Alex Pereira, Sean Strickland, Marvin Vettori, and others react to Dricus du Plessis choking out Israel Adesanya at UFC 305

Dricus du Plessis closed out the chapter on his rivalry with Israel Adesanya with a fourth-round submission win in the main event of UFC 305. The bout proved to be a competitive affair in a rivalry laden with high stakes and heightened emotions.

Adesanya demonstrated his technical precision and crisp striking, using his jab effectively to score early. The South African UFC middleweight king attempted to exploit openings with powerful kicks and swarm in with takedown attempts. 'The Last Stylebender's' striking accuracy earned him a slight edge in the opening frame.

However, the momentum tilted in du Plessis' favor, as he asserted his wrestling prowess on Adesanya. 'Stillknocks' managed to take his opponent down and threaten him with submission attempts. A further shift in dynamic saw Adesanya bounce back with a dominant display in the third frame after seemingly dropping the second round.

However, du Plessis' power and relentless pressure saw Adesanya's resolve crumble as he succumbed to a fourth-round rear-naked choke submission loss.

Check out the finish below:

Several fighters reacted to du Plessis handing Adesanya the first submission loss of his professional career. UFC light heavyweight king Alex Pereria, who dethroned Adesanya at UFC 281, claimed that he might drop to the middleweight division:

"Coming down to 185 one more time."

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland wrote:

"Time for war Dutch man......"

Meanwhile, reigning 170-pound champion Belal Muhammad claimed that Adesanya shouldn't retire with this loss:

"Izzy is still so good hope he doesn’t retire."

Check out some of the reactions below:

Pros react to Dricus du Plessis' victory against Israel Adesanya. [Images courtesy: Fighter accounts on X]

Pros react to UFC 305 main event. [Images courtesy: Fighter accounts on X]

Adesanya removed his gloves following the loss in the grudge match, a gesture that has become synonymous with retirement. However, the former UFC two-time middleweight champion assured that he felt the best going into the fight and that he's not retiring.