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South African UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis is setting his sights on a blockbuster showdown with two-time champion Israel Adesanya, with hopes of headlining UFC 305 in Australia.
As reports circulate about the UFC's interest in booking du Plessis vs. Adesanya as the main event for UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, du Plessis took to social media to call out "The Last Stylebender" and reignite their long-standing rivalry.
Du Plessis' journey to the top of the UFC middleweight division culminated in a split decision victory over Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in January, where he claimed the title. Immediately after the win, du Plessis expressed his desire to face Adesanya at UFC 300, but an injury prevented that matchup from happening.
Despite the initial setback, both du Plessis and Adesanya have expressed their eagerness to face each other, and reports suggest that Adesanya is open to the idea of fighting du Plessis at UFC 305.
The rivalry between du Plessis and Adesanya dates back to du Plessis' challenge to Adesanya when the latter was the middleweight champion. Du Plessis vowed to become a true African champion and bring the belt back to Africa instead of New Zealand, sparking a heated feud between the two fighters.
Their anticipated clash was initially set for UFC 293 in Sydney, but du Plessis' unavailability led to Sean Strickland stepping in and upsetting Adesanya. Now, almost a year later, the stage is potentially set for du Plessis and Adesanya to finally settle their differences in Australia at UFC 305.
UFC 305 is scheduled to take place on August 18 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, promising an electrifying matchup if du Plessis' challenge to Adesanya is accepted.