Israel Adesanya opens as favorite to beat Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305

Israel Adesanya is favored to become UFC champion again.

Lines set by the oddsmakers at Sportsbetting.ag currently have Adesanya as a slight favorite in his upcoming fight against middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis. The rivals headline UFC 305 on Aug. 17.

See the opening odds below.

Dricus du Plessis +130

Israel Adesanya -150

With those odds, Adesanya is being given a 60 percent chance to defeat his rival and reclaim the title he’s twice held. A $100 bet on Adesanya earns a payout of $166.67. On the other side, defending champion du Plessis has a 43 percent chance to win and if he does so, a $100 bet pays out $230.

UFC 305 marks Adesanya’s first fight since dropping the middleweight title to Sean Strickland via a lopsided decision loss at UFC 293 in September 2023. Following that fight, “The Last Stylebender” announced he would be going on a hiatus of indeterminate length, but the 34-year-old now returns with the chance to become a three-time champion.

South Africa’s du Plessis is yet to lose since joining the UFC in 2020, rattling off seven consecutive wins including several over top contenders such as Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson, and Darren Till. He captured the middleweight title this past January with a split decision win over Strickland.

UFC 305 takes place Aug. 17 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.