UFC 305 Adesanya vs. Du Plessis: Live updates and analysis

Dricus Du Plessis defends his middleweight title against two-time former champion Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 305 on Saturday, August 17, in Perth, Australia.

The main card at RAC Arena will air on ESPN+ pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET, with prelims on ESPN and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. and early prelims on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m.

Du Plessis (21-2) has won nine fights in a row, most recently a points victory over Sean Strickland in January to win the middleweight title. Du Plessis is ranked No. 1 in the ESPN middleweight rankings.

Adesanya (24-3) has not fought since losing the unanimous decision title to Strickland last September. He is No. 7 in ESPN's men's pound-for-pound rankings.

What are the storylines behind the top fights at UFC 305? How do experts analyze them? What do the fighters have to say? Here you will find the fight card, information on how to watch and a compilation of all the important information about UFC 305.

What do betting experts and MMA analysts think about Adesanya-Du Plessis?

How to follow the fights

Watch the PPV and all other fights on ESPN+: Get ESPN+ here.

Watch the prelims on ESPN. Download the ESPN app | WatchESPN | TV Schedule

Don't have ESPN? Get instant access.

Bought the fight on your phone and want to stream it on your TV? Here's how.

There is also FightCenter, which provides live updates for every UFC card.

The battle map

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Emotional Adesanya delivers passionate message ahead of UFC 305

Israel Adesanya shares an emotional moment with his family at the UFC 305 press conference ahead of his title fight against Dricus du Plessis.

ESPN+, 10pm ET
Middleweight Championship: Dricus Du Plessis (c) vs. Israel Adesanya
Men’s Flyweight: Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg
Lightweight: Mateusz Gamrot vs. Dan Hooker
Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Welterweight: Li Jingliang vs. Carlos Prates
ESPN+, 8pm ET
Heavyweight: Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker
Featherweight: Josh Culibao vs. Ricardo Ramos
Women's Flyweight: Casey O'Neill vs. Luana Santos
Featherweight: Jack Jenkins vs. Herbert Burns
ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET
Lightweight: Tom Nolan vs. Alex Reyes
Welterweight: Song Kenan vs. Ricky Glenn
Men’s Flyweight: Stewart Nicoll vs. Jesus Aguilar
(c) = Defending champion

“It’s the old Izzy, but also the old Izzy”

When Adesanya steps into the cage, his sabbatical will have lasted just over 11 months. His time off included two months in which he did not enter a gym “for mental reasons.”

“I had no idea how long I would be gone, but I knew it wouldn't be until 2027,” Adesanya said. “That was a joke. Don't worry. I'm back now.”

The time off allowed the 35-year-old to rethink his attitude towards professional sport while also finding the motivation he needed to step into the Octagon before his passion for competition could completely fade away.

“Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and I have both a giant head and a giant crown,” Adesanya said.

Hale: A motivated Israel Adesanya is back at UFC 305

Storylines: Adesanya-Du Plessis rivalry, heavyweight slobber-knocker, more

When the eight-sided cage returns to Australia on Saturday, the former two-time champion will face Dricus Du Plessis in the main event of UFC 305 in Perth. At stake is not just a shiny belt, but the pride of a continent 5,000 miles away, as both fighters may have roots in Africa but have very different life experiences.

This is just the genesis of one of several exciting stories set to unfold this weekend. Here are five things to watch for at UFC 305.

Wagenheim: UFC 305 storylines – Can Adesanya reclaim the middleweight crown?

Burning fire drives Dricus du Plessis against Israel Adesanya

When South African Dricus “Stillknocks” du Plessis won the UFC middleweight belt in January by defeating Sean Strickland in a close decision, his first request was: “Bring me my flag.”

Taking on the colours of the rainbow nation was a moment of symbolic significance for his gym, CIT Performance Institute, which he co-owns with long-time friends and training partners Claudia and JT Botha, and all the work they do to grow the sport in their homeland.

Du Plessis, who sat on a box jump cube after training, told ESPN: “The flag symbolises to me that this is not just my title – this is the country's title – the flag represents the incredible support that I and we have received.”

Solms: Du Plessis will defend the country's UFC belt against Adesanya

Rest, relax and play golf: Insights into Israel Adesanya's 11-month break

But rewind to 2023, when it looked like Adesanya and du Plessis would meet before the end of the year, or at least early 2024, and the Nigerian-born New Zealander's surprise loss to Sean Strickland dashed that prospect of a clash.

And just like that, Adesanya was gone.

“That was definitely the last straw because it wasn't just the fights, it was the camp and the training. It really took me out and my body just wasn't cooperating,” Adesanya told ESPN about his decision to retire from the sport.

Bruce: Insights into the “leveling” of Israel Adesanya

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