Fight week for the UFC 305 pay-per-view this Saturday night has kicked off with the release of the promotion’s latest Countdown episode. Under the spotlight in this edition is the headliner between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya.
Saturday’s lineup is topped by a championship clash, with middleweight kingpin Du Plessis (21-2) looking to add a first successful defense to his reign, which got underway with a victory over Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in Toronto, Canada, this past January. He earned that shot with a monumental triumph over the highly regarded Robert Whittaker during last year's International Fight Week in Las Vegas.
If "Stillknocks" is to continue his rule atop the 185-pound mountain, he must record a victory over the returning Adesanya (24-3). "The Last Stylebender" will be making his comeback 11 months on from losing the middleweight gold in shocking fashion to Strickland in Sydney.
The Nigerian-New Zealander will be back competing on Australian soil once again, with Perth's RAC Arena potentially hosting his historic crowning as three-time champ should he hand his South African rival the first loss of his career on MMA's biggest stage.
Ahead of that contest Down Under, fans can catch a preview in the full episode of UFC 305 Countdown on the promotion’s YouTube channel.
UFC 305 Countdown: Full Episode
And below, check out the full card for this weekend's numbered event.
Main Card:
- Middleweight Championship Main Event: Dricus Du Plessis (C) vs. Israel Adesanya
- Flyweight Co-Main Event: Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg
- Lightweight: Mateusz Gamrot vs. Dan Hooker
- Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
- Welterweight: Li Jingliang vs. Carlos Prates
Preliminary Card:
- Heavyweight: Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker
- Featherweight: Joshua Culibao vs. Ricardo Ramos
- Women's Flyweight: Casey O'Neill vs. Luana Santos
- Featherweight: Jack Jenkins vs. Herbert Burns
Early Preliminary Card:
- Lightweight: Tom Nolan vs. Alex Reyes
- Welterweight: Song Kenan vs. Rick Glenn
- Flyweight: Stewart Nicoll vs. Jesus Aguilar
Be sure to keep it right here on MMANews.com this week for all the updates and news on UFC 305!