UFC 305 Betting Preview: Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya Will Settle Bad Blood

August 15, 2024

5 months

Dricus Du Plessis is doing something rare for a champion. He agreed to defend his UFC Middleweight Championship in Perth, Australia. That requires du Plessis to come halfway around the world from his native South Africa, while the challenger, Israel Adesanya, lives in nearby New Zealand.

But du Plessis is eager to get his hands on Adesanya, who MMAFighting latest news indicates has had some harsh words for the champion. Adesanya was offended when du Plessis said he wanted to be the first African champion in UFC history. However, Adesanya resented the racist undertones that went along with du Plessis’ comments.

Du Plessis is a white fighter from South Africa. Adesanya, born in Nigeria before moving to New Zealand as a child, was one of three black African champions. Kamaru Usman and Francis Ngannou had already claimed UFC gold, but du Plessis didn’t consider them true African champions because they no longer lived on the continent.

But this Saturday, the two men will settle their differences. Here are some picks on what should be an exciting night of action.

This is du Plessis’ Legacy Fight

With all of the promotion behind them, du Plessis and Adesanya present an intriguing matchup for each other. Du Plessis has more power and is a better grappler. While du Plessis was criticized in the past for his cardio, he won the belt with the outlasting cardio machine Sean Strickland.

Strickland embarrassed Adesanya during their fight at UFC 293. For five rounds, Strickland put Adesanya on his back foot to claim a unanimous decision victory. The question for Adesanya, who hasn’t fought since the defeat last November, is whether he has lost a step.

The best MMA news sites seem to think that if Adesanya were still in his prime, he should have handled someone like Strickland. This fight will be close, but avoid a side between the two rivals and back this fight to end inside the distance.

Meta: Under 4.5 rounds, Adesanya ML

Erceg Ready for Unpredictable Opponent

Steve Erceg shocked many people in the MMA world by putting up a good fighting performance in his flyweight title bout with Alexandre Pantoja. Erceg was in the fight late before a fifth-round takedown by Pantoja prevented Erceg from making one of the fastest climbs to a UFC championship in the promotion’s history.

Erceg’s opponent for this weekend, Kai Kara-France, knows what it is like to miss opportunities. Kara-France had an opportunity to fight for the interim flyweight title back in July 2022 but lost via knockout in the third round. Kara-France has made a career of losing to other top competitors.

Kara-France has had two losses against Moreno, a former champion, and one against Brandon Royval, a former title challenger. This is a spot to back Erceg to get back on track.

Bets to consider: Erceg -162, Erceg by decision

Gamrot Tries to Keep His Place in Line

Mateusz Gamrot always seems to be on the outside looking in for a title opportunity in the crowded lightweight division. Older fighters with bigger names have been able to receive opportunities before Gamrot, a Polish fighter with a wrestling-heavy style. The MMA latest updates, however, show that Gamrot has continued to pass important tests.

Gamrot is 24-2 during his career. He has a win over Arman Tsarukyan, who is next in line for a title shot. This weekend, Gamrot will have to fight popular Australian fighter Dan Hooker. Hooker is a little past his prime but is still capable of producing a knockout.

Gamrot should mix his skills to earn a win by any means necessary.

Bets to consider: Over 2.5 rounds, Gamrot by decision

Rozenstruik Should Light Up Tuivasa

Tai Tuivasa should be energized by fighting in front of a home crowd. It’s hard to know if that enthusiasm will be able to help him pick up another win in the octagon. Tuivasa’s opponent, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, has terrifying power.

That doesn’t bode well for Tuivasa, who likes to wade into his opponents’ power shots to deliver his own. Rozenstruik has been underwhelming as of late, struggling to finish Shamil Gazeiv back in March. But Tuivasa appears to have lost his touch.

The Australian fighter has lost four straight and will need a special performance to turn things around.

Bets to consider: Under 1.5 rounds, Rozenstruik by KO/TKO/DQ

Prates Still Has a Lot to Prove

Carlos Prates has picked up nine victories in a row. Prates entered the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series and kept his momentum going. Prates won his first two fights in the UFC by KO.

Now, Prates must prove he can do that consistently against veteran UFC competition. Prates’ next opponent, Li Jingliang, has never been knocked out during his MMA career. Li has struggled to fight his spot among the top fighters in his weight class.

Li lost to a championship contender, Khamzat Chimaev, and a strong gatekeeper, Neil Magny.

Bets to consider: Parlay Prates ML, Over 2.5 rounds

Junior Tafa Looks to Turn Heads

Valter Walker underwhelmed during his UFC debut in April. He was involved in a low-volume striking affair with Lukasz Brzeski that didn’t go his way. Junior Tafa, the brother of Johnny Walker, should help force some action out of Walker.

Tafa has had six of his seven fights in the UFC end inside the distance. Five times, Tafa was the winner via knockout. Both men will look for a finish in this fight.

Bets to consider: Under 1.5 rounds

Here are some quick picks for the rest of the fights on this card: