Adesanya tipped to KO du Plessis

Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has been tipped to knock out current champion Dricus du Plessis in their title fight at UFC 305 in Perth on Saturday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Australian MMA star Alexander Volkanovski, speaking on his YouTube channel on Wednesday, predicted a spectacular finish for the Nigerian-born fighter resident in New Zealand.

“I think Israel Adesanya is going to put on that type of performance where he gets a crazy finish,” Volkanovski said. “I feel like something big is coming—I mean, a big finish.”

The featherweight champion likened the potential outcome to Adesanya’s dominant victory over Paulo Costa, emphasising the expectation of a “highlight reel” performance.

Adesanya, who has lost two of his past three fights, is seeking to reclaim the middleweight title he lost to Sean Strickland in a shocking upset last year. Du Plessis subsequently defeated Strickland to claim the belt.

Despite du Plessis’ unorthodox style and grappling prowess, Volkanovski believes Adesanya has learnt from his previous setback.

“Dricus is very awkward, very unorthodox,” Volkanovski explained.

“But that doesn’t happen to Izzy twice. There’s no way that fight looks the same.”

The Australian fighter did, however, caution that Adesanya needs to be wary of du Plessis’ takedown attempts and submission skills.

“Dricus is very strong, wrestler, grappler. Izzy is going to have to be careful of Dricus trying to take him down because I think he’s going to have that freakish strength and chokes as well.”

Bookmakers seem to agree with Volkanovski’s assessment, with Adesanya a slight favourite for the bout.

As the fight approaches, Adesanya has emphasised the personal nature of this bout, stating, “Beating Dricus is more important to me than getting the belt back. This fight is about history.”

The UFC 305 main event promises to be a thrilling contest as Adesanya aims to make history by becoming the division’s first three-time champion, while du Plessis looks to cement his status as the new king of the middleweight division.