After months of anticipation, the long-awaited middleweight title bout between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya is finally upon us. The clash, fueled by a personal feud rooted in Africanness, is set to take place on Saturday, August 17th (Sunday locally) at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

Du Plessis, the reigning champion with an impressive record of 21-2 MMA and 7-0 UFC, will be defending his title at 185 pounds for the first time. He claimed the belt back in January after a hard-fought split decision victory over then-champ Sean Strickland at UFC 297. Du Plessis brings an incredible nine-fight winning streak, which spans back to September 2019 and includes seven wins within the UFC.

On the other side of the octagon stands Israel Adesanya, a former two-time champion. Coming off a lengthy self-imposed hiatus - the longest of his career, Adesanya is determined to reclaim his throne. Having lost the title to Strickland by unanimous decision at UFC 293, Adesanya holds a record of 24-3 MMA and 13-3 UFC. His recent performances, however, have been marked by mixed results, with a record of 4-3 in his last seven fights dating back to March 2021.

Originally scheduled to meet last year at UFC 293, Du Plessis and then-champion Adesanya were unable to face off due to timing constraints. Du Plessis, a South African, could not recover in time following his victory over Robert Whittaker in July 2023. It was an earlier comment from Du Plessis about aspiring to become the "real African champion" that sparked the intense rivalry with Adesanya.

The UFC 305 main event, featuring Du Plessis versus Adesanya, will be the culmination of an action-packed fight card consisting of 12 exhilarating matchups. The early prelims are set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by the prelims at 8 p.m. ET. The highly-anticipated main card will begin at 10 p.m. ET.

Fans can expect Du Plessis and Adesanya, as the main event fighters, to make their walkouts to the cage at approximately 12:30 a.m. ET. The encounter between these two talented athletes will be available for streaming on ESPN+ pay-per-view.

With their personal differences and shared desire for the UFC middleweight championship on full display, all eyes will be on Du Plessis and Adesanya as they step into the octagon, ready to settle their feud and determine the next ruler of the division. The stage is set, and fight fans around the world await the momentous clash between these formidable competitors.