UFC 305 is set for the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia on Saturday. Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis will look to defend his title against former champion Israel Adesanya in a match-up fans first thought they would see with Adesanya as the defending titleholder. Adesanya lost to Sean Strickland, who then lost a controversial decision to Du Plessis.
The co-main event sees former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg looking to defend home soil against nearby New Zealand’s Kai Kara-France, who is set to return from a year-plus layoff. The rest of the main card is rounded out by Mateusz Gamrot vs. Dan Hooker in a lightweight grappler vs. striker clash of styles; Tai Tuivasa and Jairzinho Rozenstruik throwing down in a heavyweight slugfest and Li Jingliang taking on Carlos Prates at welterweight.
The UFC 305 preliminary card features prospects, an undefeated up-and-comer, Australian locals, and scrappy match-ups. Here are five fights to watch on the undercard.
Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker
Tafa will have the Australian crowd behind him as he takes on Walker in a heavyweight duel. Tafa has only ever won by T/KO, while most of Walker’s 11 wins (six) have come via T/KO; he has one submission.
Walker entered the UFC as an 11-0 prospect with some excitement behind him in a division that always needs an infusion of young talent. He lost his UFC debut to Lukasz Brzeski and will look to show that was a one-off at Tafa’s expense.
Tafa’s UFC win came over Parker Porter, and a win over Walker would situate him for a fight with a more established veteran. Every fight is important at heavyweight when it comes to jockeying for position in the division, as the winner will look to establish himself as someone to watch.
Jack Jenkins vs. Herbert Burns
Jenkins was 2-0 in the UFC before he suffered an arm injury and lost to Chepe Mariscal. He will look to get back in the winner’s circle against Burns, who, after losing his last three, likely needs a win to keep his UFC job.
Burns, like his brother, Gilbert Burns, possesses great Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Jenkins is more well-rounded with his win ratio, winning five fights by T/KO, three by submission and four by decision. It would behoove him to keep the fight standing and look to stop Burns on the feet. That path to least resistance likely will lead to a striker vs. grappler match-up, which is always fun.
Jenkins will look to have the Australian crowd buoy him to his first UFC stoppage win, while Burns likely needs to ensnare him in a submission – eight of his 11 wins have come via submission.
Tom Nolan vs. Alex Reyes
Nolan, a lightweight prospect with a lot of excitement around him, is searching for his second UFC win. Nolan righted the ship with a TKO over Victor Martinez after Nikolas Motta upset the apple cart with a TKO. He draws Reyes in what is likely a do-or-die fight for Reyes.
Reyes is looking for his first Octagon win – he’s faced Mike Perry (6 years ago) and Charlie Campbell. A loss could see Reyes cut by the UFC, so he will likely fight like a man with his back against the wall, making for a wild fight with Nolan, who also brings a fast pace.
Reyes might need to win to stay in the UFC, while Nolan needs a win to continue to put the Motta upset behind him and separate himself in a crowded 155-pound division. It should be an exciting fight for as long as it lasts.
Stewart Nicoll vs. Jesus Aguilar
Nicoll, an undefeated prospect, is set to make his UFC debut against Aguilar.
The Australian flyweight is 8-0 and primarily plied his trade in the XFC and Beatdown Promotions before getting signed to the UFC. His last fight was a TKO win over 5-0 Issei Katano.
Aguilar, who has had UFC success of his own, is Nicoll’s most battle-tested foe yet. Aguilar is 2-1 in the UFC with wins over Mateus Mendoca and Shannon Ross. While Aguilar could be a tough test for Nicoll, a debut Octagon win would be big for the Aussie’s status as a prospect at 125.
Casey O’Neill vs. Luana Santos
O’Neill began her professional career at 9-0 before losing her last two fights. The once highly-touted prospect will look to return to form against and up-and-coming flyweight prospect in Santos.
Santos will look to steal O’Neill’s No. 15 ranking and start an ascent of her own. The 8-1 Brazilian is 3-0 in the UFC so far, finishing Mariya Agapova and Juliana Miller and also besting Stephanie Egger. A win over O’Neill could net Santos a match-up with a woman on the cusp of the top-10.
O’Neill, a Scottish native, is fighting out of Queensland, Australia, officially for this fight, according to Tapology. She will have the hometown crowd on her side as she looks to show that she is still a prospect to watch at 125. O’Neill has wins over Antonina Shevchenko and Roxanne Modafferi.
Featured Image credit:
Embed from Getty Images
