UFC 305 live updates: Results, highlights, analysis as Israel ...
Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya are set to clash Saturday (10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV) in a high-stakes battle for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia. Du Plessis, the newly crowned champion, still faces skepticism despite his unbeaten record in the UFC.
Many view Adesanya, the division's former dominant force, as the rightful top dog. For Adesanya, this fight is about reclaiming his title and proving his loss to Sean Strickland was a fluke. Du Plessis, on the other hand, seeks to solidify his legitimacy as champion by defeating Adesanya, silencing the doubters once and for all.
At BetMGM, the fight is nearly a pick'em with du Plessis coming in as a narrow favorite at -105 to retain the 185-pound belt. Adesanya is -115 to become a three-time middleweight champion.
Follow all of the action going down in Perth with our live tracker below.
UFC 305 live trackerLive91 updates
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 6:21 AM GMT+2
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 6:11 AM GMT+2
Who they are: Du Plessis is the newly minted UFC middleweight champ, but to many people he doesn’t yet seem like he’s truly the world’s best middleweight. Adesanya was the last champ in the division to demonstrate any prolonged dominance, and he’s one of the few enduring stars the UFC has between lightweight and heavyweight.
Why it matters: 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 some temporary champ who was able to take advantage of a brief chaotic clip in the division. Adesanya needs it in order to prove that his title loss to Sean Strickland was a fluke and he’s still the best 185-pounder around. If he can get the belt back a third time, Adesanya is truly one of the greats. If du Plessis can beat him, people will have to start taking him seriously as champ.
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 6:10 AM GMT+2
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 6:09 AM GMT+2
Erceg’s disappointed face is so similar to his excited to get in there and fight face which is so similar to his elated with victory face.
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) August 18, 2024
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 6:08 AM GMT+2
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 6:07 AM GMT+2
Erceg looks absolutely heartbroken.
Such an unfortunate way to lose in front of his home crowd.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) August 18, 2024
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 6:07 AM GMT+2
Whoa! Kai Kara France is BACK with a first round KO of Steve Erceg! It's time for Kai to get that title fight.
— Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) August 18, 2024
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 6:07 AM GMT+2
Nothing better than an early finish on the fight before the title fight.
— Seán Sheehan (@SeanSheehanBA) August 18, 2024
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 6:06 AM GMT+2
It was a huge left hook that landed flush and put Erceg down. He bounced back up but couldn't get his footing and Kai finished him off. What a finish!
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 6:03 AM GMT+2
Really appreciate Steve Erceg not only coming out to Jim Croce but to Don’t Mess Around With Jim, which is the lesser known Bad Bad Leroy Brown. Same exact song. Same tempo and everything.
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) August 18, 2024
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 5:48 AM GMT+2
Who they are: Kara-France was looking like a potential flyweight champ until he lost his crack at the interim title and then fell further with a split-decision loss last summer. Erceg is the newest Australian fighter who people are ready to get excited about. He was rushed into a title fight for the sake of timing and convenience, but still did far better than expected and his stock didn’t fall far as a result.
Why it matters: Neither of these guys is far from getting back into a fight with a belt on the line. Throwing them into this co-main event bout feels like a test to see which of them has a better chance to get himself into that fight — and which might be on a downward trending line for the time being.
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 5:46 AM GMT+2
Brilliant fight. What a win for Hooker. I don’t think many people were giving him much of a chance going into this one. It’ll be difficult to top that tonight.
— Peter Carroll (@PetesyCarroll) August 18, 2024
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 5:45 AM GMT+2
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 5:44 AM GMT+2
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 5:42 AM GMT+2
They ought to be a win for Dan Hooker and I did not expect to be saying that.
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) August 18, 2024
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 5:42 AM GMT+2
Back to the judges' scorecards we go after Hooker and Gamrot engaged in a brutal war. What a fight!
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 5:36 AM GMT+2
Gamrot likely up 2-0. I say likely because who the hell knows anymore after that Tuivasa scorecard.
Still, Hooker is dangerous and game as hell. He's laughing in the corner as his cut man tries to clean the blood off of his face. Literally.
— Luke Thomas????️♀️ (@lthomasnews) August 18, 2024
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 5:36 AM GMT+2
Gamrot is starting to look like a man who might rather be elsewhere right now. This should be an interesting third round.
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) August 18, 2024
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 5:36 AM GMT+2
Another back-and-forth round sees Gamrot hurt several times as Hooker takes control of the fight.
Sun, August 18, 2024 at 5:31 AM GMT+2
Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024 - RAC Arena in Perth, Australia
Main card (Start time 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV)
Prelims (Start time 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Early Prelims (Start time 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
