“The Last Stylebender” announced on social media that he will face reigning middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 in Perth on Aug. 17. Du Plessis subsequently confirmed the news in a series of posts on his Instagram Stories. UFC CEO Dana White later confirmed the pairing during an appearance on "The Jim Rome Show" on Monday.
Adesanya and Du Plessis were initially expected to lock horns at UFC 293 last September, but Du Plessis was not healthy enough to compete due to injuries suffered in a stoppage win against Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 two months prior. Adesanya would instead defend his belt against Sean Strickland, losing a unanimous decision in one of the biggest upsets of 2023. The Nigerian-born Kiwi was victorious in his first 12 Octagon appearances at 185 pounds before dropping fights to Strickland and Alex Pereira in two of his last three outings.
Du Plessis captured the middleweight crown with a split-decision triumph against Strickland at UFC 297 on Jan. 20. The former KSW title holder has won his last nine professional outings, a streak that includes seven triumphs under the UFC banner.
Editor's Note: This item was updated at approximately 3:26 p.m. ET to include confirmation from UFC CEO Dana White.
Reference: https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Israel-Adesanya-Announces-Title-Fight-vs-Dricus-Du-Plessis-at-UFC-305-in-Perth-194054
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