Israel Adesanya has got his opportunity to reclaim the UFC’s 185-pound title.
It was reported early Monday morning by several sources — including Adesanya himself — that the UFC’s August 17 return to Perth, Australia will be topped by a middleweight title bout pitting ‘Stylebender’ against longtime rival Dricus du Plessis, in what will be the South African fighter’s first defence of the championship he claimed from Sean Strickland earlier this year.
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“The SUN of Africa is the same sun that lights up our planet,” Adesanya wrote on social media. “The SUN will set and will rise again until you walk into it. The SUN, enjoy while it shines. Darkness falls when it’s gone.”
The posted adds: “Never stole shine, never lost mine.”
The pair had been originally slated to fight last year during Adesanya’s reign as middleweight champion at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia but a leg injury sustained by Du Plessis in training removed him from contention. He was replaced by Sean Strickland in the title bout, who authored one of last year’s biggest upset wins when he comprehensively outpointed Adesanya to hand him his first-ever middleweight defeat.
Du Plessis subsequently won the world title from Strickland at January’s UFC 297 in what was a close, split decision.
UFC 305 takes place in Perth’s RAC Arena on Saturday, August 17. Further bouts will be announced in the coming days and weeks.
