close
close

UFC 305 preview: Why every fight on Saturday's main card matters

It must be nice for the UFC to have an Israel Adesanya on the roster. Even if he isn't competing as champion, he's still an attraction that largely sells himself.

That's good, because he seems to be counted on to handle a lot of the promotional work at this weekend's UFC 305 event in Perth, Australia. Adesanya's attempt to reclaim the UFC middleweight title from current champion Dricus du Plessis tops a fight card that, while loaded with regional favorites, may not offer many proven pay-per-view attractions for North American television audiences.

But then there's Adesanya. Even when he's not the champion, he exudes the aura of a champion. He's a natural entertainer, one of the few fighters who actually pushes the UFC to allow him the kind of pre-fight theatrics the company usually shuns, a guy who feels like a force both physically and personally.

His attempt to regain the middleweight title for a third time seems to be a real turning point for “The Last Stylebender.” If he succeeds, he'll be a UFC legend. If he fails, that might be the point where people conclude his career is on the decline.

As for the rest of the UFC 305 main card, here's what to look out for on Saturday night:

Who they are: For a while, it looked like “The Leech” could become China's hottest MMA talent. He's won one fight and lost one recently, which is never good, although he hasn't faced many lightweight opponents over the past five years. Prates is a new face in the welterweight division who has been blowing away opponents since appearing on Dana White's Contender Series last year. He always wants to finish and hasn't seen the scorecards in a fight in nearly five years.

Why it is important: Prates is looking more like the future, while Jingliang is starting to look like the past. There's no doubting Jingliang's toughness, so it won't be an easy night, but if Prates is who the UFC thinks he is, then this is a chance to prove it and nail a new hide to the wall.

Who they are: Just a couple of big guys throwing leather around and giving the fans something to cheer about. Tuivasa is an Australian crowd favorite and basically a must-have for any UFC card on the continent. Rozenstruik is another heavyweight contender who is similarly inexperienced and uninterested in most other areas of mixed martial arts.

Why it is important: Tuivasa has lost four in a row and is holding on because he's fun, popular and big. The UFC doesn't like cutting heavyweights that people really care about because there are so few of them and other organizations could always use them. Still, he needs a win. Rozenstruik will probably oblige him with a stand-up brawl. Then it's a question of who lands first.

Who they are: Gamrot was a two-division champion in his home country of Poland with KSW. He has been very solid in the UFC so far, but has struggled to climb up the hill into title contender territory. Hooker hails from the same New Zealand team as Adesanya and has lived several lifetimes in the UFC, where he is trying to achieve his first three-fight winning streak since 2020.

Why it is important: Gamrot is ranked fifth in the UFC's lightweight division and is on the verge of moving up to that top tier. What he needs is a few more wins against familiar opponents, and he needs to look good in the process, not like he's just getting by. Hooker, on the other hand, is trying to show that he's gotten over his occasional stumbles and is capable of beating well-rounded fighters who are still at their best. And doing it in front of a friendly home crowd would be a bonus.

Who they are: Kara-France looked like a potential flyweight champion until he lost his shot at the interim title and then fell even further with a points loss last summer. Erceg is the latest Australian fighter that people are excited about. He was rushed into a title fight due to time and convenience, but still performed much better than expected and his standing did not drop much as a result.

Why it is important: Neither man is far from getting back into a fight with a belt on the line, so throwing them into this co-main event fight feels like a test to see which of them has the better chance of making it into this fight — and who might be on the downside for now.

Who they are: Du Plessis is the newly crowned UFC middleweight champion, but to many people he doesn't really seem to be the best middleweight in the world yet. Adesanya was the last champion in the division to demonstrate sustained dominance, and he's one of the few enduring stars the UFC has between lightweight and heavyweight.

Why it is important: If the gold around du Plessis' waist isn't enough, there's also the battle for public perception. Du Plessis needs this win to prove he's not a passing champion who was able to take advantage of a brief chaotic moment in the division. Adesanya needs it to prove his title loss to Sean Strickland was a fluke and he's still the best 185-pound fighter. If he can win the belt back for a third time, Adesanya is truly one of the greats. If du Plessis can beat him, people have to start taking him seriously as a champion.

You may also like...