UFC 305: Paradoxical champion Dricus du Plessis continues to defy all odds

If he wasn't the winner every time, you might think UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis isn't such a great fighter.

If you were to rely on looks alone, maybe. If you just look at the early stages of his fights, like when he was going at Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 305. Or even later, when his ribs were bruised from punches and kicks and he looked like a man who wished he could take a break and sit down for a while, you wouldn't be forgiven for thinking this guy is far from the best middleweight in the world.

But if you keep watching, sooner or later he'll surely find a way to win. Against Adesanya, all the champion needed was the slightest chance that a momentary defensive error presented. And although just moments earlier he looked tired and drained and reluctant to get up and fight, when his moment came, du Plessis jumped on Adesanya's back and applied the chokehold to force him to submit late in the fourth round.

With that, du Plessis has now beaten (almost) everyone who has held the UFC middleweight belt at any point in the last seven years, with the only exception being Alex Pereira, who held the belt for less than six months and has since moved up to light heavyweight.

Now, after just eight fights and just under four full years in the UFC, du Plessis has reached the summit and at least stayed long enough to look around. At no point has he appeared dominant or invulnerable. At some points, his success doesn't even seem to make sense. Yet it exists, as bafflingly inevitable as any other paradox in the known universe.

Whatever we think of his success or how long it lasts, we ultimately have to admit that du Plessis deserves that title around his waist. If he didn't, someone would have beaten him by now. And at least during his time in the UFC, that just hasn't happened. We may not understand how he keeps winning these fights, but maybe we don't have to. The facts speak for themselves and they are undeniable.

What should come next is a little trickier. Sean Strickland, who held onto the middleweight belt for a while before dropping it to du Plessis earlier this year, believes he should be next in line. Pereira, who apparently believes he could still get down to 185lbs with the right motivation, has also hinted at the idea of ​​a return. Then there's Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev, who (or so we're told) will face each other in October, and the winner of that fight could have a good chance of getting the next title shot.

When you're a champion who always tiptoes towards defeat before storming to victory, there are always going to be people who think they could be the one to beat you in the end. Du Plessis is guaranteed to have plenty of eager challengers. But after successfully defending his title against the most dominant middleweight of the last five years, he deserves to at least have fewer doubters.

A few more notes on UFC 305 from Perth, Australia…

Adesanya says he's not finished and he doesn't have to be. Yes, he lost. But he looked great at several points in this fight and he can obviously still compete. The question is whether he wants to continue at middleweight, where it might be hard to get more title shots, or whether it's worth considering moving up a weight class to follow in Pereira's footsteps.

Kai Kara-France is once again a very special treat: a flyweight finisher. After two losses in a row, he desperately needed a win, and it didn't take long for him to get it. Kara-France knocked Steve Erceg down late in the first round, then took him down a few seconds later and was talking about a title shot before the sweat had dried. He may need something of a winning streak first, but he can't be far from the scene.

Who would have thought that Dan Hooker still had so much fighting spirit in him? Stylistically, Mateusz Gamrot looked like a terrible opponent for “The Hangman.” But even with his face ripped apart at the end of the first round, Hooker never lost his enthusiasm for the fight. Perhaps there is still time for Hooker to make a memorable run to the top of the division.

Things are not looking good for Tai Tuivasa. His loss to Jairzinho Rozenstruik is his fifth in a row. I know the UFC playbook says never to take down a likeable heavyweight slugger, but at some point the guy has to win a fight… right?

Carlos Prates is a fearsome personality. His opening fight against Li Jingliang felt like an exhibition match from the start, and Prates showed a lot in less than 10 minutes of work. Welterweights beware, that's a left hand you don't want to see in full force.