UFC 305 LIVE: Adesanya vs Du Plessis fight updates and results as champion submits ‘Stylebender’
Re-live the action after Israel Adesanya came up short in his bid to dethrone Dricus Du Plessis
Dricus Du Plessis submitted Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 305 on Saturday, settling their feud and retaining the middleweight title in Perth.
Du Plessis was making his first defence of the belt, which he took from Sean Strickland in January, while Adesanya was bidding to become a three-time champion. The build-up saw South Africa’s Du Plessis and Nigerian-born Adesanya, who fights out of New Zealand, clash over their backgrounds, after Du Plessis claimed he was the first “real” African UFC champion: the first not only to have been born on the continent, but also to have lived and trained there throughout his career.
But by the end of the main event in Australia, the pair shared respect and kind words, after Du Plessis won a gruelling contest via rear naked choke.
The 30-year-old arguably won the first two rounds, landing the harder punches and out-grappling Adesanya at times, but the challenger’s brutal body shots looked like they were adding up across the third and fourth rounds. Adesanya’s combination punching was also catching the eye, and he was able to stand numerous times after takedowns from Du Plessis, who was frequently switching stances like his opponent.
But in round four, Du Plessis landed a series of right hands on a retreating Adesanya, before dragging the former champion to the canvas. Du Plessis rapidly secured a rear naked choke, forcing his rival to tap.
Re-live UFC 305 below:
UFC 305 LIVE: Josh Culibao vs Ricardo Ramos
Round three
Front kick to the body by Culibao. Now a stiff jab. Left hook by Ramos, then a knee to the body. Culibao with some hooks to the body of the Brazilian.
Right hook by Ramos, and Culibao is cut around his left eye! Ramos with a well-timed body-lock takedown, too.
We’ll go to the judges’ scorecards.
Ricardo Ramos def. Josh Culibao via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Culibao will surely regret not pursuing further damage to Ramos’s leg. He could have gotten a finish tonight.
UFC 305 LIVE: Josh Culibao vs Ricardo Ramos
Round two
Hard low kicks by Culibao, and Ramos collapses to the mat! Culibao picks his moment then lands a few sporadic punches, but Ramos is largely staying elusive on the ground.
Eventually Culiabo walks off and lets Ramos stand. He tries to rush Ramos while he’s standing, but the referee prevents that.
Back under way. Culibao does a pirouette to mock his opponent. The action is paused again, this time due to an eye poke on Culibao.
We’re soon back under way, though, late in the round.
UFC 305 LIVE: Josh Culibao vs Ricardo Ramos
Round one
The featherweights stand orthodox. Both kick low. Australia’s own Culibao tries a left hook, but it’s blocked.
Culibao hurts Ramos with a low kick but gets overzealous with his follow-up strikes! He puts himself off-balance, and Ramos takes his back in a scramble!
They’re on the canvas, with Ramos working on a rear naked choke... Culibao with some desperate defence, but how long can he survive??
He eventually escapes, and looks at the crowd and shakes his head with a smirk!
UFC 305 LIVE: Casey O’Neill vs Luana Santos
Round three
Santos just misses with an overhand right. She blocks a one-two, then walks onto a right hand. Decent jab by Santos.
Crisp striking from O’Neill now. Santos with a trip, but O’Neill reacts well and gets the back! What a counter!
O’Neill tries a rear naked choke, alternating between the submission attempt and punches to the body.
Thirteen seconds left on the clock, and O’Neill so nearly has the choke! But Santos escapes!
Casey O’Neill def. Luana Santos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
UFC 305 LIVE: Casey O’Neill vs Luana Santos
Round two
Santos with a body lock and a slick trip early in round two. She has O’Neill kneeling against the fence.
O’Neill stands quickly, but Santos still has her back. Good hand-fighting from O’Neill, who then tries her own trip, before the flyweights separate and move into the open.
Hard jab by O’Neill, who misses with her follow-up right cross. Santos is standing orthodox now... but not for long.
O’Neill ducks under a one-two and gets a body lock. Knees and elbows to Santos against the fence. Santos circles away.
UFC 305 LIVE: Casey O’Neill vs Luana Santos
Round one
Santos stands southpaw, while O’Neill is orthodox. Santos tries an overhand from range but just misses. O’Neill then catches a kick and tries a takedown, but Santos defends well.
Santos briefly tries a standing guillotine while driving O’Neill to the fence, but there’s nothing doing, so she gives up on the submission.
Santos does seem decent work grappling O’Neill against the fence, before eventually stepping away. Overhand right from Santos, then a front kick to the body.
Nice one-two from O’Neill, though. Another overhand from Santos, a pair of hooks by O’Neill.
UFC 305 LIVE: Jack Jenkins vs Herbert Burns
Round three
Burns with a knee to the cup of Jenkins early in this round. There’s a brief timeout, then we resume, and Jenkins drops Burns again with a leg kick and an overhand right!
Now some hammer fists and punches to the downed Brazilian, but Jenkins soon backs off – deciding to let Burns stand again in this fight.
But Burns elects not to stand! It’s all over! That’s a TKO for Jenkins.
The damage to the lead leg seemed to be the decisive factor there.
Jack Jenkins def. Herbert Burns via third-round TKO (leg kick and punches, 0:48)
UFC 305 LIVE: Jack Jenkins vs Herbert Burns
Round two
Burns goes for a takedown early in this round, having held down Jenkins for around a minute at the end of round one. But Jenkins sprawls well to deny his opponent.
Hard outside low kick from Jenkins. Better takedown attempt by Burns this time; he shoots low, and completes the takedown.
Burns gets to work on an arm-triangle choke. but Jenkins slips his arm out. Burns then grabs a heel hook in a scramble, but Jenkins escapes again! He stands and kicks the legs of Burns.
He then enters Burns’s guard and tries to get off some elbows from above. Eventually he stands to exit the guard. Burns is back up, too.
Brutal combination by Jenkins! He goes from the head to the body beautifully, dropping Burns! The Brazilian is back on his feet, where he eats a few leg kicks before failing a takedown attempt.
Burns briefly switches stances, a telltale sign that his lead leg is feeling the effects of those low kicks.
UFC 305 LIVE: Jack Jenkins vs Herbert Burns
The regular prelims begin with a featherweight bout between Jack Jenkins and Herbert Burns!
Jenkins is the home fighter here, representing Australia, while Brazil’s Burns is the brother of former welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns.
Round one
Both men stand orthodox. Lots of close-range, straight punches from both men so far. Nice left hook and uppercut by Jenkins.
Another left hook by Jenkins, the cleanest shot of the fight so far. And another, then two more! Burns lands a knee to the body, but then eats a stinging jab.
More accurate left hands from Jenkins, who has Burns backed up to the fence. Brutal left hand to the body by the Australian now.
Burns pulls guard, but Jenkins stands and beckons the Brazilian back up. Another left hook to the body, then a longer combination by Jenkins – great variety.
Burns with a nice double-leg takedown!
UFC 305 LIVE: Early-prelim results
Okay, so with the regular prelims about to begin, here are the early-prelim results...
Tom Nolan def. Alex Reyes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Song Kenan def. Ricky Glenn via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 29-28)
Jesus Aguilar def. Stewart Nicoll via first-round submission (guillotine, 2:39)
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