5 fights we need to see after UFC 305 | News, results, highlights, stats and rumors

After losing to Dricus Du Plessis in the main event of UFC 305, Israel Adesanya now has a tough record of 1-3 in his last four fights, meaning the 35-year-old MMA legend is nearing the end of his career.

However, in his post-fight interview, Adesanya made it pretty clear that he is not ready to retire from the fight yet.

If he does indeed stick around, the UFC has two options in its matchmaking strategy. The first option is to treat him the same as featherweight legend Jose Aldo and pair him with young challengers on the fringes of the rankings. However, that seems like a complete waste of the last few years of the legend's career – just like Aldo, who would be much better suited to fight the likes of Dominick Cruz and Henry Cejudo than Jonathan Martinez and Mario Bautista.

Hopefully, the UFC will see reason and take a different approach to Adesanya's matchmaking: pairing him with other legends in late-stage careers. If the promotion goes that route, Nick Diaz could be the best option for Adesanya's next opponent.

The older Diaz brother, a former Strikeforce champion, is coming off three straight losses and hasn't fought since losing to Robbie Lawler in 2021. However, he was expected to return for a welterweight bout with Vicente Luque earlier this month. That plan ultimately fell through, but it was proof that Diaz is still interested in competing, and we can probably expect to see him booked again soon.

A rescheduled welterweight fight with Luque would be fine, but a middleweight fight with Adesanya would be much better. It seems unlikely that Diaz would have made the welterweight limit anyway, and he and Adesanya are two of the most enigmatic and entertaining fighters in MMA history.

Book it and get ready to be entertained – just like when Diaz fought another middleweight legend, Anderson Silva, in 2015.