Monster Energy congratulates MMA athlete Dricus Du Plessis on
beating Israel Adesanya to defend
the UFC Men's Middleweight Championship title at UFC 305 in
Perth, Australia.
PERTH,
Australia, Aug. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/
-- 30-Year-Old MMA Athlete from South Africa Masters First
Title Defense with Submission Victory
"I came in here to die for this belt or
take a life. Luckily, I didn't have to do either." - Dricus Du
Plessis
And still the Champion! Monster Energy congratulates MMA athlete
Dricus Du Plessis on beating Israel
Adesanya to defend the UFC Men's Middleweight Championship
title at UFC 305 in Perth,
Australia. In the event's headline fight inside RAC Arena,
the 30-year-old from Hatfield, South
Africa earned a stunning submission victory via rear naked
choke in the fourth round.
UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya was contested in front of
14,150 spectators inside RAC Arena in Perth. In a historic first, the headline fight
marked the first UFC championship fight between two African-born
fighters. Featuring five fights on the Main Card, UFC 305 was
broadcast live on ESPN and Prelims streamed on the ESPN+
platform.
The latest addition to Monster Energy's MMA athlete roster, Du
Plessis (22-2) stepped into the Octagon as the reigning UFC
Middleweight Champion. Du Plessis earned the belt by defeating
Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in
January 2024, making history as the
first South African to win a UFC championship.
Du Plessis' opponent in Saturday night's title defense fight was
former two-time UFC Men's Middleweight Champion Adesanya (24-4). In
his most recent fight, the 35-year-old from Lagos had lost the title to Strickland at UFC
293 in October 2023. Now the Nigerian
wanted the 185-pound division belt back!
Intent on defeating his UFC championship title, Du Plessis
pressured the challenger from the start by combining fierce kicks
and explosive strikes. In Round 2, Du Plessis drew on his grappling
skills to land an early takedown and proceeded to keep Adesanya on
guard with submission attempts.
The third round saw Adesanya firing back with punishing shots to
the body, but Du Plessis retained the upper hand by finding
openings for targeted strikes that surprised his opponent. The
opening of Round 4 saw Adesanya increase the pressure with
heavy-handed, dangerous strikes. But ultimately, Du Plessis proved
his dominance by finessing a right-hand fist that wobbled the
challenger into a quick takedown.
Before Adesanya had a chance to adjust his defenses, Du Plessis
secured the back and locked in the rear naked choke. At 3:38
minutes of Round 4, Adesanya tapped out, making Du Plessis the
winner by submission in his first successful UFC title defense. It
was the first submission loss on Adesanya's resume.
"I came here to die with this belt. Here I am. And still, baby!"
said Monster Energy's Du Plessis after defending the UFC
Middleweight Championship at UFC 305.
Hailing from South Africa, Du
Plessis made his UFC debut in October
2020 at UFC Fight Night 179. Before competing in MMA
promotions, the well-rounded fighter earned international titles as
an amateur kickboxer. UFC 305 marked his first fight as an official
Monster Energy athlete.
What's next for Du Plessis? According to UFC insiders, the next
title defense could feature former champion Strickland as the most
likely contender. But even a bout against former title holder
Alex Pereira is in the cards. Stay
tuned as Du Plessis continues his historic run in the UFC!
Dricus Du Plessis counts amongst Monster Energy's elite UFC
athletes along with Kamaru Usman, Jon
Jones, Chris Weidman, Rose
Namajunas, Marlon Vera, Michael Chandler, Justin
Gaethje, Yair Rodriguez,
Jessica-Rose Clark, Valentina
Shevchenko, Brandon Moreno,
Daniel Rodriguez, Punahele Soriano, Gilbert Burns, Giga Chikadze, Johnny Walker, Beneil Dariush, Gaston Bolanos, Brendan
Allen, Jalin Turner,
Sean Strickland, Zhang Weili, Dan
Ige, Diego Lopes, Alex Pereira, Daniel
Zellhuber, Derrick Lewis,
Belal Muhammad, Alexa Grasso, and Cameron Saaiman.
For more on Monster Energy's MMA athletes, visit
http://www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube,
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California,
Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and
alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional,
Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross,
off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or
the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that
believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes,
and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life
lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers, and fans. See more
about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at
http://www.monsterenergy.com.
Media Contact
Kimberly Paige Dresser, Indie
Agency, Inc., (949) 300-5546, kim.dresser@indiepragency.com,
https://www.indiepragency.com
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