Adesanya’s UFC 305 Camp and Loss to Du Plessis
Israel Adesanya returned to competition after an 11-month break, describing the time away as a chance to reset his routine and approach to training. He returned to face reigning middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis in Perth on August 17, 2024 (August 18 locally). Du Plessis retained the title with a fourth-round rear-naked choke, so Adesanya’s preparation became part of a comeback story that ended in defeat rather than a title regain.
A changed routine after his 2023 loss
Adesanya’s previous appearance had been a decision loss to Sean Strickland in September 2023. In the lead-up to the Perth bout, he told the promotion’s website that the long layoff gave him time to reconsider how he trained and recovered. He said his team at City Kickboxing in Auckland had reorganized its training system and added scheduled deload weeks, allowing him to return to harder work feeling fresher. He also described changing his morning routine, including eating breakfast before training rather than waiting until afterward.
The changes were practical as well as mental. Adesanya said that staying busy with new experiences during the break helped him rediscover a sense of purpose. He framed the camp as a renewed commitment to competing, not as a claim that he had found a secret formula. His preparation still had to be tested against an opponent who had won the middleweight championship by defeating Strickland in January 2024.
A rivalry with a title at stake
The bout carried a personal edge. Du Plessis had spoken about becoming the first “true African champion,” and Adesanya challenged the wording and its implications during their public exchanges. In the Octagon, however, the question was whether Adesanya’s striking and refreshed approach could solve Du Plessis’ pressure, wrestling, and ability to turn exchanges into scrambles.
How the title fight ended
The fight was competitive through three rounds. Adesanya had stretches of effective striking, but Du Plessis continued to force exchanges and attack takedowns. In round four, Du Plessis hurt him with punches, brought the fight to the canvas, took his back, and secured the rear-naked choke at 3:38. The finish gave Du Plessis his first successful defense of the middleweight title and marked the first submission loss of Adesanya’s professional MMA career. Adesanya said afterward that he intended to continue fighting.
Sources
Official feature: Israel Adesanya Found His Purpose · Official 2024 submission recap · Reuters: Du Plessis submits Adesanya to retain the middleweight title
