The anticipation was palpable as Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya came face-to-face for the first time since their upcoming championship bout was announced.
Du Plessis is set to defend his title against the former champion in the main event of UFC 305 on Aug. 17 at RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia. The intense rivals engaged in a heated staredown at the on-sale press conference, following a round of media questions.
Witness the intense first face-off between the headline fighters below.
Du Plessis and Adesanya previously faced off after du Plessis’s victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290, hinting at a future showdown. Although du Plessis did not meet Adesanya for the title at UFC 293, Sean Strickland did and shocked the world by claiming the championship in a decisive win.
Four months later, du Plessis secured the title with a split decision win over Strickland at UFC 297, extending his winning streak to nine fights in a row.
Adesanya, known as “The Last Stylebender,” will make his comeback to the octagon after his loss to Strickland, marking the end of the longest break in his professional career.