Leaks are inevitable, and UFC President Dana White has indirectly revealed half of the UFC 305 card in his recent video announcing Conor McGregor's withdrawal from the event.
Using both common sense and the power of gossip, I've been able to confirm several names likely to appear on the UFC 305 board. Here are the current fights that seem to be in the works:
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Jacob Malkoun
This matchup gained credibility when American interviewer @realkevink confirmed from sources close to GM3 that the fight is indeed in the works.
Dan Hooker vs. Drakkar Klose
Kiwi Dan Hooker seems to have found an opponent after ranked fighters Renato Moicano and Beneil Dariush turned down the fight due to the notoriously high international Australian tax. American Drakkar Klose is the frontrunner to face Hooker in Perth.
Featherweight Fights
Two non-Aussie featherweights, Gavin Tucker and Ricardo Ramos, have appeared on the board. If I were to wager, I'd bet these two will face Aussie featherweights Jack Jenkins and Josh Culibao. Specifically, Ramos vs. Culibao and Jenkins vs. Tucker seem likely, though this remains speculative.
Song Yadong vs. Henry Cejudo
Current rumours suggest that number 7 ranked Song Yadong will fight former UFC double champ Henry Cejudo. This raises the possibility of UFC Strawweight Champion Weili Zhang joining her countryman Yadong on the card.
Steve Erceg vs. Kai Kara-France
The juiciest matchup I've been able to confirm is a flyweight scrap between Aussie Steve Erceg and Kiwi Kai Kara-France. This fight might divide ANZACs more than the debate over who invented pavlova.
While these matchups appear to be in the works, other fights are still speculative. Fans hoping to see Jack Della Maddalena, Justin Tafa, Jake Matthews, or Alexander Volkanovski should temper their expectations, as it's unlikely any of them will be on this card.
For more updates or to contact me, follow me on Instagram @benp_2001, Twitter/X @Bendaman2001, or YouTube BennyPMMA.
Till next time...
