The UFC middleweight division is one fight away from a tectonic shift on August 18th in the RAC Arena, Perth, Australia as Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya are set to do battle in the octagon. It is set to be a fascinating mix of power, precision, and mind games in this showdown.
The Contenders
Dricus du Plessis
Du Plessis — who hails from South Africa — has quickly climbed the middleweight rankings. His 21-2-0 record gives us a glimpse of the brawler that lacks any technical skill. Standing 6’1” with a reach of 76 inches, this South African can be imposing in appearance. Having 9 of his wins come by way of KO/TKO, proves once again he is a bonafide threat. What’s more, 10 of his wins came from submission, and this is telling enough of the fact that “STILLKNOCKS” is a complete fighter.
Du Plessis’ style is that of infinite forward pressure and strikes as he keeps hunting his opponent down. While his ability to land lethal combinations has gained him fans and opponents’ respect, some of his fights have exposed him defensively. Therefore, the question remains if he can withstand a top-tier opponent like Adesanya’s relentless pressure.
He comes into this fight ranked #1 on the Best MMA Middleweight Fighter chart and ranked #2 MMA Fighter of the Year for 2024.
Israel Adesanya
The current #3 Best MMA Middleweight Fighter is a stylistic anomaly. His striking can be described as world-class, with precision, speed, and the ability to predict his opponent’s movements being among his strongest attributes. Adesanya’s measurement is 6’4″, with a reach of 80 inches (4 more than his night’s opponent). Therefore, he has ideal length and superior leverage when fighting. Adesanya’s professional record of 24-3-0 underlines his dominance in the division.
THE LAST STYLEBENDER is an explosive fighter, having won 16 fights by KO/KTO. Because of Adesanya’s flexibility in fighting at range or inside, it makes him very hard to decode. He has tremendous movement and footwork which helps him control the pace. His striking is another story, though – it has often come under fire when he faces opponents with a better wrestling or grappling game.
Stylistic Matchup
The powerhouse du Plessis will stalk forward looking to swarm Adesanya with power while The Last Stylebender is going to look to pick him apart in kickboxing exchanges.
Adesanya will need to stop the takedown attempts of du Plessis in this particular matchup. Meanwhile, Adesanya has made strides with his wrestling to the point where many opponents are nearly afraid of shooting at him from any distance. Adesanya would gain quite the edge if he could indeed maintain this fight on the feet.
But du Plessis is capable of changing a match in next to no time. If he connects Adesanya with his punches, the fight can be over in an instant. Adesanya will have to be wary of the South African native’s power and timing on a happy clip, while also making sure he fights with only enough discipline this time around.
We’re definitely in for a historic fight and clash of styles between two legendary MMA fighters.
What Next?
A lot can change in the coming days, hence I’ll be monitoring any chances to bring you the best possible prediction on this fight, so, be on the lookout for the update.
Update
August 18th, 2025 is about to go down the history books of the Mixed Martial Arts sports with this explosive bout pitting Dricus Du Plessis vs Israel Adesanya. Just the mention of either name is enough to send chills and dread into the mind of any professional UFC fighter. They’ve both made a name for themselves and regardless of the outcome of the fight, they’ll remain forever engraved as legends.
That said, I’m backing Israel Adesanya here. The Last Stylebender is more experienced, has better fight IQ, a better reach, and is very good at defending takedowns at 77% (an area in which Du Plessis is excellent).
Take nothing away from Plessis. His ascent through the middleweight division has been formidable and his current streak unmatched, but I feel the knockout power of Israel coupled with his ability to easily and seamlessly defend any takedown attempt gives him a slight edge. .
The odds for a win by Israel Adesanya are around 1.931, a few ticks lower than Plessis’, showing even bookmakers understand it will be a very tide fight that will be won on the slightest detail. If you want to get such high odds on MMA and other sports, all you need to do is sign up on the best betting platform today.