South Africa's du Plessis retains middleweight UFC title

PERTH, Australia (AP) — South African Dricus du Plessis took a flurry of body hits across four rounds before defeating Israel Adesanya by submission to retain his middleweight championship at UFC 305 on Sunday.

After scoring some early takedowns, du Plessis (22-2) had to withstand a flurry of body strikes from Adesanya through the middle rounds which appeared to be taking a toll on the 30-year-old South African as the fight progressed.

But a left hook followed by three rights helped bring Adesanya down which gave du Plessis the opening he wanted as he swiftly got the choke hold which forced the Nigerian-born New Zealander to tap out at 3:38 into the fourth round.

“This man is the king of getting back up,” du Plessis said of Adesanya, who was bidding to become a middleweight champion for the third time. “I’m still alive, that’s a bonus.

“I came here to die for this belt and to take a life. I’m still champion, baby.”

Tensions ahead of Sunday's fight at the sold out RAC Arena at Perth, Australia had escalated after du Plessis, in response to Adesanya saying he’d take the belt back to Africa if he won, asked whether he would take his servants with him.

Despite the simmering animosity heading into the fight, which saw both fighters refrain from touching each others gloves at the start, the pair appeared to reconcile immediately after the contest.

“I’m really sorry that it came across that I disrespected the fact that he’s from Africa,” Du Plessis said. “That was never my intention. Africa would have won regardless, but tonight South Africa was the victor."

It was the third time the South African has beat off challengers for the competitve middleweight division and second time this year after he won with a split decision over Sean Strickland in January at UFC 297.

Next in line for du Plessis is a return title-defense bout with Strickland at a date to be determined.

The 35-year-old Adesanya (24-4) was making his first appearance since returning from an 11-month sabbatical after losing the middleweight title by unanimous decision to Strickland in Sydney in September last year but said Sunday's latest setback wasn't career-ending.

“This is the best I’ve ever felt. I’m 35, I’m doing the right things. I’m not ... leaving,” he said.

Earlier, hometown favorite Steve Erceg’s was defeated by a first-round technical knock out in his flyweight bout with New Zealand’s Kai Kara-France. It was Erceg's first fight since he was unanimously outpointed by champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301 in Brazil in May.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Dricus du Plessis, right, of South Africa and Israel Adesanya of Nigeria fight during their Middleweight title bout at UFC 305 at RAC Arena in Perth, AUstralia Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (Richard Wainwright/AAP Image via AP)

Dricus du Plessis, right, of South Africa and Israel Adesanya of Nigeria fight during their Middleweight title bout at UFC 305 at RAC Arena in Perth, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (Richard Wainwright/AAP Image via AP)

CHICAGO (AP) — A judge sentenced a man convicted of killing a Chicago police officer, wounding her partner and firing at a third officer to life in prison Wednesday.

A jury found Emonte Morgan, 24, of Chicago, guilty in March of first-degree murder, attempted murder of a peace officer and possession/use of a firearm as a felon. Prosecutors say he fatally shot 29-year-old Officer Ella French, wounded her partner, Officer Carlos Yanez Jr., and shot at Officer Joshua Blas during a traffic stop in August 2021.

Cook County Circuit Judge Ursula Walowski sentenced him to a mandatory life sentence and added 57 years after listening to French and Yanez family members describe their grief, the Chicago Tribune reported.

“The memories, they sneak up on me sometimes and I am filled with grief and sadness,” French's mother, Elizabeth French, told the judge. “I don’t know that closure will ever be possible for me. … Someday my daughter and I will meet again. Until then I will miss Ella every day.”

Yanez's father, Carlos Yanez Sr., a retired Chicago police officer himself, swore at Morgan and said someone should have killed him long ago. As Yanez spoke, Morgan's mother yelled a profane insult about his son. Deputies quickly removed her from the courtroom as Yanez told Morgan he hopes he rots in jail.

Morgan's attorney, assistant public defender Kristine Neal, told the judge that Morgan isn't beyond redemption and can still be rehabilitated. Morgan said that the prosecution was unjust, that the traffic stop that precipitated the shooting wasn't lawful and that French died accidentally.

Morgan's attorneys argued at trial that body camera video of the shooting was unclear, making it hard to determine what happened during the traffic stop.

Morgan's brother, Eric Morgan, who was driving the vehicle, pleaded guilty in October 2023 to charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, battery and obstruction of justice and was sentenced to seven years.

Another man, Jamel Danzy of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in December 2022 after pleading guilty to a federal firearms charge for buying the handgun used to kill French in an illegal straw purchase.

FILE - Chicago police work the scene where two police officers where shot during a traffic stop along the 6300 block of South Bell in the West Englewood neighborhood, Aug. 7, 2021. (Tyler LaRiviere/Chicago Sun-Times via AP, File)