UFC 305
UFC 305 full card: fights, order and schedules beyond Du Plessis vs Adesanya
Here’s all you need to know about UFC 305, including the fight order and schedule.
UFC 305 will be headlined by the highly anticipated fight between Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya. However, this time, the Nigerian-born New Zealander, Adesanya, will not be defending the title but instead challenging for it.
Adesanya lost the belt to Sean Strickland by a resounding unanimous decision; Strickland, in turn, lost it to Du Plessis by a closer split decision, making Du Plessis the UFC’s first South African champion.
Kai Kara-France, currently ranked fourth in the flyweight division, is resuming his journey toward a title shot. The New Zealander was on a three-fight winning streak before losing an interim flyweight title bout to Brandon Moreno. Moreno secured the victory with a TKO, delivering a kick that left Kara-France unable to continue.
Who is fighting at UFC 305?
Following this defeat, Kara-France took a year-long hiatus before returning to the cage in June 2023 to face Amir Albazi in an effort to climb back up the rankings. However, Albazi won by split decision.
His opponent, Steve Erceg, is ranked seventh and is coming off a title fight of his own. Although the Australian put on an impressive performance in the octagon, he was unable to dethrone Alexandre Pantoja, the division’s current champion. This upcoming fight between Kara-France and Erceg promises to bring some much-needed action to a division that has been relatively stagnant.
In the lightweight division, a highly anticipated contest between Mateusz Gamrot and Dan Hooker is set to take place. Ranked fifth and eleventh respectively, Gamrot and Hooker will engage in an exciting clash within a division led by Russian Islam Makhachev. The Polish fighter, Gamrot, is riding a three-fight winning streak, including one finish, and is eager for new challenges. In contrast, the New Zealander, Hooker, is coming off a split decision loss to Jalin Turner, an opponent Gamrot defeated just over a year ago.
In the heavyweight division, Tai Tuivasa and Jairzinho Rozenstruik will also headline UFC 305. Tuivasa is returning to the octagon after a tough stretch, having been submitted in the first round by Marcin Tybura in March, marking his fourth consecutive loss. The Australian is determined to get back on track and reestablish himself as a contender in the division.
Rozenstruik, on the other hand, is coming off a knockout win over Shamil Gaziev. The Surinamese fighter, ranked No. 12 in the heavyweight rankings (with Tuivasa at No. 10), has struggled against the division’s top names, including Ciryl Gane, Francis Ngannou, and Alexander Volkov. This fight is a pivotal clash between two fighters looking to solidify their positions in the heavyweight division.
The welterweight division will kick off the main card with a showdown between China’s Li Jingliang and Brazil’s Carlos Prates. Both fighters are eager to break into the division’s rankings, and this bout offers them a chance to shine on the UFC stage. With a new champion in the division, Belal Muhammad, this fight puts Jingliang and Prates in the spotlight as they aim to make a statement and climb the ranks.