UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya
Australia
Main Card • Final
South Africa
R4, 3:38
Title Fight
Nigeria
New Zealand
R1, 4:04
Performance of the Night
R3, 5:00
Fight of the Night
Poland
Suriname
R3, 5:00
Brazil
R2, 4:02
Performance of the Night
China
Prelims • Final
R1, 4:56
R3, 5:00
R3, 5:00
R3, 0:48
Early Prelims • Final
R3, 5:00
United States
R3, 5:00
Mexico
R1, 2:39
Official Event Results
$50k FOTN
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Fight of the Night: Dan Hooker and Mateusz Gamrot each collected $50,000 for their thrilling 15-minute lightweight war, featuring high-volume striking exchanges and relentless grappling scrambles.
Performance of the Night: Kai Kara-France earned $50,000 for his explosive first-round knockout over hometown favorite and former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg.
Performance of the Night: Carlos Prates secured $50,000 for his devastating second-round knockout of durable veteran Li Jingliang, becoming the first fighter to knock out “The Leech” in the UFC.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | $750,000 | — | — | $750,000 | |
| LOSS | $1,000,000 | — | — | $1,000,000 | |
| WIN | $150,000 | $150,000 | $50,000 | $350,000 | |
| LOSS | $75,000 | — | — | $75,000 | |
| WIN | $175,000 | $175,000 | $50,000 | $400,000 | |
| LOSS | $90,000 | — | $50,000 | $140,000 | |
| WIN | $130,000 | $130,000 | — | $260,000 | |
| LOSS | $185,000 | — | — | $185,000 | |
| WIN | $24,000 | $24,000 | $50,000 | $98,000 | |
| LOSS | $110,000 | — | — | $110,000 | |
| WIN | $14,000 | $14,000 | — | $28,000 | |
| LOSS | $26,000 | — | — | $26,000 | |
| WIN | $42,000 | $42,000 | — | $84,000 | |
| LOSS | $32,000 | — | — | $32,000 | |
| WIN | $38,000 | $38,000 | — | $76,000 | |
| LOSS | $24,000 | — | — | $24,000 | |
| WIN | $26,000 | $26,000 | — | $52,000 | |
| LOSS | $28,000 | — | — | $28,000 | |
| WIN | $16,000 | $16,000 | — | $32,000 | |
| LOSS | $14,000 | — | — | $14,000 | |
| WIN | $48,000 | $48,000 | — | $96,000 | |
| LOSS | $55,000 | — | — | $55,000 | |
| WIN | $16,000 | $16,000 | — | $28,800* | |
| LOSS | $12,000 | — | — | $15,200* |
*Purses and payout estimates compiled from disclosed promotional baselines, athletic commission reports, and official post-fight bonus awards. Figures include official $50,000 bonus payouts. Jesús Santos Aguilar missed weight at 127.5 lbs and was fined 20% of his purse ($3,200), which was forfeited to opponent Stewart Nicoll.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC 305
Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya made promotional history as the first two African-born fighters to headline a UFC event and compete against each other for an undisputed championship belt.
Dricus Du Plessis became the first South African undisputed champion in UFC history to successfully defend his world title, submitting Adesanya in round four.
Du Plessis handed former two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya the first submission defeat of his 28-fight professional mixed martial arts career.
Israel Adesanya suffered consecutive career defeats for the first time in his MMA career, following his championship loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293.
Dan Hooker and Mateusz Gamrot engaged in a three-round lightweight war, combining for 129 significant strikes and 15 takedown attempts to capture Fight of the Night honors.
Carlos Prates became the first fighter in UFC history to knock out durable Chinese veteran Li Jingliang, scoring his third consecutive Octagon knockout since joining through DWCS.
Kai Kara-France secured his first stoppage victory since March 2022, dropping hometown contender Steve Erceg twice before finishing him with strikes in just 4:04 of Round 1.
Valter Walker locked in a buzzer-beating heel hook at 4:56 of Round 1 against Junior Tafa, securing only the 14th heel hook submission in modern UFC history.
UFC 305 generated an official live gate of $5,477,097 (AUD $8,370,000) from 14,152 fans at RAC Arena, ranking among the highest grossing sports events in Perth history.
Jesús Santos Aguilar put undefeated promotional newcomer Stewart Nicoll to sleep with a tight guillotine choke at 2:39 of Round 1, scoring his third promotional finish.
New Zealand veterans Dan Hooker and Kai Kara-France each earned statement main-card victories in Perth, both taking home $50,000 post-fight bonus checks.
UFC 305 launched the UFC’s multi-year agreement with Tourism Western Australia to deliver biannual major pay-per-view events to RAC Arena in Perth.
When and where did UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya take place?
UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya took place on Sunday, August 18, 2024 (local Australian time) / Saturday, August 17, 2024 (US time) at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Who won the main event between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya?
Dricus Du Plessis defeated Israel Adesanya via submission (face crank) at 3:38 of Round 4 to retain the undisputed UFC Middleweight Championship.
Was this the first time Israel Adesanya was submitted in his MMA career?
Yes. Prior to UFC 305, former two-time champion Israel Adesanya had never been submitted across his entire 28-fight professional mixed martial arts career.
Who won the co-main event between Kai Kara-France and Steve Erceg?
New Zealand’s Kai Kara-France defeated Australia’s Steve Erceg via TKO (punches) at 4:04 of Round 1 in their featured flyweight matchup.
Who earned the $50,000 post-fight bonuses at UFC 305?
Four fighters earned $50,000 bonuses: Dan Hooker vs. Mateusz Gamrot took Fight of the Night, while Kai Kara-France and Carlos Prates each secured Performance of the Night honors.
How did Dan Hooker defeat top-five contender Mateusz Gamrot?
Dan Hooker survived early grappling pressure to out-damage Mateusz Gamrot on the feet, earning a hard-fought split decision victory (28–29, 29–28, 29–28).
How did Carlos Prates make history against Li Jingliang?
Brazil’s Carlos Prates knocked out durable Chinese veteran Li Jingliang at 4:02 of Round 2, becoming the first fighter in UFC history to knock out “The Leech”.
What was the scorecard controversy in Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Tai Tuivasa?
Rozenstruik defeated Tuivasa by split decision (29–28, 27–30, 30–27). Judge Howie Booth submitted an anomalous 30–27 scorecard for Tuivasa despite Rozenstruik outstriking him 91 to 37, leading the UFC to remove Booth from judging the remainder of the card.
How did Valter Walker finish Junior Tafa?
Valter Walker secured a rare heel hook submission at 4:56 of Round 1, forcing a verbal submission from Australian heavyweight Junior Tafa.
What were the official attendance and gate figures for UFC 305?
UFC 305 welcomed an official crowd of 14,152 fans at RAC Arena in Perth, generating a live gate of $5,477,097 (AUD $8,370,000).
Did any fighters miss weight at UFC 305?
Yes. Jesús Santos Aguilar weighed in at 127.5 pounds, 1.5 pounds over the flyweight non-title limit. He was fined 20% of his purse, which went to opponent Stewart Nicoll.
Who were the commentators for UFC 305?
The broadcast desk featured lead play-by-play announcer Jon Anik alongside color commentators Daniel Cormier and former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, who substituted for Joe Rogan.
How did Jack Jenkins defeat Herbert Burns?
Australian prospect Jack Jenkins battered Herbert Burns with damaging leg kicks and heavy punches, causing Burns to retire in his corner at 0:48 of Round 3.
Who won the women’s flyweight bout between Casey O’Neill and Luana Santos?
Casey O’Neill snapped a two-fight skid by outstriking Luana Santos 83 to 41 in significant strikes, winning a lopsided unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–26).
Why was Du Plessis vs. Adesanya a historic milestone for African MMA?
It was the first time in UFC history that two African-born athletes competed for an undisputed world title, highlighting the rise and global dominance of mixed martial arts talent originating from the African continent.
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