After missing an initial date with each other at UFC 293 in Sydney, this weekend’s headliners are finally set to meet and settle the score once and for all.
Israel Adesanya seeks the head of current champion Dricus Du Plessis in the main event. Adesanya’s teammate Kai Kara-France is also positioned for an upset when he takes on young contender Steve Erceg in the co-main.
The majority of bouts at UFC 305 feature a Kiwi and the action comes to us from the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
Bad blood fuels the main event of UFC 305 as Dricus du Plessis looks to make the first defense of his title against Israel Adesanya. Representing South Africa, the man best known as “DDP” spurred controversy when he deemed himself the first “real” African champion in the UFC.
An unlikely 7-0 in the UFC, Dricus du Plessis has continually upset the odds and expectations. The run culminated seven months ago in a successful title bid against Sean Strickland – another victory that saw du Plessis surprising fans and oddsmakers alike after a rough start.
Perhaps one of the best modern examples of an over-achiever, du Plessis has improved in recent years but still regularly contends with a technical disadvantage on the feet. Despite that, du Plessis has found success everywhere as a doggedly determined fighter.
Though he lacks savvy as a striker, he is fairly durable and owns the kind of thudding power that endangers and surprises opponents. He is not a technical wizard, nor is he particularly quick, but he commits strongly to his offense and does well to vary the force of his shots.
That said, du Plessis is a grappler at his core and does his best work when forcing tie-ups. Despite lacking a credentialed wrestling background, du Plessis has found remarkable success in pursuing takedowns, even against accredited wrestlers.
From top position, du Plessis has proven an offensive-minded fighter with underrated submission skills, even if he has come under criticism for his occasionally overzealous, somewhat impatient nature. All told, he will need every tool in his developing arsenal to deal with a former middleweight king.
Owning a grudge after taking particular offense to du Plessis’ comments, Nigerian-born Adesanya is looking to prove a point at UFC 305.
Freshly 35-years-old, Adesanya has lived a long and storied career across both kickboxing and MMA. Even as he has aged, Adesanya maintained a high level of activity and competed in six middleweight title fights within 27 months. His most recent, a decision loss to Sean Strickland, signaled the need for a reset.
One of the sharpest strikers in the sport, Adesanya has fallen victim to inconsistency in recent years despite a clear technical advantage over the majority of his opposition. An 11-month layoff and invigorating nature of a bitter rivalry may serve Adesanya well.
Representing both Nigeria and New Zealand, Adesanya is infamously slick and spent many years honing his game to MMA. At this point he is an expert at hitting, moving, and staying upright; as such, he is positioned well to handle the arsenal of du Plessis.
That said, Adesanya has owned advantages in the past that proved to play a smaller part than expected. This time around, however, the allure of the middleweight title is the least of what fuels Adesanya.
Entering with the intent to punish du Plessis more than anything, Adesanya will find that his foe does not go away easily. Despite that, he should find success exploiting a clear difference in speed and mobility.
Well-versed in rivalries, Adesanya has done some of his best work when he has a point to prove. Though he now faces a uniquely dangerous threat, look for Adesanya to grind out a win in an unsurprisingly chaotic affair.
Same Game Multi: Adesanya Head To Head + Adesanya 60+ Strikes Landed + Du Plessis 2+ Takedowns Landed
Three months removed from a title bid against Alexandre Pantoja, the result didn’t go Steve Erceg’s way but ultimately did well to raise his stock as a fighter. Freshly turned 29-years-old and with only 14 professional bouts to his name, Erceg is still in the process of developing but has already shed his “prospect” tag.
Now firmly a contender, Erceg made a great account of himself in the first 25-minute bout of his career. Unassuming but with a mean streak inside the cage, Erceg is a surprisingly refined striker with a style that suits his fairly long frame.
Clean grappling has been showcased in the past and that couples well with his unsung but modern understanding of takedowns. Erceg represents a new era of fighter who has come up in martial arts with an intention to do MMA. That reflects in a well-rounded game where Erceg does particularly well in maintaining work rate in the transitional moments of a fight.
Standing across from him will be a dogged veteran who is accustomed to upsetting the odds. Kai Kara-France is approaching 40 professional bouts and despite being only 31-years-old, represents an older guard who is set in their ways.
Kara-France settled on the UFC’s roster in 2018 and kicked off the stint with a 7-2 run. Since, he’s dropped two in a row and now enters this contest on his first losing streak in a decade.
That said, there is nothing to suggest Kai Kara-France has seen his best days as a fighter; factually he may rest in history as one of the best flyweights to never hold a major title. But make no mistake, Kara-France will have his hands full in yet another example of tough matchmaking.
Despite a reputation for beating bigger fighters, Kara-France is beginning to reach the limits of what he can do as a 5’4” (163cm) striker against elite opposition. His preference for counter-punching can occasionally exacerbate physical disadvantages and a low-volume kickboxing match is unlikely to suit him this weekend.
Heaps of public attention (and money) has been laid on Kara-France in the lead-up to this bout but the timing seems right for Australia’s Erceg. Taller, longer, and owning the tools necessary to keep Kara-France guessing on the outside, look for Erceg to get back to winning ways and wrest the proverbial torch from Kara-France’s grip.
Same Game Multi: Erceg Head To Head + Erceg 60+ Strikes Landed + Erceg 1+ Takedowns Landed
7-2 in the UFC overall and riding a three-fight win streak, Mateusz Gamrot has maintained a particular high level of consistency in recent years. Fresh off a one-sided win over former contender Rafael dos Anjos, the future continues to look bright for Gamrot.
Heavily favored at UFC 305, Gamrot is one of the few instances in which his well-rounded record accurately reflects his tools inside the cage. Wrestling/grappling lays the foundation for Gamrot’s style but his overall capabilities have improved greatly since his organizational debut in 2020.
In particular, Gamrot owns a sneaky outside striking game reliant on quick, lengthy kicks and deceptive footwork. Though he rarely seeks a finish on the feet, his striking compliments his stifling tools at close range.
That is not to say Gamrot a perfect fighter though, as his defensive acumen leaves much to be desired. Remaining his biggest vulnerability, Gamrot has been floored on several occasions and hurt on many more but has almost always rebounds by grinding his way to an advantageous position. Fueled by a deep gas tank, Gamrot remains a tough man to take rounds off of.
Representing New Zealand and predictably entering as the underdog, Dan Hooker is no stranger to the status or upsetting those odds. A professional veteran of 15 years and nearly 40 bouts, Hooker has essentially seen and done it all over the course of an illustrious career.
Now 34-years-old, Hooker has strung together a two-fight win streak that includes a split decision win in a wild bout with Jalin Turner. Despite the long career, he still has tread on the tires and will seek a finish here.
A longtime product of City Kickboxing, striking has always been the preference of Hooker. Typically the taller, longer fighter at 6’0” (183cm), Hooker has enjoyed an advantage at range against the vast majority of opponents.
Lengthy kicks utilized at range put away Claudio Puelles two years ago, but Hooker is better known for his participation in a ridiculous number of breakneck fights. Defensively liable, relentlessly durable, and wildly experienced, Hooker has competent answers to almost everything inside the cage.
That said, he stands to struggle with the pace and wrestling of Mateusz Gamrot. If Hooker were obliged in a striking contest, we would likely all have different opinions on the outcome of this bout.
However, Gamrot has proven himself to be an intelligent fighter if nothing else. Owning a hefty advantage in tie-ups, Gamrot has the opportunity to make this fight look relatively easy if he pursues an appropriate game plan from the opening bell.
Hooker has the ability to threaten Gamrot on the feet but maintaining any of that momentum against an outstanding wrestler will be the tougher task. Look for Gamrot to drag this one to the mat, exploit a grappling discrepancy, and grind out a submission win before the final bell.
Successful earlier this year in upsetting Shamil Gaziev, UFC 305 serves as a quick turnaround for heavyweight juggernaut Jairzinho Rozenstruik. 2-1 in his last three, Rozenstruik hasn’t needed a judge’s scorecard since 2021 and is doubtful to need them this weekend.
A former kickboxer who has been in the UFC for over five years, Rozenstruik has had a roller coaster of a career that includes a litany of elite heavyweight notables. But upon closer inspection of his dramatic and high-level resume, a trend begins to show itself.
Powerful, deceptively quick, and with a keen eye for counter-punching, Rozenstruik is a formidable threat on the feet. Losses to Alexander Volkov and Francis Ngannou continue to hurt his public perception but the underlying message shows Rozenstruik has only been beaten by elite specialists.
Despite an unassuming heavyweight stature at 6’2” (188cm), Rozenstruik brings devastating power into the cage. His most recent outing saw him display an improved gas tank, and he continues to be one of the most compact and dangerous fixtures in the division.
If we speak of stout powerhouses, then Tai Tuivasa will always be part of the conversation. Well-known for his knockout power as well as his traditional post-win shoey, Tuivasa will not shy away from a brawl in Australia.
Tuivasa is a fan favorite with heavy hands but is currently on a four-fight losing streak that has highlighted his shortcomings. Though he managed to drop Ciryl Gane in the midst of the losing streak, Tuivasa hasn’t had his hand raised since 2022.
At 31-years-old and having shown little recent evolution in his style, Tuivasa stands to struggle with the comparably quicker, slicker Jairzinho Rozenstruik. The puncher’s chance remains a persistent possibility for Tuivasa but he will get hit hard and often in this contest.
With both men sharing a 6’2” (188cm) frame and little prospect of grappling, everything points to Rozenstruik having exactly the kind of fight he wants at UFC 305.
Although a mere 2-0 in the UFC, Carlos Prates has quickly carved a name for himself as a devastating striker. With finishes in both of his dominant organizational appearances, Prates has already proven a need to step up in competition.
Like all fighters, Prates cannot and will not suggest he’s entirely self-made. A member of the surging “Fighting Nerds” team, Prates has showcased a patience and diligence few with such notable offensive power own.
Prates owns clear stopping power in every limb but most importantly does an excellent job setting up his heavy shots. If knockout blows won’t present themselves, Prates is happy to batter the legs and arms of a defending opponent to score points and wear them down.
There is something to wonder about the other aspects of Prates’ game that has yet to get time in the sun, but so far he has appeared a brutal veteran on the feet.
Li Jingliang will not be one to shy away from a striking contest and though he is well-aware of Prates’ strengths, he is likely to keep this one on the feet. Out of action for nearly two full years, scheduling circumstances and a spinal injury kept him on the bench.
Having taken the time to recover properly, Jingliang now hopes to rekindle momentum in a stacked division.
With alternating wins and losses dating back to 2019, it would be easy to assume Li Jingliang is statistically due for a solid performance after dropping his last outing but he faces particularly stiff matchmaking this weekend.
A striker by nature, Jingliang is durable, precise, and composed but is prone to lapses in activity that cause him to lose minutes. Though savvy and aesthetic when he lets his hands go, Jingliang has struggled with arguably inferior fighters due to a volume discrepancy.
Facing a comparably smooth but decidedly more powerful and aggressive fighter in Carlos Prates, the deck seems to be stacked against the Chinese-born fan favorite. Having never been stopped, Jingliang is positioned well to take Prates into deep waters but I doubt he will do enough to tip the final verdict.
du Plessis v Adesanya: Adesanya Head to Head @ $1.87
Kara-France v Erceg: Steve Erceg By Points @ $2.40
Gamrot v Hooker: Mateusz Gamrot By Submission @ $6.50
Rozenstruik v Tuivasa: Jairzinho Rozenstruick By KO/TKO @ $1.65
Prates v Jingliang: Carlos Prates By Points @ $4.25
Tafa v Walker: Valter Walker Head to Head @ $2.10
Culibao v Ramos: Josh Culibao Head to Head @ $1.68
Santos v O’Neill: Luana Santos Head to Head @ $1.68
Jenkins v Burns: Jack Jenkins By KO/TKO @ $1.45
Nolan v Reyes: Tom Nolan By KO/TKO @ $1.25
Song v Glenn: Song Kenan By KO/TKO Or Points @ $1.62
Nicoll v Aguilar: Jesus Aguilar Head to Head @ $2.85