UFC
Israel Adesanya highlights the moment he lost his UFC 305 fight to Dricus du Plessis
Adesanya looked to be in control of his bout against the UFC Middleweight champion but suffered a sudden defeat by submission.
Dricus du Plessis has defended his UFC Middleweight Championship by defeating former two-time champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia on Saturday, an outcome which appeared far from certain at one stage of the bout.
How did du Plessis defeat Adesanya?
The South African, who took the title for the first time against Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in Toronto in Canada, won by submission in the fourth round, which means he is now 8-0 since making his UFC debut in October 2020. After the fight, however, Adesanya was left kicking himself that he hadn’t handed de Plessis his first loss.
The first two rounds were fairly evenly contested, but it was the Nigerian-born fighter who gained the upper hand in the third, with a several body punches marking their mark.
But just when it seemed as if Du Plessis’ reign may end, the tide completely turned in the blink of an eye in round four. The champion landed a blow with his left to Adesanya’s head out of nowhere, and followed up with three rights before pulling his opponent to the ground. The 30-year-old then locked in rear-naked choke, causing Adesanya to tap after 3:38 of round four.
Speaking after his defeat, Adesanya suggested he had been the architect of his own downfall when it looked as if things had been going his way. “I just made a stupid, dumb mistake on the ground”.
Will Israel Adesanya retire after losing to Dricus du Plessis?
That “stupid, dumb mistake” may have cost Adesanya the chance of victory, although it seems as if he will have chance to redeem himself in UFC in the future. Despite persistent rumours surrounding his possible retirement, there has been no official confirmation from the fighter himself or his camp that he is ready to call it a day.