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00:00This is life by one of the UFC champions just tonight.
00:02UFC has put him on a seal all night long.
00:05What a moment for the entire nation of South Africa.
00:09This is history! Thank you, South Africa!
00:13An ascending champion who has traveled the high seas in his quest to conquer, overthrow all that has passed,
00:20and finally confront his greatest rival head-on.
00:25The man who once ruled it all.
00:28I don't like this job assignment personally, but this is business.
00:32I'm here to build my legacy.
00:35This fight for me is about me, proving that I'm the greatest fighter in the world.
00:40Tonight, as the UFC returns to the beautiful shorelines of Perth in Western Australia,
00:46New Zealand's greatest warrior has a score to settle,
00:49and when the bad blood reaches a boil,
00:52the last stylebender turns electric.
00:55Order restored! He said he would get him!
00:58Five middleweight title defenses during his reign,
01:01and once again on the verge of making history
01:04as not only a three-time champion, but as the king resurrected.
01:09This fight's about history, not about the belt.
01:11It's about beating Dreyfus.
01:13He started this, but I'll end it.
01:16First, Perth's own Astro Boy returns home to the City of Light
01:20with a mission to create massive buzz in the flyweight division.
01:24That'll do it! The walk-off KO! Steve Ersek!
01:28And build off his title shot from this past May.
01:31Oh, nice elbow! What a fight!
01:34By getting right back into contention
01:37as he takes on a hard-hitting striker from Auckland.
01:40Early knockdown for the Kiwis!
01:42Who has title designs of his own.
01:44A knockout artist whose name says it all.
01:47Don't believe.
01:49Kai Carafront has done it!
01:52This dude's got some high-level striking.
01:55In the history of heated rivalries, the flames have never been hotter
01:59for a Nigerian-born superstar
02:01entrenched as an all-time great and coming for heads.
02:04All that's been lost changes by winning the war.
02:08Tonight, that's my story.
02:10History!
02:12And for the man holding the title,
02:14still knocks from South Africa, who has not lost in six years.
02:18And with the longest winning streak in the middleweight division,
02:21he's not looking to stop this historic run anytime soon.
02:25Big strikes raining down by the South African!
02:28I told you, that's South Africa for you, baby!
02:31Live from the sold-out RAC Arena in Perth, Australia,
02:35it's UFC 305.
02:38Du Plessis versus Adesanya.
02:40And it starts...
02:42right now.
02:52Date Line Perth, WA!
02:55The travel here may not be for the faint of heart,
02:58but as far as MMA backdrops go,
03:00it does not get better than this.
03:02Australians have an insatiable appetite for the UFC,
03:05and they could just be getting a middleweight title fight
03:08for the ages here in a matter of hours.
03:10Leave the everyday behind and step into a dream
03:13in Western Australia.
03:16Live from the sold-out RAC Arena here in Perth, Australia,
03:20this is UFC 305.
03:22Du Plessis versus Adesanya.
03:24Presented by Ladbrokes, the official wagering partner of UFC.
03:30Closed captioning is available for tonight's broadcast,
03:32and if you would like to watch UFC 305 in Spanish,
03:34that option can be accessed on ESPN Plus as well.
03:40And with that, thank you so much for being with us for UFC 305.
03:43I'm John Anik.
03:44So it was about a year ago at UFC 290 in Las Vegas
03:48when tensions rose to an all-time high.
03:50African roots were at the heart of the matter
03:52as then middleweight champion Israel Adesanya
03:54confronted the emerging contender, Drikus Du Plessis.
03:57Fast forward 13 months now, the roles are reversed.
04:00Du Plessis is the title holder.
04:02The rivalry has been burgeoning,
04:04and the feud over nationalistic pride
04:06has not died down a skosh.
04:08Perhaps they should fight.
04:09Tonight is that night.
04:10They will lock that octagon door behind them.
04:13What a vibe all week here in the land down underneath.
04:16Dominick Cruz, Daniel Cormier ready to go live on pay-per-view.
04:19Here we go.
04:2015,000 people in here ready to get after it,
04:23and, you know, these guys really don't like each other,
04:25so that's like a fight before the fight with the pressure.
04:27It's just you could cut a knife with it.
04:29It is tough to be around these guys in the same room,
04:31so I can't wait to see them in the octagon against each other.
04:34Well, people here love fighting,
04:35and you can tell in everything that they do.
04:38All week, Adesanya and Du Plessis were pretty cordial,
04:41but as we got closer, the tension started to rise,
04:45and then everything you spoke about down in that opening,
04:48that is starting to show itself.
04:50It's bad blood, but ultimately, we got an octagon right here.
04:54Why don't you go fight, boys?
04:55That's right.
04:56Sports ultimate prize,
04:57the undisputed UFC middleweight championship to be contested.
05:00Drake is Du Plessis,
05:01title defense number one tonight against his chief rock.
05:04And DDP has been a really big problem to handle.
05:07Because of the way that he mixes things up,
05:09he's got an undefeated kickboxing record
05:11that he's facing Adesanya with,
05:13so he's confident he could stay standing the entire fight and compete.
05:17His left kick is one of the best.
05:18He switches stance constantly,
05:20and when he lands more than 6% of his six strikes a minute,
05:24that adds up, and then he starts landing his takedowns.
05:27Then he starts piecing the takedowns to the striking.
05:30Everything works together with DDP,
05:32and the one thing nobody can attest to
05:34is the power he has in his hands
05:36until you get in there with him.
05:37And you see, when he connects, he hurts you.
05:40And after he hurts you, he submits you.
05:42This man is a problem, and Adesanya has his hands full.
05:45Well, speaking of the Last Stylebender,
05:47DC tonight trying to become a three-time undisputed middleweight champion.
05:51And that's not anything that people do.
05:53I mean, Randy Couture is the only one that's ever done it in his career.
05:57Israel Adesanya is trying to do that again.
06:00We are talking about a guy that ruled the top of the division
06:02with activity, with skill, with confidence,
06:05and a star ability that not many in the UFC can match.
06:09This guy is a tremendous striker.
06:11He has shown time and time again you cannot take him down.
06:14But it's the countering ability and his belief
06:16that he can put you out that carries him to such great heights.
06:20Israel Adesanya said he's better today than he's ever been
06:24trying to get that belt again.
06:25Yeah, and it may sound hyperbolic,
06:27but that city kickboxing team has completely revamped
06:29their strength and conditioning program.
06:31Is he seemingly in the best shape of his life?
06:33And some believe Du Plessis is occupying some space
06:36in the head of the Last Stylebender.
06:38Only one way to find out.
06:39They will fight later tonight.
06:41All right, folks.
06:42One thing left to do.
06:43You know we never take your viewership for granted.
06:45Let's get it started in here.
06:47UFC 305.
06:48It's go time.
06:50UFC 305.
06:52Du Plessis versus Adesanya
06:54is brought to you by Bud Light,
06:56the official beer sponsor of UFC.
07:01By Crown.
07:02Here's where things get interesting.
07:09By the Air National Guard,
07:11where service meets flexibility,
07:13part-time or full-time.
07:14Join us.
07:15And by DraftKings Sportsbook.
07:17The crown is yours.
07:22Of the seven crew members,
07:24only one survived.
07:26Blowing the creature out of the airlock.
07:32We've been searching for it ever since.
07:35The perfect organism.
07:48Alien Romulus.
07:49Rated R.
07:50Now playing.
07:53Well, earlier today,
07:54the men on the marquee made their way to the arena.
07:57Drikus Du Plessis has undeniable championship medal.
08:01He had a lean on that.
08:02And then some and wrestled the belt away from Sean Strickland
08:04back in January.
08:05And today,
08:06he appears more than ready to engage with a man
08:08whose ire he has drawn, apparently.
08:10The former two-time middleweight champion,
08:12Israel Adesanya.
08:14The Last Stylebender is of clear intention
08:17to punish his opponent.
08:18And he has left no stone unturned
08:20in preparation for his 12th successive
08:23UFC title fight here tonight.
08:27Well, UFC CEO Dana White highlighted this paper
08:30view opener on his segment.
08:32If you don't know now, you know.
08:33Certainly some intensity at the ceremonial weigh-in
08:36between the leech, Li Jingliang,
08:39and the nightmare, Carlos Pratas.
08:41What a great way to kick off the paper view.
08:43Great to have you with us live tonight from Perth
08:46for UFC 305.
08:49The long-awaited return of Li Jingliang is upon us.
08:51And the leech is looking to make up for lost time
08:53against a true rising star at welterweight,
08:56Brazil's Nightmare, Carlos Pratas.
09:00The nearly two-year absence for Li Jingliang
09:04ends right here and now
09:06as the leech gets back on the proven ground
09:08beyond ready to resume his assault
09:10on the welterweight elite.
09:12That initiative begins in earnest here in Perth
09:14with this tough matchup
09:15against one of the rising stars
09:17from the MMA hotbed of Brazil,
09:19Carlos, the Nightmare, Pratas.
09:30I think the fans should be excited
09:32because it will be a really good fight.
09:36It will be a war.
09:38Leech is a really good opponent, tough guy,
09:40and I am really good and tough also.
09:43So it's going to be a war.
09:46A pioneer of Chinese MMA,
09:48Li Jingliang has been setting a high standard
09:50for his compatriots in the UFC since 2014.
09:53He is the first Chinese fighter
09:55who has been setting a high standard
09:56for his compatriots in the UFC since 2014.
09:59And while he has recently been sidelined due to injury,
10:02he returns tonight with a clean bill of health
10:04and the desire to show the form
10:06that led him to big wins over Santiago Ponzinibbio,
10:09Muslim Saliham, and many others.
10:12I want you to see, hear, and feel
10:15every move I make on the ring.
10:18every move I make on the ring.
10:41I respect Leech, but he can expect a lot of pain,
10:44a lot of punches, a lot of kicks,
10:48and be ready for give up.
10:56Carlos Pratas began training at the age of 15,
10:59but his mom Regina brought him into the gym
11:01in an effort to shield her son from a life of trouble.
11:04There was an immediate connection to the work for Pratas,
11:07who soon began competing.
11:09As a mom, she didn't necessarily love that part of the journey,
11:12but she supported her son nonetheless
11:14and has remained steadfast with her encouragement.
11:17And all of that hard work has paid off
11:19as he enters the octagon unbeaten in his UFC career thus far.
11:23And with his daughter in the stands
11:25for the very first time watching him fight,
11:27the four-year-old has added a layer of motivation
11:30for the Jiu-Jitsu black belt
11:31as he is on his journey towards a UFC championship.
11:35Hey, I mean, a lot of guys like Pratas, Brazilian.
11:39English isn't his first lesson, but he knows that Rick Ross.
11:42He was singing that song word for word
11:44as he left the locked room. Amazing, Pratas.
11:48We were all blown away by his English in our fighter meeting.
11:50I think more blown away by the film was Dominick Cruz.
11:53He's won nine fights in a row,
11:55and you heard Megan reference his mom Regina.
11:57His father passed away when he was one year old,
11:59and anyone who saw Embedded saw the undeniable connection
12:02between Carlos and his mother.
12:04But when the commitment, Dom, has been there,
12:07when this man has really been all in,
12:09nobody's able to beat him.
12:11Yeah, and my favorite thing to listen to Pratas
12:13when he communicates and he speaks to us,
12:15it's the circumstances that he's been through
12:17in the upbringing of his career.
12:19Taking fights with broken hands,
12:20taking fights on one-day-hour notice
12:23with broken feet, broken ribs,
12:24stuff like that is what he spoke to us about
12:26and how this is easy now.
12:28He says, I got full preparation.
12:30I got food in my belly. I'm strong.
12:33I got all the time I need to prepare for these guys.
12:35This is simple. Jing Liang is gonna be no problem.
12:38I'm gonna pick him apart slowly,
12:39and his game plan is to start at the legs,
12:42work up the body, not rush,
12:44but hurt him so bad that he's able
12:46to slowly create the finish until he gets it.
12:49Tonight's fighter description is brought to you
12:51by the all-new Dome Shaver Pro from Manscaped.
12:54Get their brand-new head shaver at manscaped.com today.
12:57Pratas was awesome in the fighter meeting, man.
13:00Very, very aware of himself.
13:02Knew that when he was not accomplishing all he wanted,
13:04he didn't have the focus he needed.
13:06He said that while there is a lot of hype
13:08for him finishing fights, he said that started
13:10when he stopped chasing finishing.
13:12He goes, I just let him happen.
13:14This kid can fight, man.
13:15He's fighting out of the fighting urge,
13:17and I believe that the momentum that this team has
13:19lends itself to him getting the success
13:21that he is seeing inside the octagon.
13:24Dominick referenced some of the competitive circumstances
13:27and situations he found himself in.
13:29All systems go in 2024 for the Nightmare.
13:49One of the true good eggs on this roster, top to bottom,
13:52enter the formerly ranked welterweight contender,
13:54the leech, Li Jingliang, putting China on the map,
13:58DC, as far as men's mixed martial arts is concerned.
14:01Doesn't even begin to describe it.
14:03He made his UFC debut at UFC 173 back in 2014,
14:06and he has accomplished so many things,
14:09and yet in our fighter meeting, all he's talking about
14:12is helping the next generation of Chinese fighters.
14:14It's unbelievable, man.
14:15But he's one of those guys that's always smiling.
14:17It's infectious, too.
14:18When you're around Li, he makes you want to feel good.
14:22He doesn't just suck the energy out of the room.
14:25But in terms of his fighting, he's a tremendous fighter.
14:27He got his way all the way up to the top 12 in the world.
14:31This guy has tremendous boxing.
14:33He's very competent, very sure, with a lot of power.
14:35When asked about Protest, he said he's very good at striking.
14:38He goes, because he's so relaxed and unorthodox,
14:42he goes, it kind of reminds me of Anderson Silva.
14:45So even in that, the leech is not only good himself,
14:50but he's taking note of what's around him
14:52when he was gone for two years.
14:54He said he's very grateful to be back doing a sport
14:56that he loves so much.
14:58Yeah, and DC said to us also that I have to mix it up.
15:02I'm not just a striker. I'm not just a puncher.
15:04I can also grapple.
15:06I need to use all the aspects of mixed martial arts against Protest
15:10if I'm going to win this fight.
15:11And I think he knows you can't just stand with this guy
15:14because the more Protest gets his rhythm, gets his timing,
15:17the more he starts to connect.
15:18So I think we're going to see some grappling out of Jing Liang
15:21and some good Thai clinch as well in this fight.
15:23Last time we saw the leech was at UFC 279 in 2022,
15:27and a lot of fight fans will remember the circumstances.
15:29He was supposed to fight Tony Ferguson.
15:31Said to us in our fighter meeting,
15:33one final sprint to try to get to the top.
15:36He ended up fighting D-Rod.
15:37Losers by split decision.
15:39Terrible spine injury, neck surgery,
15:42a couple of permeated discs.
15:44Back on the proving ground here a couple years later.
15:47All right, tail the tape.
15:48Here's brought to you by VeChain,
15:49the official blockchain of UFC.
15:50The leech, Lee Jing Liang,
15:51a plus 275 underdog tonight.
15:53He's 36.
15:54Carlos Protest, 31.
15:55Protest taller by an inch.
15:57Far more pronounced in reach,
15:59where the Brazilian has an advantage of 6 1⁄2 inches.
16:02All right, now for the intros.
16:03Here is Bruce Buckley.
16:07Ladies and gentlemen,
16:09we are live!
16:17From the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia!
16:26For UFC 305,
16:28Duplessis versus Alessandra.
16:32Presented by Vlad Brooks,
16:34the official wagering partner of the UFC.
16:38And now, this fight is three rounds
16:41in the UFC Walter Wade division.
16:45Introducing first,
16:46fighting out of the blue corner,
16:49a striker.
16:50Holding professional record,
16:5119 wins, 6 losses.
16:53He stands 6 feet 1 inch tall,
16:56weighing in at 170 pounds,
16:59fighting out of Tamate, Sao Paulo, Brazil!