Dricus Du Plessis captured the UFC middleweight title at UFC 297 in January 2024, defeating then-champion Sean Strickland by split decision. In his first title defense, the South African faced former two-time middleweight titleholder Israel Adesanya in the UFC 305 main event in August 2024 in Perth, Australia.
After a heated exchange following Du Plessis’ UFC 290 win over former champion Robert Whittaker, 13 months would pass before the two would meet inside the octagon. Watch the two throw down with the 185-pound championship on the line.
