UFC 305 preview: Why every fight matters on Saturday’s main card

It must be nice for the UFC to have an Israel Adesanya on the roster. Even when he’s not coming in as the champ, he’s still an attraction who mostly sells himself.

That’s good, since this weekend’s UFC 305 event in Perth, Australia, seems to be counting on him to do a lot of the heavy lifting promotionally. Adesanya’s attempt to recapture the UFC middleweight title from current champ Dricus du Plessis tops a fight card that’s stacked with regional favorites but maybe not a ton of proven pay-per-view draws for the North American viewing public.

But then there’s Adesanya. Even when he’s not the champ, he exudes that champ aura. He’s a born entertainer, the rare fighter who will actually push the UFC to let him do the sort of pre-fight theatrics the company usually eschews, a guy who feels like a force both physically and personally.

His attempt to regain the middleweight title for a third time feels like a real tipping point for “The Last Stylebender.” If he does it, he’s a UFC legend. If he falls short, maybe this is where people conclude that he’s on the downslope of his career.

As for the rest of the UFC 305 main card, here’s what to watch for on Saturday night:

Li Jingliang vs. Carlos Prates

Who they are: For a time there “The Leech” seemed like he might turn into China’s hottest MMA prospect. Lately he’s been on the win one/lose one trend, which is never great, though he also hasn’t had many easy matchups over the last five years. Prates is a new face at welterweight who’s been blazing through opponents since he showed up on “Dana White’s Contender Series” last year. He’s always looking to finish and hasn’t seen the scorecards in a fight in nearly five years.

Why it matters: Prates is looking more like the future, while Jingliang has started to seem like the past. There’s no doubt about Jingliang’s toughness, so it won’t be an easy night of work, but if Prates is who the UFC thinks he might be then this is a chance to prove it and nail a new pelt to the wall.

Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik

Who they are: Just a couple of big boys here to throw leather and give the fans something to shout about. Tuivasa is an Australian crowd favorite and basically a required addition to any UFC card on the continent. Rozenstruik is also a heavyweight banger who is similarly unskilled and uninterested in most other areas of mixed martial arts.

Why it matters: Tuivasa has lost four straight and is hanging on by virtue of being fun, beloved and big. The UFC doesn’t like to cut heavyweights who people actually care about since there are so few of them and other promotions could always use them. Still, he needs a win. Rozenstruik will probably oblige him with a brawl on the feet. Then it’s a question of who lands first.

Mateusz Gamrot vs. Dan Hooker

Who they are: Gamrot was a two-division champ with KSW in his home country of Poland. He’s been very solid so far in the UFC but is having trouble cresting the hill into title contender territory. Hooker is from the same New Zealand crew as Adesanya and has already lived several lives in the UFC. Here he tries for his first three-fight winning streak since 2020.

Why it matters: Gamrot is ranked fifth in the UFC’s lightweight division and is on the verge of cracking that top tier. What he needs are a couple more wins over known opponents. He also needs to look good doing it, and not like he’s just barely getting by. Hooker, on the other hand, is trying to show that his occasional stumbles are behind him and he is capable of beating well-rounded fighters who are still in their primes. Doing it in front of a friendly home crowd would be a bonus.

Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg

Who they are: Kara-France was looking like a potential flyweight champ until he lost his crack at the interim title and then fell further with a split-decision loss last summer. Erceg is the newest Australian fighter who people are ready to get excited about. He was rushed into a title fight for the sake of timing and convenience, but still did far better than expected and his stock didn’t fall far as a result.

Why it matters: Neither of these guys is far from getting back into a fight with a belt on the line. Throwing them into this co-main event bout feels like a test to see which of them has a better chance to get himself into that fight — and which might be on a downward trending line for the time being.

Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya

Who they are: Du Plessis is the newly minted UFC middleweight champ, but to many people he doesn’t yet seem like he’s truly the world’s best middleweight. Adesanya was the last champ in the division to demonstrate any prolonged dominance, and he’s one of the few enduring stars the UFC has between lightweight and heavyweight.

Why it matters: If the gold around du Plessis’ waist isn’t enough, there’s also the battle for public perception. Du Plessis needs this win to prove he’s not some temporary champ who was able to take advantage of a brief chaotic clip in the division. Adesanya needs it in order to prove that his title loss to Sean Strickland was a fluke and he’s still the best 185-pounder around. If he can get the belt back a third time, Adesanya is truly one of the greats. If du Plessis can beat him, people will have to start taking him seriously as champ.