PERTH, Australia — South African Dricus du Plessis took a flurry of body hits across four rounds before defeating Israel Adesanya by submission to retain his middleweight championship at UFC 305 on Sunday.
After scoring some early takedowns, du Plessis (22-2) had to withstand a flurry of body strikes from Adesanya through the middle rounds which appeared to be taking a toll on the 30-year-old South African as the fight progressed.
But a left hook followed by three rights helped bring Adesanya down in the fourth round which gave du Plessis the opening he wanted as he swiftly got the choke hold which forced the Nigerian-born New Zealander to tap out.
“This man is the king of getting back up,” du Plessis said of Adesanya, who was bidding to become a middleweight champion for the third time. “I’m still alive, that’s a bonus.
“I came here to die for this belt and to take a life. I’m still champion, baby.”
Sunday’s victory at the a sold out RAC Arena at Perth, Australia was the third time the South African has beat off challengers for the competitve middleweight division and second time this year after he won with a split decision over Sean Strickland in January at UFC 297.
The 35-year-old Adesanya (24-4) was making his first appearance since losing the middleweight title by unanimous decision to Strickland in Sydney in September last year but said Sunday’s latest setback wasn’t career-ending.
“This is the best I’ve ever felt. I’m 35, I’m doing the right things. I’m not … leaving,” he said.
Earlier, hometown favorite Steve Erceg’s was defeated by a first-round technical knock out in his flyweight bout with New Zealand’s Kai Kara-France. It was Erceg’s first fight since he was unanimously outpointed by champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301 in Brazil in May.