Former UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya has announced his showdown with current champion Dricus du Plessis, set for August 17 at UFC 305 in Australia at the RAC Arena.
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Conor McGregor and Robert Whittaker had previously been lined up to headline the event, but Nigerian-born fighter Adesanya took to social media on Monday to make the announcement with a graphic of himself and his opponent for the much-anticipated bout.
He wrote, “The sun of Africa is the same sun that lights up our planet. The sun will set and rise again until you walk into it.
“The sun, enjoy while it shines. Darkness falls when it’s gone.”
Adesanya’s announcement comes before any formal confirmation from Dana White or the UFC, although it is anticipated that the championship will be announced in the next few days.
Last year, the two appeared prepared to square off in the cage before du Plessis had a leg injury during training camp, which caused him to miss the UFC 293 card in Sydney.
But Sean Strickland, filling in for the South African, managed to cause a major upset and take the title away from Adesanya. On his injury comeback, Du Plessis would finally have the opportunity to unseat Strickland and capture the title because the division is currently in shambles.
In January, he stopped Strickland, paving the way for a matchup with the sensational fighter known as ‘The Last Stylebender.’
On August 17, Isreal Adesanya and Du Plessis will finally face off, bringing a lot of anger to the cage for what looks to be a huge pay-per-view match. The all-African matchup adds heat to the already intense rivalry, with both fighters vying for the title of “true African champion.”
