UFC 305 Predictions: Will Israel Adesanya Dethrone Dricus du Plessis at RAC Arena?

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Fernando Quiles Jr. | Last updated Aug 16, 2024 4:00 PM ET

Fight fans have been looking forward to UFC 305, and the MMA Knockout on SI team is here to whet your appetite with main card predictions.

There are a lot of questions surrounding this Saturday's pay-per-view event from the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Many are wondering if Israel Adesanya can prove that he's still an elite 185-pounder, while others are questioning how long the awkward style of Dricus du Plessis can remain feasible at the highest of levels.

We'll also see if Steve Erceg can take what he learned in his highly competitive title fight against Alexandre Pantoja to get to the next gear. Standing in his way will be Kai Kara-France.

There are three other main card fights to get into, so let's jump right in with our UFC 305 predictions.

UFC 307: HUGE ALEX PEREIRA TITLE FIGHT HEADLINES SALT LAKE CITY PAY-PER-VIEW

Dricus du Plessis (c) vs. Israel Adesanya - for the UFC Middleweight Championship

(via Cooper Neil/Zuffa LLC)

Fernando Quiles Jr.: I won't discredit Sean Strickland's victory over "Izzy" because he was as sharp as he's ever been on that night, but it's safe to say Adesanya was off. The timing just wasn't what we're used to seeing from "The Last Stylebender." One thing Strickland did well was avoid the kicks of Adesanya, but I'm not so sure Du Plessis will be that elusive. I think it's time for Adesanya to remind everyone why he's a future UFC Hall of Famer. (Pick: Adesanya)

This article first appeared on MMA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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