PERTH, Australia — South Africa’s Drix du Plessis retained his middleweight title at UFC 305 on Sunday, defeating Israel Adesanya by submission after a four-round onslaught to the body.
Du Plessis (22-2) scored a takedown early on but had to withstand a barrage of attacks from Adesanya to the body in the middle rounds that appeared to wear on the 30-year-old South African as the fight progressed.
But du Plessis got the opening he wanted in the fourth round, dropping Adesanya with a left hook and three right hooks and then quickly applying a chokehold to force the Nigerian-born New Zealander to tap out.
“The guy is a comeback champion,” du Plessis said of Adesanya, who is seeking a third-time middleweight champion. “The fact that he’s still alive is a bonus.”
“I came here to risk my life and take my life for this belt. I’m still the champion, baby.”
Sunday’s win at a sold-out RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, marked the South African’s third victory over a challenger in a competitive middleweight division and his second since defeating Sean Strickland by split decision at UFC 297 in January of this year.
The 35-year-old Adesanya (24-4), fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Strickland in Sydney last September, said Sunday’s latest setback was not career-ending.
“This is the best feeling I’ve ever had. I’m 35 and I’m doing the right thing. I’m not going to quit,” he said.
Earlier, local favorite Steve Erceg lost by first-round technical knockout to Kai Kara-France of New Zealand in a flyweight bout. It was Erceg’s first fight since losing a unanimous decision to champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301 in Brazil in May.
