Top Five UFC Fights To Look Forward To In August

It doesn’t come much bigger than Dricus du Plessis’ middleweight title defence against arch-rival Israel Adesanya, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld as he highlights the five most-anticipated UFC fights of the month.

Cory Sandhagen v Umar Nurmagomedov

Saturday, 3 August SA time

Bantamweights with gold on their minds meet in a pivotal main event showdown in Abu Dhabi.

A flashy striker who’s added a solid layer of grappling to his game, No. 2-ranked Sandhagen has long pursued a shot at the 135-pound title and has strung together consecutive wins over Song Yadong, Marlon Vera and Rob Font in headlining bouts to edge closer to his goal.

Nurmagomedov is a star on the rise with a perfect record of 17-0, including five wins in the UFC to move up to 10th in the rankings. Following in the footsteps of his Hall of Fame cousin Khabib, the Dagestani ace is a powerful mauler with ever-improving striking and finally gets his wish of facing one of the biggest names in the division. 

Vicente Luque v Nick Diaz

Saturday, 3 August SA time

The co-headliner of UFC Abu Dhabi will mark the return of the legendary Diaz, who last stepped inside the Octagon in September 2021 when he suffered a TKO loss to fellow iconic brawler Robbie Lawler. That was his first fight in over six years.

The older brother of superstar Nate, Diaz is a former welterweight title challenger and was one of the most popular fighters in the world in his prime. Hugely respected as an OG, the Stockton scrapper will make his comeback at 170 pounds after last competing at middleweight.

Luque, once on a title trajectory, looks to get back on track after losing three of his last four fights. Ranked 14th, he’s determined to put his knockout loss to Joaquin Buckley in March behind him by beating a legend of the fight game.

Marlon Vera v Deiveson Figueiredo

Saturday, 3 August SA time

Two other top bantamweights will also go toe to toe in Abu Dhabi. 

Vera unsuccessfully challenged Sean O’Malley for the crown in his last fight. With a previous victory over “Suga”, Vera was hell-bent on becoming champion but dropped a decision in the March match-up, leaving him having to rebound.

Former flyweight champion Figueiredo has successfully transitioned to the bantamweight division, securing victories in his first two fights at 135 pounds. As if his decision win over Font wasn’t impressive enough, he submitted ex-bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt at UFC 300 and plans to take out another division staple in his quest for a second title.

Dricus du Plessis v Israel Adesanya

Sunday, 18 August SA time

The RAC Arena in Perth will play host to one of the biggest fights of the year, the grudge match between middleweight champion Du Plessis and former two-time 185-pound king Adesanya set to headline UFC 305.

The bone of contention between the two middleweight stars is Du Plessis’ comment that he’d be the first African-born and based fighter to become a UFC champion, with the South African ace making good on his promise to capture gold when he out-struck and outlasted Sean Strickland in a five-round war in January.

Adesanya, who was born in Nigeria but lives in New Zealand, took exception to Du Plessis’ remark and wants to make him pay. They would have fought last year had an injury not sidelined “Stillknocks” for UFC 293, which saw Strickland slot in and dethrone “The Last Stylebender” in one of the biggest upsets of 2023.

Adesanya hasn’t fought since, taking time off to recover and recalibrate after a super busy schedule as champion and returns with a score to settle and history on his mind as he aims to become the first-ever three-time middleweight champion.

Kai Kara-France v Steve Erceg

Sunday, 18 August SA time

New Zealand and Australia have a rich sporting rivalry, particularly on the rugby and cricket pitches, and that will extend into mixed martial arts and the Octagon in UFC 305’s co-main event.  

Kiwi Kara-France, one of Adesanya’s teammates, makes his return after over a year on the sidelines due to injury looking to snap a two-fight losing streak and spoil his Aussie adversary’s homecoming.

Erceg, meanwhile, took flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja to the limit in May, succumbing to the Brazilian by decision, and seeks to earn a second crack at the belt with a big win on home soil.