Israel Adesanya faced a challenging night at UFC 305, where his fight against Dricus du Plessis ended in a fourth-round submission loss. Although much of the fight was a competitive back-and-forth, a series of punches from du Plessis led to the eventual fight-ending sequence.
Adesanya insisted after the match that he wasn’t significantly hurt by du Plessis’ strikes but acknowledged that du Plessis capitalized on a moment when Adesanya made a crucial mistake. Despite his efforts to counter, Adesanya found himself in a rear-naked choke that ended the fight.
Reflecting on the fight, Adesanya explained that he didn’t feel rocked by du Plessis’ punches but was caught off-guard during an exchange. He admitted that he couldn’t fully recall how du Plessis took him down but suggested it might have been due to a misstep near the fence.
He attempted to defend himself by fighting the top hand and trying to turn into du Plessis but ultimately couldn’t escape the chokehold. Adesanya acknowledged du Plessis’ toughness and said that although the loss was fresh, he didn’t feel surprised by his opponent’s strength.
The fight was closely contested, with the scorecards reflecting the tight competition. At the time of the stoppage, two judges had du Plessis ahead 29-28, while the third judge scored it 29-28 in Adesanya’s favor.
Social media and the UFC 305 broadcast team highlighted the difficulty in scoring the fight due to the strong moments each fighter had throughout the match. Despite his belief that he was winning up until the submission, Adesanya ultimately accepted the result.
Adesanya took pride in his performance despite the loss, stating that he had shown noticeable improvements since his previous fight. He believed he had inflicted damage on du Plessis and was poised to finish the fight, particularly with body shots.
Though disappointed with the outcome, he was satisfied with his preparation and effort, expressing that he was proud of his performance overall even if the result wasn’t what he had hoped for.
In comparing this fight to his previous loss to Sean Strickland, Adesanya noted that this defeat was easier to accept because he performed well, even though du Plessis proved to be the better man that night.
He found a sense of peace in the fact that he displayed the hard work he had put into training, though he lamented not getting the win. Ultimately, Adesanya viewed the fight as another chapter in his career, one in which he continued to push himself and make history, even if it ended in defeat.
