UFC 305: Du Plessis Retains Title with Submission Victory Over Adesanya, Kara-France Shines in Co-Main Event.

19 August 2024, Kathmandu. — UFC® 305 delivered an action-packed night of fights live from the RAC Arena, with middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis successfully defending his title against former champion Israel Adesanya in a thrilling main event.

Israel Adesanya Vs Dricus
Du Plessis
Israel career is be coming to end slowly pic.twitter.com/l4GvNo8cnk

— Get Busy Living (@MrBossMan4235) August 18, 2024

The fight was competitive throughout the first three rounds, with Adesanya showcasing his elite striking and appearing to shift momentum in his favor. However, Du Plessis took control in the fourth round, landing a powerful series of punches that sent Adesanya crashing to the canvas. Seizing the opportunity, Du Plessis quickly locked in a rear-naked choke to secure a submission victory at 3:38 of Round 4.

“I was fighting the greatest striker in the division, so I needed that takedown,” Du Plessis said after the fight. “It’s hard to keep people down at this level, and he’s the king of getting back up. But I’m still here, ‘And Still,’ baby!”

In the co-main event, flyweight contender Kai “Don’t Blink” Kara-France delivered a devastating first-round TKO against #9 ranked Steve “Astroboy” Erceg. Kara-France displayed patience and precision, setting up his power strikes before finishing Erceg with a flurry of punches at 4:04 of Round 1.

“I had to take some time away to balance my priorities, but with my team City Kickboxing, this is what we do,” Kara-France said. “We knew Steve was going to be crafty, so I had to set it up. Who do you think I should fight next for the title?!”

Asia Represent China’s Song Kenan delivered a dominant performance against Ricky Glenn, using his striking to earn a unanimous decision victory after surviving an early knockdown. Song controlled the pace of the fight and shrugged off Glenn’s takedowns and clinch attempts, securing a much-needed win for Asia.

“Ten years ago, I trained with Leech and Zhang Weili, so this was like a homecoming,” Song said. “I believed my advantage would be in striking, but he was really tough.”

Fight Night Awards

Fight of the Night: Dan Hooker vs. Mateusz Gamrot
Performance of the Night: Kai Kara-France
Performance of the Night: Carlos Prates

Official Results

UFC Middleweight Championship: Dricus du Plessis defeats Israel Adesanya by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:38 of Round 4
Co-Main Event: Kai Kara-France defeats Steve Erceg by TKO (strikes) at 4:04 of Round 1
Dan Hooker defeats Mateusz Gamrot by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Jairzinho Rozenstruik defeats Tai Tuivasa by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 30-27)
Carlos Prates defeats Li Jingliang by KO (left hand) at 4:02 of Round 2
Prelims: Valter Walker defeats Junior Tafa by technical submission (ankle lock) at 4:56 of Round 1
Ricardo Ramos defeats Josh Culibao by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Casey O’Neill defeats Luana Santos by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Jack Jenkins defeats Herbert Burns by TKO (strikes) at 0:48 of Round 3
Tom Nolan defeats Alex Reyes by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Song Kenan defeats Ricky Glenn by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 29-28)
Jesus Aguilar defeats Stewart Nicoll by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:39 of Round 1