Dricus Du Plessis successfully defended the UFC middleweight championship by defeating Israel Adesanya with a fourth-round submission Saturday in the main event of UFC 305 from the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) had to overcome adversity to retain his belt, as Adesanya (24-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) was building a head of steam in the fourth round before a left hook stunned the former champion and led to the finishing sequence.
It was a nip-and-tuck affair through three rounds, between Du Plessis’ explosive offense and takedowns and Adesanya’s pinpoint counterpunching and bodywork. Just as it appeared the bodywork was slowing down the champion in the fourth round, Du Plessis dug deep and charged forward, slamming a trio of right hands into Adesanya and securing a takedown. Du Plessis quickly transitioned to the former champion’s back and sank in a rear-naked choke to get the submission at the 3:38 mark.
“I came in here to die for this belt or take a life,” Du Plessis said. “Luckily, I didn’t have to do either.”
The fight had more on the line than a world title as Adesanya and Du Plessis had been engaged in a war of words for over a year regarding who the first “real” African champion was. Adesanya was born in Lagos, Nigeria, but currently resides in Auckland, New Zealand, while Du Plessis was born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa.
The rivalry became a battle of heritage once Du Plessis disregarded previous African-born UFC champions Adesanya, Kamaru Usman and Francis Ngannou, stating that he was the first champion born, raised and currently residing on the continent.
Although there was bad blood heading into the fight, the two fighters seemed to bury the hatchet afterward.
“I’m really sorry that it came across that I disrespected the fact that he’s from Africa,” Du Plessis, 30, said afterward. “That was never my intention. Africa would have won regardless, but tonight South Africa was the victor.
“It was an honor for me to share this cage with a legend, and I have the utmost respect for him.”
It was Du Plessis’ 10th straight win and first successful title defense after beating Sean Strickland for the championship in January. His first defense would be against the man who many believe is one of the greatest middleweights of all time.
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