Dricus du Plessis | Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images
Dricus du Plessis is finally starting to convince people he’s the real deal, including the oddsmakers.
This past Saturday, du Plessis successfully defended his middleweight title with a fourth-round submission of former two-time champion Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 305. The win was du Plessis’s first title defense and now firmly entrenches him as the man to beat at 185 pounds. And that holds true with the oddsmakers as well, as Sportsbetting.ag released odds for a number of possible next opponents for the champion, and du Plessis is favored to beat almost all of them.
Dricus du Plessis (-130) vs. Sean Strickland (+110)
Dricus du Plessis (-200) vs. Alex Pereira (+170)
Dricus du Plessis (-185) vs. Robert Whittaker (+160)
For reference, a bettor placing a $ 100 wager on du Plessis would win $ 76 should he defeat Strickland, $ 50 should he defeat Pereira, and $ 54 should he beat Whittaker again. Also, the odds for the Pereira matchup are for a bout at 185 pounds, not at light heavyweight.
However, there was one opponent that oddsmakers did not like du Plessis’s chances against: Khamzat Chimaev.
Dricus du Plessis (+170) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (-200)
Against Chimaev, a $ 100 bet on du Plessis would return net $ 170 dollars.
Strickland appears to be the most likely next contender for du Plessis. The two fought to a split decision back at UFC 297, where “Stillknocks” took the middleweight title, and UFC CEO Dana White has already said Strickland should get the next title shot.
However, Chimaev and Robert Whittaker are scheduled to fight at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi, and with du Plessis declaring Whittaker as the most deserving of the next shot, it’s possible the winner of that fight cuts to the head of the line.
Casual UFC fans, the ones who buy tickets and actually pay for their pay-per-view (PPV) streams, love highlight-reel finishes — particularly knockouts. And as we saw against Jamahal Hill (UFC 300) and Jiri Prochazka (UFC 303), reigning light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira, is one of the best in the business when it comes to switching off the lights.
Perhaps that’s why matchmakers are working overtime to protect the “golden goose.”
The promotion drew criticism for booking Pereira against No. 8-ranked contender Khalil Rountree Jr., bypassing No. 2-ranked Magomed Ankalaev (who now fights No. 5-ranked Aleksandar Rakic). The “War Horse” showdown at UFC 307 also leaves former champ Jan Blachowicz without an opponent for his end-of-year return.
“No f*cking idea, I don’t know, you tell me because I am confused,” Blachowicz told Middle Easy. “What the f*ck, you know? Why did they book Ankalaev with Rakic, why? Why don’t they ask me about this? Maybe I’d be ready a little bit earlier. Nobody asked me. I just don’t understand. Like I said on the internet, I feel like it’s special protection for Pereira.”
Pereira scraped past the No. 4-ranked Blachowicz when they first went to war at UFC 291 last summer. The 41 year-old Pole has remained sidelined in the months that followed as a result of shoulder surgery but hopes to blast his way back into the 205-pound title picture upon his inevitable return.
“I believe that I won this fight against [Pereira] and maybe they don’t want to make this fight again because they know this time he’s going to lose 100 percent,” Blachowicz continued. “Maybe that’s also why they don’t want to give Ankalaev to him because Ankalaev is also very strong. Maybe they want to make another nice win for him, another knockout win. I just don’t understand it.”
Former UFC champion Benson Henderson retired from MMA in 2023, but he’s not done fighting.
Misfits Boxing announced on Tuesday that Henderson would clash with fellow UFC and Bellator veteran Chris Avila in a matchup that takes place as part of a one-night light heavyweight tournament for the influencer-led promotion. While Henderson battles Avila on one side of the bracket, Idris Virgo clashes with Fes Batista in the other semifinal matchup.
The winners from the two fights then meet later that same night to crown the tournament champion.
For Henderson, the fight against Avila serves as his first boxing match after he tested the waters with Karate Combat this past December for a matchup against Anthony Pettis. Henderson has also competed in submission grappling matches in the past, but now he’s strapping on a pair of gloves and entering the boxing arena for the first time.
As for Avila, the Nate Diaz protégé has made quite a career for himself since transitioning to boxing with six straight wins in the ring including victories over Pettis, Jeremy Stephens and Anthony Taylor
When it comes to the main event for the Misfits card, online personality Elle Brooke is set to defend her MFB middleweight title against BKFC veteran Jenny Savage.
Brooke returns to action after fighting to a closely contested draw against UFC veteran Paige VanZant back in May. It appeared Brooke and VanZant were going to meet again sometime in 2024, but it appears that rematch is on hold for now.
VanZant previously revealed to MMA Fighting that she inked a multi-fight deal with Misfits so it remains to be seen if she’ll end up fighting Brooke or someone else when she returns to boxing.
The Misfits card dubbed MF & DAZN: X Series 18 takes place from the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle, England on Sept. 14 with the card airing on DAZN.
All the fights for Ilia Topuria vs. Max Hollowayin Abu Dhabi on Saturday 26th October 2024. With betting odds, start time, date, fight card, and information on how to watch.
Event: UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway
Date: Sat, Oct. 26, 2024
Location: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Broadcast: Prelims 10 a.m. ET in the U.S., Main Card 2 p.m. ET in the U.S.
Broadcast in the UK: Prelims will begin at 3 p.m. BST, Main Card at 7 p.m. BST
UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway Full fight card
Main Card
Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway: Featherweight Main Event Title Fight
Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev: Middleweight
Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov: Heavyweight
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic: Light Heavyweight
Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige: Featherweight
Prelims
Geoff Neal vs. Rafael Dos Anjos: Welterweight
Marcos Rogerio de Lima vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu: Heavyweight
Abus Magomedov vs. Brunno Ferreira: Middleweight
Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Nursulton Ruziboev: Welterweight
*Fight card, bout order, and number of fights are subject to change
Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway Tale of the Tape
Name:
Ilia Topuria
Max Holloway
Country:
Georgia/Spain
Hawaii, United States
Age:
27
32
Height:
5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight:
145 lb (66 kg; 10 st 5 lb)
155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb)
Reach:
69 in (175 cm)
69 in (175 cm)
Start date and time
UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway takes place on Saturday, October 26th, at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The main card will start at 2 p.m. ET with the the Prelims starting at 10 a.m. ET. In the UK, the main event starts at 7 p.m. GMT with the Prelims starting at 3 p.m. GMT.
Betting Odds
Ilia Topuria: -225 odds favorite
Max Holloway: +185 underdog
Tickets
If you are lucky enough to be near Abu Dhabi or plan to attend UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway. at the Etihad Arena tickets are available here.
UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway Trailer
TBA
PPV price and Live streams
UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway is Live on ESPN+ PPV and the PPV is not available right now. When available you will be able to purchase the PPV here. In the UK, UFC 308 is available on TNT Sports as well as the early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.
What is Next after UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway?
The next UFC event that follows UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway is UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield vs. Namajunas at Rogers Place, Edmonton, Canada on 2nd November 2024.
Interim heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall defended his belt at UFC 304 on July 27 finishing Curtis Blaydes in 60 seconds. Champion Jon Jones is expected to fight former two-time titleholder Stipe Miocic later this year but Aspinall doesn’t understand why that fight is even happening.
“What the f**k is going on? What is going on,” Aspinall questioned during an appearance on the Believe You Me podcast. “They want me to be a backup fighter for it but why are you giving a guy who is 42, or however old he is – I have the upmost respect for Stipe and what he’s done in his career and Jon Jones on the contrary of what people might think. I respect those guys more than I can even put into words, but they don’t f***ing deserve to be fighting for the heavyweight title.
“Them guys are not the top of the heavyweight division right now. Dana White and everybody can say whatever they want, them guys are not the best heavyweights in the world right now,” Aspinall continued. “I’m not saying they haven’t had amazing careers because I idolize those guys. I want to have a career like that. That’s what I’m aiming to do with my life is what they’ve done, but they’re not the best right now. Right now, they’re definitely not the best, so let’s stop talking all this bullish*t like they are.”
Jones was scheduled to defend the heavyweight championship against Miocic at UFC 295 last November, but was forced out of the fight after tearing a pectoral tendon in training. The fight promotion opted to rebook the matchup. In the meantime, Aspinall was crowned the interim champion and defended his title. At the end of the day, Aspinall doesn’t think Jones wants to fight him.
“Jon Jones, he was praying that I would lose that fight against Curtis Blaydes. Praying that I would because there is nowhere that you can find publicly, nowhere him saying that he would fight me. It doesn’t exists,” Aspinall said.
“Since I won that fight he’s gone completely silent, and he’ll continue to go completely silent about me until he retires because there’s no way on Earth that he’s going to fight me,” Aspinall continued. “I will retire Jon Jones without even fighting him.”
Tom Aspinall wants nothing more than to unify the UFC heavyweight title in a fight against Jon Jones, but he’s effectively given up any hope that it ever happens.
Despite a remarkable run through the UFC with eight wins and only one opponent even making it to the second round with him, Aspinall suddenly finds himself on the outside looking in while clutching onto an interim heavyweight title. While he’s waiting, Jon Jones is preparing to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in a fight expected in November at Madison Square Garden in New York.
What makes matters worse is that Jones may ultimately decide to retire from the sport if he beats Miocic, and while that might solidify Aspinall as the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, he prefers proving that in the cage.
“There is nowhere that you can find publicly, nowhere, him saying that he will fight me,” Aspinall said about Jones on the Believe You Me podcast. “It doesn’t exist. I challenge anybody watching this interview to go and find the statement, quote, a video where Jon Jones is saying that he’ll fight me after he’s fought Stipe. It doesn’t exist. The guy’s smart, and we know the guy’s a bit overweight these days. The guy sat there with the Cheeto fingers or whatever, Doritos on his fingers with his iPhone in hand waiting for me to get knocked out [by Curtis Blaydes] so he could start tweeting about it.
“Let’s be honest, and since I won that fight, he’s gone completely quiet. He’ll continue to go completely quiet about me until he retires. Because there’s no way on Earth that he’s going to fight me. Not a chance. I will retire Jon Jones without even fighting him.”
Of course, Jones has commented on Aspinall in the past, but he’s mostly stated that a fight against a legend like Miocic just means more to his career and legacy, which is why he’s openly pursued the matchup.
Miocic is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time, and he holds the record for the most title defenses in that division in UFC history with three straight. That said, Miocic just turned 42 years old, he’s coming off a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou and he hasn’t fought since March 2021.
The fact that Jones wants that fight over a potential showdown against Aspinall tells the current interim UFC champion everything he needs to know.
“They don’t f*cking deserve to be fighting for the heavyweight title,” Aspinall said. “Them guys are not the top of the heavyweight division right now. Dana White and everybody else can say whatever they want, them guys aren’t the best heavyweights in the world right now.
“I’m not saying they’ve not had amazing careers because I idolize those guys. I want to have a career like that. That’s what I’m aiming to do with my life is what they’ve done but they’re not the best right now. Right now they’re definitely not the best so let’s stop talking all this bullshit like they are.”
The biggest obstacle for Aspinall getting to Jones probably isn’t Miocic but rather UFC CEO Dana White.
In recent months, White has consistently delivered the message that he considers Jones the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, and the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time, and he wants to allow him the courtesy to pursue a fight against another legend like Miocic.
That may appease Jones’ greatest desire, but Aspinall scoffs at the idea that somehow proves he’s the best heavyweight in the UFC.
“The way I look at it, I’m the best heavyweight in the world and I’m not getting my credit for it,” Aspinall said. “They’re holding the belt hostage and Jon Jones is loving it. He’s loving the fact that Dana White’s getting on every interview possible — you’re talking about bantamweights and Dana White flips it back and starts talking about how good Jon Jones is! If he’s that good, let’s fight. I’m the No. 1 heavyweight in the world right now. Let’s put it on the line and let’s see who the man is, me or Jon? It’s as simple as that.
“I’m about I’m the best fighter in the world, the best heavyweight in the world right now, and Jon Jones isn’t and I’m willing to prove it and he’s not. That’s what I’m about. I’m about being the best heavyweight in the world.”
While his frustration continues to mount, Aspinall revealed that he is expected to serve as the backup fighter for the Jones vs. Miocic fight later this year. If a scenario unfolds where he gets the call to step up against one of them in November, Aspinall vowed “I will jump in on one hour’s notice if I have to and beat either of them.”
If Jones vs. Miocic goes off without incident, Aspinall has accepted that he may go through an entire training camp without the reward of fighting, but that’s a risk he’s willing to take.
In his eyes, it’s just further proof that he’s willing to do what Jones won’t.
“I’m the guy at heavyweight, not him — me,” Aspinall said. “I want to be recognized as the best. I’ve got the real belt. I’m the one defending. He’s defending against a 42-year-old Stipe Miocic with a million miles on the clock. If you want to be the real guy, you have to fight me.”
Israel Adesanya may have fallen short in his bid to recapture the UFC middleweight title, but the rest of City Kickboxing’s crew showed out at UFC 305.
Chief among them were Adesanya’s teammates, lightweight Dan Hooker and flyweight Kai Kara-France, both of whom picked up the biggest wins of their respective UFC careers on Saturday’s pay-per-view card. Hooker won a grueling war of attrition against Mateusz Gamrot to push his win streak to three straight and vault into lightweight title contention, while Kara-France needed less than a round to knock out previous title challenger Steve Erceg and reestablish his presence in the flyweight championship picture.
As such, Hooker and Kara-France make up two of the most impactful moves in the MMA Fighting global rankings as the dust settles from Perth. In our latest divisional update, Hooker jumps up three spots into the No. 9 lightweight ranking, while Kara-France advances to No. 6 in the flyweight ladder.
While it may not be as immediately visible as those two, one other notable outcome from UFC 305 centered around the event’s headliner, UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis. The South African titleholder may still have some doubters in the MMA community because of his unique style, but you won’t find them among MMA Fighting’s seven-person voting panel. With his fourth-round submission of Adesanya, “Stillknocks” captured all seven first-place votes from our team at 185 pounds, finally convincing the lone holdout on our panel of du Plessis’ superiority over undefeated Bellator champion Johnny Eblen.
Du Plessis now represents our team’s first unanimous No. 1 middleweight in the world since Adesanya’s second title reign ended in shocking fashion at the hands of Sean Strickland.
Check out our updated rankings below from the divisions most affected by UFC 305.
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