Dricus Du Plessis looks to ruin Israel Adesanya’s return to the UFC in front of his home crowd.
The latest: In the process, Du Plessis will be defending the middleweight title he won off Sean Strickland in Toronto back in January. Adesanya, one of the greatest champs in the division’s history, aims to reclaim his crown.
Check out our full UFC 305 odds for the Aug. 17 event in Perth, Australia.
UFC 305 odds
| Fighter | Odds | Weight class | Odds | Fighter |
| Dricus Du Plessis (C) | +105 | Middleweight | -138 | Israel Adesanya (2) |
| Kai Kara-France (4) | +175 | Flyweight | -239 | Steve Erceg (7) |
| Mateusz Gamrot (5) | -334 | Lightweight | +230 | Dan Hooker (11) |
| Tai Tuivasa (10) | +162 | Heavyweight | -223 | Jairzinho Rozenstruik (12) |
| Li Jingliang (NR) | +210 | Welterweight | -286 | Carlos Prates (NR) |
UFC odds as of 4:15 p.m. ET on 08/11/2024.
UFC 305 odds: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya
Du Plessis (+105) vs. Adesanya (-138)
Du Plessis (21-2) makes his first title defence against one of the best to ever do it.
Adesanya (24-3-0) originally won the middleweight strap back in 2019 with a knockout over Robert Whittaker. He went on to defend the title five times before losing it to current light heavyweight champion Alex Pereria and then winning it back again in the rematch.
He ultimately lost the belt to Strickland in September and now returns almost a year later.
The South African champ is no pushover, though. Du Plessis went 7-0 on his run to the top of the division and makes few mistakes in the octagon despite his awkward striking style.
Two of the best strikers in the UFC will surely put on a show for fans.
This bout is close on paper as the champion is the slight underdog (+114). If Adesnaya is past his prime or if he’s lost his passion for the sport, Du Plessis has all the tools to take advantage.
But the Nigerians’s resume and world-class striking can’t be overlooked if he’s on his game.
Kara-France vs. Erceg odds
Kara-France (+175) vs. Erceg (-239)
Both fighters will have a home advantage to some extent as Kara-France (24-11) is from New Zealand and Erceg (12-2) is from Australia.
More importantly, there are title implications on the line. The Australian was the latest of the two to compete for flyweight gold when he lost to champ Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301.
Kara-France fought for the belt against Brandon Moreno when he was champion and was TKO’d in the fourth round.
Surely, the winner here will be on a short list of title contenders.
Erceg carries a size advantage being four inches taller than his counterpart but surprisingly loses out on reach by half an inch in this matchup.
It will be interesting to see how that dynamic plays out between two well-rounded kickboxers.
Gamrot vs. Hooker odds
Gamrot (-334) vs. Hooker (+230)
Another Kiwi takes his place on the card as Hooker (23-12) tries to build on his momentum at lightweight against a formidable opponent.
Gamrot (24-2) is 7-2 in the UFC and has a notable win over Arman Tsarukyan, who’s supposedly the next in line for a title shot.
The Polish fighter uses his everlasting cardio as an asset and tries to use a grapple-heavy approach on opponents, usually to the fans’ displeasure. It is effective, however.
Hooker has bounced around multiple weight classes but it’s clear that 155 pounds is where he belongs. He is 3-1 in his last four at lightweight with the one loss coming to Islam Makhachev.
With that being said, he’s at a disadvantage in this matchup if he can’t keep the fight at range, which is easier said than done against Gamrot.
Tuivasa vs. Rozenstruik odds
Tuivasa (+162) vs. Rozenstruik (-223)
Two heavyweights slug it out on the main card in what is going to be a fun bout.
Neither is a title contender right now, but this fight provides an opportunity for one of these guys to make their way firmly into the top 10.
Tuivasa (14-7) is the loser of four straight and all of those losses came inside the distance. He truly lives by the sword and puts on an exciting performance for fans. But that’s not the most effective style to win with.
Rozenstruik (14-5) is 2-3 in his last five and usually has success against other strikers. His losses come to guys with the grappling edge, and fans everywhere know that Tuivasa isn’t going to wrestle.
Therefore, the Surinamese fighter deserves to be an odds-on favourite as he is one of the better strikers in the division.
Jingliang vs. Prates odds
Jingliang (+210) vs. Prates (-286)
This contest has fight-of-the-night potential if it can last long enough.
Prates (19-6) has won his last eight bouts inside the first two rounds and is as explosive as one gets. The 6-foot-1 fighter uses his incredible 79-inch reach to snipe his opponents. He also has powerful kicks in his arsenal as well.
Jingliang (19-8) has been away from the UFC for two years but became a fan favourite shortly before that because of his personality and exciting fighting style. He lost his last fight to Daniel Rodriguez by split decision even though many fans believed he did enough to get the win.
Fans will be delighted for his return, but he certainly has his work cut out as more than a 2-to-1 underdog in this bout.
