What led to the championship battle between Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya?

Dricus du Plessis defends his middleweight title against former champion Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 305. The PPV fight card airs live from the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia on Saturday, August 17 (ET).

South African Du Plessis (21-2) makes his first defense of the belt he claimed via split decision in January against mutual opponent and former champion Sean Strickland. New Zealand’s Adesanya (24-3) via Nigeria steps into the Octagon for the first time since September 2023, when he lost the belt via unanimous decision to the former Anaheim, California, titleholder.

Today, the promotion hit the stream with a fight marathon featuring the reigning champion and former titleholder in a series of their previous fights. The 1.5-hour compilation includes Dricus du Plessis’ fights against Strickland, Darren Till and Robert Whittaker. Plus, Israel Adesanya’s clash with Paulo Costa and his revenge over Alex Pereira.

The local date in Australia is Sunday, August 18 for UFC 305: Du Plessis vs Adesanya.