At UFC 305, Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya will finally get to settle the score. And it will be more than just the middleweight title hanging in the balance. ‘The Last Stylebender’ had lost his crown at UFC 293 to Sean Strickland in shocking fashion. Following this, he announced his decision to step away from the sport and take some time off. Meanwhile, Du Plessis took over the middleweight division when he beat Strickland for the belt earlier this year at UFC 297.

There is already heat between the two over Du Plessis’s remarks about being a ‘real African champion’. In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Adesanya highlighted their ‘beef’ by revealing, “Even without Francis being champion, without myself being champion, without Kamaru being champion, he would have never been champion.” With the stakes being astronomically high, UFC boss Dana White believes that the fight is poised to be an explosive showdown with legacy and pride all on the line!

Dana White hypes up UFC 305 main event by revealing what’s on the line for Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya

Being a part of the ‘Three Kings’ era of the UFC, when 3 African-origin fighters ruled over their respective divisions, Israel Adesanya wasn’t happy with Dricus Du Plessis and his remarks about being the first champion to represent the continent. As such, during a recent press conference, UFC CEO Dana White was asked to share his thoughts on the UFC 305 title fight and what he expects the bout to look like once the Octagon doors are shut.

White, in a candid manner, explained, “You know, big fight, every time guys hate each other like this you know the fight usually ends up sucking. But I have a really good feeling this one won’t.” The UFC head honcho highlighted Adesanya’s achievements in kickboxing and Du Plessis’s juggernaut-esque fighting style by pointing out that, “And you have one of these situations where both guys, everything is on the line especially because they dislike each other so much.”

With the build-up to the fight already reaching a fever pitch, White also went on to highlight the stakes involved in this match-up are more than just about the UFC gold. “…if he can beat Izzy and bring that belt back to South Africa, obviously you know we’ll do an event there. And if Izzy can retain and win the title, it’s huge for him and his legacy, not retain but regain”, the UFC boss shared.

He also highlighted how Du Plessis can break new ground for South African MMA with a win over ‘The Last Stylebender’. Meanwhile, Adesanya is not just fighting for the belt, but to cement his legacy as one of the greatest middleweights to have ever stepped foot inside the Octagon! And according to a former ‘champ-champ’, ‘The Last Stylebender’ will be looking to remind the world who he is come fight night.

Daniel Cormier believes Adesanya needs to show he’s “still the man” at middleweight

With the entire MMA sphere awaiting his return, Daniel Cormier recently confessed that he believes the former middleweight champion made the right call to take a break from fighting. Speaking on ‘The Fighter vs. The Writer’, Cormier stated that, “I thought to myself, this dude needs a break. It’s not bad that he took some time off. He was fighting a lot. Like, a lot. He was fighting a lot. I don’t know if anyone’s been as active.”

From UFC 271 in 2022 to UFC 293 in 2023, Adesanya had fought a staggering 5 times in around a year against the highest level of competition that the UFC had to offer. Cormier also indicated that the “bad blood” between the two has made this bout a must-watch affair for him. So what does Adesanya need to do to make a statement at UFC 305? According to the former champ-champ, “…his light is dimming if it isn’t completely out [already].’ F*cking Dricus du Plessis said that about Izzy. It’s on Izzy to show that’s not the case. It’s [up to him to say], ‘I’m still here and I’m still the man.”

Now, the question remains, will ‘The Last Stylebender’ rise to the occasion as he has done in the past, or will Du Plessis prove that the king’s time has truly passed? Let us know what are your thoughts on this fight in the comments below!