Izzy Announces UFC 305 Comeback Fight

After weeks of speculation, Adesanya has confirmed he’ll be fighting to win his middleweight title back from Du Plessis in Perth, Australia.

It’s official! Israel Adesanya will attempt to regain his middleweight title from Dricus Du Plessis in the main event of UFC 305.

For the first time in a while, the headliner news didn’t come directly from the UFC but from Adesanya himself. “The Last Stylebender” shared his own poster on Instagram to announce the fight, which will go down in Perth, Australia on August 17th.

“The SUN of Africa is the same sun that lights up our planet,” he wrote. “The SUN will set and will rise again until you walk into it. The SUN, enjoy while it shines. Darkness falls when it’s gone.”

“Never stole shine, never lost mine,” the poster reads.

Adesanya hasn’t fought since a decision loss to Sean Strickland in September 2023 that cost him his title for the second time in twelve months. He’s since optimized his entire training and nutrition process and has declared he’s “coming for heads” as he puts a stamp on his legacy.

Prior to this announcement, Du Plessis vs. Adesanya at UFC 305 had become one of the worst kept secrets in the industry. Both Dricus and Izzy were teasing the date and match-up in various interviews over the past month, with Du Plessis wondering why the UFC hadn’t officially announced the bout yet.

The cat really came out of the bag during a recent social media post from UFC CEO Dana White where he announced Conor McGregor’s exit from UFC 303. Fans noticed the matchmaking board for UFC 305 was partially visible in the corner of the video, revealing Adesanya in the main event. Since the UFC rarely runs pay-per-views without a belt on the line, Du Plessis was the obvious opponent.

Now we have confirmation from one half of the fight, and all we have to wait for is the UFC’s official announcement. Who’s ready for the return of “The Last Stylebender?”