Check Podcast. The South African said that he’s always ready to bite back if others think they can push him around.

“If you were coming at me, listen, I will never ever be bullied or pushed around. It’s not going to happen so I’m always good to go. If you treat me with respect, if we make it about the fight only, that’s the way I’m going to handle it. I mean, look at myself and Whittaker, look at myself and even Darren Till, he was chilled when we were at a presser. Every single guy that I fought before this, it wasn’t necessary because even look at Strickland, I was respectful and it wasn’t the trash talking at all up until he tried to bully me with the mic. That’s not gonna happen and that’s exactly what happened there [against Israel Adesanya].”

Dricus Du Plessis Predicts That Israel Adesanya Will Retire After UFC 305

Despite the fact that both men clearly do not see eye-to-eye on some subjects, Du Plessis has given Adesanya his dues for the career that he has had.

The champion is confident that he is steps ahead of the returning Adesanya at this point but that doesn’t mean he feels the need to discredit “The Last Stylebender”.

Du Plessis also said in the interview that he expects his opponent to announce his retirement from MMA following their fight on August 17, in Perth.

He once again gave Adesanya props for what he has achieved and said that he has “earned” his retirement if he fails to reclaim the middleweight title.

“Yes. I don’t give it a lot of thought because it doesn’t really matter to me. It’s irrelevant to me but yes probably. But, like I said, it’s not really something I think about and it’s irrelevant to me. Yeah, I mean, the guy’s done it all in the sport. He’s had, to say a great career would be almost underselling. He’s had one of the greatest careers ever so he’s earned it and it’ll be a great time [to retire him].”

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Dan Hooker Gets His UFC 305 Perth Date Against Mateusz Gamrot

Dan Hooker has finally locked in a fight with Mateusz Gamrot for UFC 305 after a determined search for an opponent. The update of the bout first broke out when Hooker recently announced it on his Instagram story. The lightweight banger is set to take place at the upcoming UFC pay-per-view event scheduled for August […]

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Dan Hooker has finally locked in a fight with Mateusz Gamrot for UFC 305 after a determined search for an opponent. The update of the bout first broke out when Hooker recently announced it on his Instagram story.

The lightweight banger is set to take place at the upcoming UFC pay-per-view event scheduled for August 17 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

“The Hangman” has been particularly enthusiastic about competing on the Australasia card due to the opportunity to fight alongside his City Kickboxing teammates, Israel Adesanya and Kai Kara-France. He has also previously hinted at the prospect of facing a high-profile opponent.

Hooker last fought against Jalin Turner at UFC 290 in July 2023, where he endured a broken arm yet persevered through the entire match to secure a split-decision victory. The 34-year-old New Zealander was previously set to fight Bobby Green at UFC Fight Night Austin in December, but a reinjury to his arm forced him to withdraw from the bout.

“The Hangman” is currently riding a two-fight win streak after an unsuccessful attempt in the featherweight division, where he suffered a first-round knockout against Arnold Allen in March 2022.

Meanwhile, Gamrot is on a three-fight win streak. “Gamer” is set to make his return to the Octagon following a dominant unanimous decision victory over Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 299 this past March.

The 33-year-old Pole had been aiming for a bout with former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. However, his aspirations were temporarily halted as “Do Bronx” seemingly declined the proposal.

Continue Reading Dan Hooker Gets His UFC 305 Perth Date Against Mateusz Gamrot at MMA News.

ONE Championship Star Breaks Down Du Plessis vs. Adesanya At UFC 305: ‘Dricus Is My Boy…’

One of the biggest fights of the year is set to go down on August 17 at UFC 305 when the Octagon returns to Perth, Australia. The feud between current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and former two-time titleholder Israel Adesanya has been building for over a year at this point. Whilst the consensus seemed […]

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One of the biggest fights of the year is set to go down on August 17 at UFC 305 when the Octagon returns to Perth, Australia.

The feud between current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and former two-time titleholder Israel Adesanya has been building for over a year at this point.

Whilst the consensus seemed to be heavily in Adesanya’s favor when the fight was first spoken about this time last year, many have found that the matchup has become more difficult to predict after both men’s recent fights.

A former training partner of Du Plessis’ who is one of the most recognizable names in ONE Championship believes that the champion will be more than a tough test for the returning Adesanya…

Aung La N Sang Points Out Advantages For Dricus Du Plessis Against Israel Adesanya

Aung La N Sang has been one of the poster athletes for ONE Championship for eight years now, having previously reigned as a simultaneous two-weight world champion.

The former middleweight and light heavyweight king, who is set to return on September 6 in Denver, trains out of Kill Cliff FC in Florida, where Du Plessis has also trained in the past.

In a recent interview with The AllStar, “The Burmese Python” weighed in with his thoughts on this fight, speaking about where the champion can cause problems for “The Last Stylebender.”

He pointed out how the physicality of “Stillknocks” and his willingness to walk opponents down could make it a very difficult night for Adesanya.

“For sure, Dricus is my boy. It’s gonna be a good matchup. Styles make fights and Dricus doesn’t care about how good Israel’s kickboxing is, he’s just going to go forward and hit him, you know?

“One thing for sure that I know about Dricus, he’s very very strong physically, very, very strong. If Israel’s not on point, he’s going to have a hard night.”

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UFC Middleweight Abdul Razak Alhassan Blows Lid On Dricus Du Plessis’ ‘Real’ African Comments: ‘If He Is A True African, He Would Have Understood That…’

The build-up to UFC 305 on August 17 is sure to have some tense moments due to the grudge match that will take place in the main event. Dricus Du Plessis knew that he was going to be stirring the pot when he said that by becoming the middleweight champion, he would be the first […]

Continue Reading UFC Middleweight Abdul Razak Alhassan Blows Lid On Dricus Du Plessis’ ‘Real’ African Comments: ‘If He Is A True African, He Would Have Understood That…’ at MMA News.

The build-up to UFC 305 on August 17 is sure to have some tense moments due to the grudge match that will take place in the main event.

Dricus Du Plessis knew that he was going to be stirring the pot when he said that by becoming the middleweight champion, he would be the first true African to hold gold.

What he meant was that unlike the likes of Kamaru Usman, Francis Ngannou and Israel Adesanya, who he faces in Perth, he has become champion whilst still living and training out of South Africa.

Adesanya took major issue with these comments but they will finally get the chance to settle the score in their upcoming clash.

Unsurprisingly, “The Last Stylebender” wasn’t the only fighter on the roster with African roots that feels offended by what Du Plessis had to say.

Abdul Razak Hassan Launches Into Fired-Up Rant About Dricus Du Plessis’ Comments

Abdul Razak Alhassan is set to make his return this weekend in Denver when he takes on Cody Brundage and looks to bounce back from a defeat last time out.

During his media day interviews, the middleweight livewire was asked for his opinion on the conversation based on the fact that he represents Ghana.

What followed was an incredibly passionate and heated speech from Alhassan about Du Plessis’s words.

He believes that the middleweight champion would not have said these things if he knew what it meant to truly be African and battle through tough living situations early on in life.

“I respect the things he’s done in MMA but he’s a f****** b****, he’s a f****** a****** for that word that he used right. If he’s a f****** real African and he lived in Africa, he would have never used that f****** word, he’s a f****** b**** a** to use that word because an African, if he was raised with the poor people in Africa, the way I was raised, the way I grew up with how I go days without food. I have to go see my friends eating and I be like, ‘Hey bro can you give me one teaspoon of your food so I can put it in my mouth?’ That’s how I’ll survive for a few days until I can get money.

“So if we get opportunity to leave that s***hole, of course I’m sorry, I’m not trying to call my country a s***hole but I’m poor. If I can go to America or I can go to a different country to make a better life for myself, I’ll f****** cut off my leg to f****** go. If he is a true African, he would have understood that. That means he was living the comfortable life, his family had the money to feed him everyday so he didn’t have to worry about leaving to go and make it so for him to say he’s the true African champion that lived there and he made it, he’s a f****** b**** for saying that. I respect what he’s done but he’s a b**** for that.”

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