There is something special about an MMA event in Australia.
Maybe it’s the time warp that North American fans experience when they watch fights on TV on Saturday night and then realize they’re happening the next morning local time. It’s as confusing as being cageside in Australia and realizing that fans on the other side of the world are watching the fights live… last night.
There’s perhaps something else that makes watching MMA fights in Australia seem a little strange. It could be the fights themselves, which are often accompanied by multiple exclamation points. Anyone who has followed the sport for many years has witnessed the real-life volatility that can emerge from cage fights in this corner of the southern hemisphere.
Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva did each other serious damage at heavyweight during a memorable night in Brisbane in 2013. And in a record-breaking evening (morning?) in Sydney a year later, they fought 11 times and won 11 times. And of course, Holly Holm kicked Ronda Rousey off her horse at UFC 193 in 2015 in Melbourne. That event set a company record attendance that stood until the Octagon returned to Melbourne in 2019, with 57,127 fans filling Marvel Arena to watch Israel Adesanya defeat Robert Whittaker to become the middleweight champion.
When the eight-sided cage returns to Australia on Saturday, the former two-time champion will take on Dricus Du Plessis in the main event of UFC 305 in Perth. At stake is not just a glittering belt, but the pride of a continent 5,000 miles away, as both fighters have roots in Africa, despite their vastly different life experiences.
This is just the beginning of many exciting stories that will unfold this week. Here are five things to watch for at UFC 305.
Who will triumph over the homeland on the far shore?
1. Middleweight Championship: Dricus Du Plessis (champion) vs. Israel Adesanya
Saturday’s main event will be in Western Australia, though the decisive fight is tied to a land on the far side of the Indian Ocean. Du Plessis was born and still lives in South Africa. Adesanya was born in Nigeria and moved with his family to New Zealand when he was 10. In light of these divergent life paths, Du Plessis once declared: “I’m the African fighter in the UFC.” That didn’t sit well with Adesanya, who said his family had emigrated in search of educational opportunities.
If there’s a grudge to add to the already high stakes, so be it. It’s not a necessary element to make this an interesting fight, but let’s not forget that the last time Adesanya was in a feud-driven fight, he defeated Paulo Costa before knocking him out in 2020. His only defeat since then was against Alex Pereira last year, five months after Pereira knocked him out. So “The Last Stylebender” has shown a hunger to come back, especially against tough aggressors. Can Adesanya’s counterpunching stop Du Plessis’ short reign, as he has steadily clawed his way to a nine-fight win streak?
What reconstruction project will survive?
2. Men’s Flyweight: Kai Kara France vs. Steve Erceg
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Steve Erceg puts Matt Schnell to sleep with his vicious right hand.
Steve Erceg sends Matt Schnell to the floor with a hard right uppercut for the knockout win.
The first two times Cara-France competed in the UFC, the fights were held in Australia and he was a native Australian. He’s actually from New Zealand, 1,300 miles across the Tasman Sea, but his opponents were from the other side of the world, the United States and Brazil. This time, though, the fight was off-field, as Erceg was born in Perth and lives 20 minutes from the RAC Arena. Erceg has fought six times in his hometown, but all before he signed with the UFC last summer. He’s only had four fights inside the Octagon and has already competed for the 125-pound title.
That last point highlights that this fight, like the main event, is about more than just geography. Erceg, 29, was riding an 11-fight win streak when he unsuccessfully challenged Alexandre Pantoja in May. Cara France, 31, made a bid for an interim belt in 2022, losing via TKO to former champion Brandon Moreno. Both Cara France and Erceg are in rebuilding mode. A loss here wouldn’t be the end of the road to contender status, but it could send this fighter down a depressing, winding path.
Can we all have a good time?
3. Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
I feel bad because I love Tuivasa’s fights so much. Sure, I love watching a seasoned athlete show off his technical fighting skills to inflict damage and stop whatever his opponent throws his way. This is the MMA I feel comfortable being a fan of. But I simply can’t stay away from the spit-thrower, which Tuivasa always promises.
But what the Australian can’t always promise is his disgusting post-fight celebration, which he calls “the roast.” He only brings out the beer and shoes in a win, and Tuivasa has lost four straight fights. But there is something to celebrate, even before he lands his first hard blow from these two heavyweights: the matchmaking. Rozenstruik can throw as many punches as Tuivasa, so this fight should be fun while it lasts.
Will this change in level be successful?
4. Lightweight: Mateusz Gamrot vs. Dan Hooker
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Mateusz Gamrot scores stunning win over Arman Tsarukyan
Mateusz Gamrot did enough to convince the judges with his unanimous decision win over Arman Tsarukyan on Saturday night.
I’m starting to get nervous for Hooker — in the same way that watching Tony Ferguson compete at 40 is. Hooker is only 34 and his slide hasn’t exactly been a sad one, but during a stretch from June 2020 to March 2022, he lost four of his five fights, finishing with all but one loss. It’s worth noting that those losses came against Islam Makhachev, Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler and Arnold Allen — and there wasn’t a can of tomatoes in between. Hooker has since recovered with two wins over lower-ranked opponents (Jalen Turner and Claudio Puyles). The problem for Hooker is that this fight puts him back in the top tier of competition. Gamrot has won seven of his eight fights and is on the fringes of the title picture. Will he be too much for Hooker, or will Gamrot be pushed out of the frame?
One fighter’s roof is another fighter’s roof?
5. Women’s Flyweight: Casey O’Neil vs. Luana Santos
O’Neil was nine-0 after winning her fourth straight UFC fight in early 2022, and observers were beginning to speculate about where her ceiling would be. But now she’s on a two-fight slide, and speculation is on how far she’ll drop. Santos, meanwhile, is three fights into her UFC career, has won five straight and looks like an emerging prospect. It’s a test for both women, who are level setters. O’Neil is 26, Santos is just 24. So their stories could evolve and change for years.
