UFC 305 bonuses and aftermath: Potentially injured Dan Hooker and three others get $50K, Perth draws underwhelming live gate, and more
Dricus du Plessis solidified his reign as the middleweight champion at UFC 305, submitting Israel Adesanya in the fourth round with a rear-naked choke. The victory propelled 'Stillknocks' into having one of the longest win streaks in the UFC's middleweight history.
The dramatic finish left fans and pundits speculating about Adesanya's future, but the former champion quickly dismissed retirement rumors, reaffirming his commitment to the sport.
"I'm 35 [years old], I'm doing the right things and I know all you motherf**kers wanna see me lose, wanna see me down, but watch this - I'm not f**king leaving. I'm not f**king leaving!"
In a separate highlight of the night, Dan Hooker and Mateusz Gamrot delivered a thrilling battle, with Hooker emerging victorious via split decision. However, the fight came at a cost, as Hooker was transported to the hospital for medical evaluation following the grueling contest.
The night's action was recognized with multiple performance bonuses. Hooker and Gamrot shared the Fight of the Night honors, while Kai Kara-France and Carlos Prates earned Performance of the Night awards for their impressive victories.
Despite the exciting fights, the Perth event struggled to draw a significant crowd, with a disappointing live gate of $5,477,097 and an attendance of 14,152. The figures fell short of expectations compared to previous UFC events held in larger markets.
UFC 305 judge removed after outrage over scorecard
A controversial scorecard at UFC 305 has led to a judge being removed from the rest of the event. Howie Booth, who scored the Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik fight 30-27 in favor of Tuivasa, despite the latter's low output, faced immediate backlash.
Following the unexpected decision, it was announced that Booth would not be judging the co-main event between Kai Kara-France and Steve Erceg. His place was taken by Ben Cartlidge.