Dricus Du Plessis Submits Israel Adesanya To Retain UFC Title

Dricus du Plessis successfully defended his UFC middleweight title after losing to Israel Adesanya via fourth-round submission on Saturday in the main event of UFC 305 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) had to overcome adversity to retain his belt, as Adesanya (24-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) was building his head in the fourth round before a left hook stunned the former champion and led to the final sequence.

The bout was a brutal battle over the three rounds, with Du Plessis’ explosive offense and takedowns, and Adesanya’s precise counterpunching and body movement. Just when it seemed that the body movement was slowing the champion down in the fourth, Du Plessis dug deep and lunged forward, landing three right uppercuts on Adesanya and knocking him down. Du Plessis quickly moved to the former champion’s back and sank into a rear-naked choke for the submission at the 3:38 mark.

“I came here to die for this belt or kill someone,” Du Plessis said. “Fortunately, I didn’t have to do either.”

The fight was more than just a world title at stake, as Adesanya and Du Plessis had been locked in a war of words for over a year over who would be the first “true” African champion. Adesanya was born in Lagos, Nigeria, but currently resides in Auckland, New Zealand, while Du Plessis was born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa.

The contest has become a battle over heritage after Du Plessis snubbed former African-born UFC champions Adesanya, Kamaru Usman and Francis Ngannou, noting that he is the first champion born, raised and currently residing on the continent.

Although there was animosity before the fight, the two fighters seemed to bury the feud afterward.

“I’m really sorry that I felt disrespected for the fact that he’s from Africa. That was never my intention. Africa would have won anyway, but South Africa were the winners tonight,” Du Plessis, 30, said after the match.

“It was an honor to share this cage with a legend, and I have the utmost respect for him.”

It was Du Plessis’ 10th straight win and his first successful title defense after beating Sean Strickland in January. It was his first title defense against the man many consider one of the greatest middleweights of all time.

Adesanya, 35, returned to the ring after an 11-month absence following his stunning title loss to Strickland in September. The former champion took a break from fighting after competing at a rapid pace of six title fights in 19 months, and he hoped the sabbatical would produce an improved version of “The Last Stylebender.”

The former champion performed well throughout the bout, using his accurate counter-punches, long shots and body punches to score. Adesanya actually had a 105-99 edge in total strikes, according to UFC Stats.

But Du Plessis remained explosive, mixing strikes and takedowns to keep his opponent on the mat. After Adesanya thwarted Du Plessis’s takedown attempt in the first round, “Stilnok” was persistent, landing three takedowns in the second while also threatening a rear-naked choke. It was this takedown-to-choke combination that ultimately secured him the title.

In the third and fourth rounds, Adesanya began to slip into a rhythm, landing powerful jabs and body shots that took their toll on the champion. But as always, Du Plessis found a way to overcome the odds when the going got tough, and he secured his biggest win yet.

Adesanya, who suffered his first loss in MMA, had questions about his future if he failed in his attempt to retain the title, but he had a message after the loss.

“I’m not leaving,” he said.

UFC President Dana White announced before the fight that Strickland would be next in line for the winner. The fight would be a return for Du Plessis, but he said he would be open to giving Strickland another shot at the title.

“I want to hear the phrase ‘however,’” “That’s the only thing that matters to me. I don’t care about the opponent.”