Dricus du Plessis averts disaster, chokes out Israel Adesanya in epic middleweight title fight at UFC 305

Just as Israel Adesanya had firmly gained the momentum and seemed on the way to regaining the middleweight championship for a third time, Dricus du Plessis did what the great ones do: He made something out of nothing and submitted Adesanya with a rear naked choke Saturday at 3:38 of the fourth round at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, to retain his belt.

Adesanya was brutally working du Plessis over to the body, particularly in the third and fourth rounds, and du Plessis seemed on wobbly legs and in danger of losing a decision, if not getting stopped.

Du Plessis led 29-28 on two cards after the third, and Adesanya was up by the same margin on the other card, but it was clear that Adesanya was not only winning the fourth round, but was hurting du Plessis with kicks and punches to the body. Adesanya, a noted counter striker, was on point even when he was leading and was in command of the fight.

"I was cracking him," Adesanya said. "I already knew he was tough, so it wasn't a surprise, but I was quite strong in there. I felt strong, able to resist his takedowns. I just made a stupid, dumb mistake on the ground and he adjusted well to the Gable grip and he got me."

With the win, du Plessis has now defeated three consecutive reigning or former champions in succession. He beat ex-champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 to earn the title shot, and won his belt by defeating Sean Strickland at UFC 297. On Saturday, he made his defense against a two-time former champion who was competing in his 12th consecutive world title fight.

Adesanya at one point in Round 4 was 22 of 23 with body strikes. Du Plessis conceded he was feeling the effects.

"Guys, believe me: I didn't want to be kick by that man again," du Plessis said.

The best way to not  get kicked was to end the fight, and that's what du Plessis did. As Adesanya was pouring it on, du Plessis landed a right which connected on the side of Adesanya's head. As Adesanya stumbled backward, du Plessis followed and landed two more rights. He then muscled Adesanya to the ground and when they fell, he was in perfect position to secure the choke.

It was a move he'd worked on repeatedly in camp with his coaches.

After the champion adjusted his grip, Adesanya tapped quickly and du Plessis, the UFC's perennial road warrior, was heading back to South Africa with the title in tow. 

But even as he was celebrating his improbable win, du Plessis recognized the greatness he'd just conquered. The two had a bitter feud with a lot of nasty words between them over the last two years. Tensions were palpable throughout fight week.

When the fight ended, though, the two embraced and had a long chat, and du Plessis couldn't stop throwing superlatives in Adesanya's direction.

"Obviously, I was having some trouble fighting one of the, it not the, greatest strikers ever in this division," du Plessis said. "I needed a takedown and got that takedown. At this level, it's hard to keep people down." Motioning toward Adesanya, he continued by saying, "This man is the king of getting back up. Nobody can take him down and keep him there. I got a few good ones and I landed some good punches, but ultimately, I believe this fight was won on the feet."

Du Plessis has now won 10 in a row, 18 of his last 19 and is 8-0 in the UFC. He's operated in the shadows, though, of Adesanya, Alex Pereira and Sean Strickland, among others. His performances are becoming too frequently good to ignore. 

He beat an opponent on Saturday who had been rested, off for a year and by his own admission, at the top of his game. That speaks volumes about what du Plessis accomplished.

"I'm disappointed in myself [for losing] but at the same time, I'm proud because this is the best I've ever felt," Adesanya said. "This is the best I've ever looked, and I just had the better man [against man] on the night. I'll give him respect for that."

Du Plessis earned all sorts of respect. UFC CEO/president Dana White said during the week that Strickland would get the next title shot. Pereira, the former middleweight champion who now reigns at light heavyweight, said he'd like to go to middleweight for one more fight. 

There are a lot of big matches out there for du Plessis, who said he only has one thing on his mind.

"I want to get, 'and still,' " du Plessis said. "That's the only thing I care about. I don't care about the opponent."

The approach is working. There are huge days ahead for him, but he's proving more with each round he fights, he's as good as there is in the game right now.