UFC 305 Fight Card: PPV Schedule, Odds and Predictions for du ...

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Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

The UFC will close out its summer pay-per-view offerings with an absolutely epic matchup between Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis with the latter's middleweight title on the line at UFC 305.

Du Plessis and Adesanya have a history of trading barbs. Now, they'll trade blows at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

Du Plessis has passed every test since signing with the UFC on his way to a championship. Adesanya is the two-time champion of the division looking to bounce back from a loss to Sean Strickland the last time we saw him.

It's as good of a matchup as the UFC can make in the middleweight division. Here, we'll take a look at the fight card and break down the two featured bouts of the evening.

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Main card (ESPN+ PPV at 10 p.m. ET)

Dricus du Plessis (-110) vs. Israel Adesanya (-110)

Kai Kara-France (+145) vs. Steve Erceg (-175)

Mateusz Gamrot (-355) vs. Dan Hooker (+280)

Tai Tuivasa (+195) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (-238)

Li Jingliang (+280) vs. Carlos Prates (-355)

Prelims (ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET)

Junior Tafa (-130) vs. Valter Walker (+110)

Joshua Culibao (-135) vs. Ricardo Ramos (+114)

Casey O'Neill (+120) vs. Luana Santos (-142)

Jack Jenkins (-800) vs. Herbert Burns (+550)

Prelims (ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET)

Tom Nolan (-1200) vs. Alex Reyes (+750)

Song Kenan (-198) vs. Ricky Glenn (+164)

Stewart Nicoll (-205) vs. Jesus Aguilar (+170)

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What makes this a fun matchup is the history that both have as finishers.

Israel Adesanya might be the best overall striker in MMA today. His blend of technique, timing and power is the foundation for his success inside the cage. He has finished 16 of his 24 career wins.

Dricus du Plessis won't be confused for a technician. His striking can be awkward, but it is effective. Nine of his 21 wins have come by way of knockout and he has a TKO win over Robert Whittaker. Another 10 of Du Plessis's wins have come by submission.

That's where things could get interesting. Du Plessis has a good wrestling game to set up those submissions. Adesanya is known for his takedown defense and he's faced great wrestlers before, but he's 35 years old now.

The fun in this fight lies in the fact that either fighter could end the bout at either time. They are two of the most efficient fighters in the division and Du Plessis' ability to mix his striking and wrestling to set up submissions is going to create an interesting matchup with Adesanya's striking mastery.

This is truly a coin flip fight, but Du Plessis's youth, well-rounded skills and grit will be enough to defend his title.

Prediction: Du Plessis by fourth-round submission

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The flyweight division will take center stage when Kai Kara-France and Steve Erceg meet in the co-main event. The fight isn't for a belt, but it does feel like a critical matchup for both fighters.

Kara-France is coming off a somewhat controversial split decision loss to Amir Albazi. It marked the first time he has suffered back-to-back defeats since 2015 so he's in some uncharted territory as far as his time in the UFC goes.

A loss here would be understandable against another high quality opponent, but it wouldn't make it easy for the 31-year-old to get another title shot anytime soon.

Erceg is fighting for the first time since his unanimous decision loss to Alexandre Pantoja in a championship bout. The fact that Erceg was competing for the title in the first place was an odd choice. His best UFC win thus far is a second-round knockout of Matt Schnell.

The 29-year-old has enjoyed a rapid ascent up the division rankings. However, a second consecutive loss would start to spark some doubts about his ceiling.

Erceg created his success early in his career with a crafty submission game, but his striking is starting to catch up. He uses his length really well and will mix in jabs and kicks to keep his opponent at bay.

Kara-France has become a strong striker himself. He's probably the more powerful of the two and he's been at it for a while longer. That could be the difference as Erceg's chances of winning are going to rely on getting things to the ground.

Prediction: Kara-France via fourth-round TKO