He looked gassed, he looked hurt, but Dricus du Plessis just looks like a champion now.
The UFC middleweight champion solidified his belt with a fourth-round submission win over former champ Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 on Saturday, reversing a fight that was very much not going his way to notch his first title defense.
After a somewhat even first two rounds, Adesanya grabbed momentum with surgical body shots in the third and was the strong favorite on the live odds. The larger du Plessis was having his takedowns stuffed and clearly having a good time, until a shot in the fourth wobbled Adesanya enough for the South African to put him back on the ground.
“I just made a stupid, dumb mistake on the ground,” Adesanya said after the fight.
Finally, du Plessis got his arm in the right place and submitted Adesanya with a rear naked choke, continuing his undefeated run in the UFC despite a hostile crowd in Perth, Australia.
It was a brutal way to lose for Adesanya, who was fighting to become the second fighter to notch three separate reigns with a UFC belt, after Randy Couture. His striking was looking like his classic vintage and he was winning enough exchanges that the most likely outcomes were a decision win or the body shots adding up to a finish.
Instead, he is now left without much of a path to another title shot. There was some acknowledgement of retirement speculation in the Octagon after the fight, but Adesanya put a stop to that with “I’m not f***ing leaving.”
As for Du Plessis, he’s now beaten three of the past four middleweight champs in a row with Adesanya, Sean Strickland and Robert Whittaker. A rematch with one of them could be the next step, or he could face the fourth remaining champ.
Assuming current light heavyweight (and former middleweight) champ Alex Pereira is serious here.
UFC 305 full results
Here’s how everything went down live at UFC 305, via Yahoo Sports:
LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER110 updates
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Izzy ain’t going nowhere and the sport is better for it. Also, seeing Izzy and DDP embrace after they went to war is exactly why I love this sport. Great scenes at the end of the night to cap off what was an awesome card.
pic.twitter.com/iN0U07JpkK— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) August 18, 2024
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Not long ago, it felt as if Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker were going to be the two most celebrated middleweights of this era. Dricus du Plessis has now finished both in outrageous fashion. Impossible to overstate how impressive that is. #UFC305
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) August 18, 2024
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Adesanya: “I’m not f***ing leaving!”
Despite taking off his gloves indicating a retirement, Adesanya tells Daniel Cormier in his post-fight interview that he isn’t going anywhere.
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RESULT: Dricus du Plessis def. Israel Adesanya by submission (rear naked) at 3:38 of R4
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Wow. Just when DDP is starting to look tired he drags Adesanya down and jumps to his back for the choke. Didn’t hesitate and didn’t miss his chance once Adesanya’s defense lapsed.
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) August 18, 2024
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Dricus du Plessis continues to make zero sense, but gotdamn, the man gets it done. That was the wildest. #UFC305
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) August 18, 2024
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That was the first submission loss for Israel Adesanya in his 28-fight career #UFC305
— James Lynch (@LynchOnSports) August 18, 2024
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Such a hard fight to score. DDP is looking labored at times but still finds a way to land. Those body shots from Adesanya are starting to pile up though.
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) August 18, 2024
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Izzy now a -225 favorite
Odds to win Israel Adesanya-Dricus Du Plessis at @BetMGM
Close
▪️ Adesanya -115
▪️ Du Plessis -105Round 1
▪️ Adesanya -185
▪️ Du Plessis +135Round 2
▪️ Adesanya -115
▪️ Du Plessis -115Round 3
▪️ Adesanya -225 🚀
▪️ Du Plessis +165— John Ewing (@johnewing) August 18, 2024
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Izzy’s feints are drawing really big reactions.
Every time he gets hit from range, Dricus also predictably just bullrushes forward and Izzy is easily reading it. Spinning elbow counter to that rush as I type this too!
— Anton Tabuena (@antontabuena) August 18, 2024
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Round 3 ends
The body work by Adesanya is starting to do some good but DDP just keeps coming and landing hard when he connects.
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) August 18, 2024
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Really good moments from both guys in Rd 2. DDP isn’t taking many backward steps but I don’t know if he can keep up that pace wrestling with Izzy. That guy just doesn’t stay down for long.
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) August 18, 2024
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Round 2 ends
DDP gets a few takedowns on the former champ. The champ is trying hard to establish his wrestling and stay off the feet.
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Round 1 ends
The champ establishes his kicking game early on, but Izzy is staying busier and landing more shots. DDP’s rushing attack got Izzy to feel his powerf
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