UFC 305 was eagerly anticipated by MMA fans. Adesanya, one of the most highly regarded and followed fighters in the current scene, returned to the octagon after a year away, ready to test his strength against the reigning middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis, also known as Stillknocks. True to his nickname, the South African handed the Nigerian-born New Zealander his second consecutive defeat in a highly respectful fight for the African crown.

Du Plessis' rise is something straight out of a movie script. If you tell anyone, they won't believe you. Imagine mentioning someone just 13 months ago that Du Plessis would beat Robert Whittaker by finishing him, and then go on to be crowned middleweight champion after defeating Sean Strickland—the look you'd get would be one of disbelief. But as if that weren't enough, now he goes on and defends his belt against Israel Adesanya, submitting him in the fourth round. It’s mind-blowing.

This victory undoubtedly marks a new era in the middleweight division. Du Plessis, who grew up idolising Adesanya as both have admitted on several occasions, did not shrink before his hero and remained as determined as he was optimistic throughout fight week that he would retain the belt. And that’s exactly what happened.

At 35, Adesanya is finding it increasingly difficult to reclaim the crown he won in 2019, lost to Alex Pereira in 2022, regained, and then handed over to Strickland in 2023. This time, Du Plessis was able to adapt to the veteran kickboxer’s attacks after winning the first round by being more active in striking and grappling compared to his opponent. However, in the second and third rounds, for many, the glory days of ‘The Last Stylebender’ resurfaced with a striking game rarely seen in the octagon and that belonged to the lanky African fighter. By the fourth round, the reigning champion had had enough and called it quits.

The bell rang, and Marc Goddard, the referee of the match, raised the South African's hand after announcing the characteristic and almost always enigmatic—though not this time—'And the winner is...'. Both fighters embraced, and it’s possible we might see them in the octagon again in a few months if Du Plessis successfully defends his title a second time, which, this time, seems likely to be against the former champion Sean Strickland—pending the approval of UFC boss Dana White.