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UFC 305 will mark the promotion's return to Australia since UFC 293 last year in Sydney, Australia. This time, however, it will be a UFC Perth event on Aug. 18. The promotion's previous event in Perth, Australia was UFC 284, which saw Alexander Volkanovski take on Islam Makhachev.
Fans took to social media to react to UFC 305, with its pre-sale tickets now open to the public. While no matchups have been announced for the event yet, that didn't stop fans of the sport from speculating and even making jokes about the premature return of Alexander Volkanovski.
One fan wondered if one of the bouts featured on UFC 305 would be Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Jack Della Maddalena, given that the streaking Australian previously called out the undefeated Kazakh for a welterweight clash.
"Shavkat vs Maddalena"
Others wondered if the event headliner would feature the long-awaited Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya fight and other potential matchups. Unfortunately, Robert Whittaker, who one fan mentioned, is set to face Khamzat Chimaev in Saudi Arabia on June, 22.
"DDP vs Izzy, Shavkat vs Jack and Strickland vs Rob?"
Another fan jokingly begged Volkanovski not to make a quick return, given that 'The Great' suffered back-to-back knockout losses in his last two outings.
"Don't return early Volk"
This was echoed by other fans.
"Hopefully Volk isn't on this card. I like him but he needs to rest longer"
A collage of fan reactions can be seen below:
There is still no word on what the event headliner will be, but given that it is a pay-per-view it will need at least one marquee matchup to draw the fans in. When exactly the full card will be announced is still unknown.
What could be the UFC 305 main event?
The UFC doesn't usually stack its Australian cards from top to bottom. However, as UFC 305 is a pay-per-view, its headliner will, at the very least, be a title fight. As for which champion will defend in Australia, the most likely option is Dricus Du Plessis, whose rivalry with Israel Adesanya makes it a compelling choice.
Adesanya is a massive star in the Australia-New Zealand region, and the chance to watch him reclaim his middleweight title in a grudge match with a hated nemesis like Du Plessis will undoubtedly draw eyeballs.
