Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland rematch in the main event of UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia on Saturday night. (Photos: Getty Images via Zuffa LLC. Design: Davis Long, Yahoo Sports.)
Uncrowned has UFC 312 results, live round-by-round updates, start time and highlights for the Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland 2 fight card on Saturday at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. Just 13 months after their closely contested first title showdown, UFC middleweight champion du Plessis and former champion Strickland meet in a winner-takes-all rematch in the night’s main event.
Du Plessis (22-2) defeated Strickland (29-6) in a somewhat polarizing split decision in January 2024 to capture the 185-pound title, however Strickland has since maintained that he should’ve won the bout.
Du Plessis, 31, is a perfect 8-0 under the UFC banner, with six of those wins coming in stoppages. His list of triumphs include a trio of former champions — Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker and Strickland — as well as former contenders Derek Brunson, Darren Till and Brad Tavares. A native of South Africa, du Plessis seeks his second title defense after previously submitting Adesanya in August, again in Australia.
Strickland, 33, is one of UFC’s most controversial figures, known for his brash antics both on the mic and outside the cage. Inside the cage, however, he’s an astute technician who captured Fighter of the Year plaudits for many outlets in 2023 after upsetting Adesanya to win the middleweight crown. Strickland has fought just once since losing to du Plessis — a tepid split decision over Paulo Costa in June — but owns notable contender wins over Nassourdine Imavov, Brendan Allen and Jack Hermansson.
In the co-main event, two-time UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili (25-3) seeks the third defense of her belt in her current reign with a showdown against undefeated TUF 23 winner Tatiana Suarez (10-0).
Welterweight: Jonathan Micallef def. Kevin Jousset via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Lightweight: Quillan Salkilld def. Anshul Jubli via TKO (punches) at :17 of Round 1 | Watch finish
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Eric Nicksick laying into Sean Strickland.
“It’s all predictable. You gotta fucking push.”
Strickland is basically only plotting forward, throwing 1s and 2s. Very few kicks, and never threatens with a takedown or anything else. His coach is 100% right.
Middleweight title fight: (C) Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland – Round 3
Du Plessis gets right back to his volume striking, kicking away at the challenger. A big right hand lands for Du Plessis. Strickland jabs. A nice combo from Strickland is thrown but blocked. The Du Plessis right hand connects again. I have no idea how Strickland is able to defend punches by literally putting his arm straight up. The guy has great vision, I guess. Du Plessis goes low as he eats a right hand. Stiff jab lands for the champ. Big spinning back fist for Du Plessis. Good jab from Strickland, as he eats an elbow. They wing big looping shots. A wild right hand lands on Du Plessis and he blasts a double straight to the cage. Strickland stands right up.
10-9 Du Plessis (30-27 Du Plessis)
Middleweight title fight: (C) Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland – Round 2
Du Plessis goes for a head kick again behind the Strickland push kicks. They trade leg kicks. Du Plessis tries to get past the push kick and goes low again. A big overhand right sneaks over the guard of the champion. The head kick is making Strickland think. Left hook lands for Du Plessis then he gets stung by a jab. They trade hard hooks. Good jab from Du Plessis finds a home now. Then to the body. Heavy inside low kick lands for Du Plessis. Another head kick skims Strickland. Du Plessis is picking up the pace. Spinning back kick to the body for the champ, as he lands a right hand, left hook. Du Plessis manages distance with those thigh kicks. Another head kick gets through. Strickland jabs after taking a body kick. Nice right hand to the body for the champ to finish the round.
10-9 Du Plessis (20-18 Du Plessis)
If Strickland fights like that he’s gonna lose again. He’s just not doing enough to win a decision against a guy like DDP.
Middleweight title fight: (C) Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland – Round 1
Main event. Round 6 starts now. Here we go.
Strickland walks forward in typical fashion, pawing out the jab. Hard outside leg kick for Du Plessis. Sneaky head kick gets over the guard of Strickland. Strickland finds his jab as Du Plessis goes back low. He goes inside on the next one. Du Plessis is starting to really look for that head kick. Du Plessis lands a nice push kick to the thigh. Strickland goes to the body with a straight right and takes a spinning back kick to the body in return. Du Plessis goes back for the head kick. Snapping jab connects on the champ. Hard leg kick for the champ. That head kick gets through better. Nice right overhand for Du Plessis lands. Back-to-back push kicks from Strickland. Somewhat of a sparring match feel-out first round.
10-9 Du Plessis
Prediction: (C) Dricus du Plessis (-210) vs. Sean Strickland (+170)
Who’s ready for Round 6?
The narratives surrounding the immediate aftermath of du Plessis vs. Strickland 1 were all over the place. Was it a great fight? Was it a robbery? Was it a coin-flip decision? While all these questions swirled in the ether, the first two should’ve never been invited in reality, because the answer was clearly no.
Du Plessis ultimately won a hard-fought and competitive split decision. It was entertaining but far from a technical masterpiece, like many of du Plessis and Strickland’s wins. Strickland has since shouted robbery at every turn and blamed Canada for his misfortune, and now they’ve traveled across the globe to settle the score.
One thing that’s become incredibly apparent throughout du Plessis’ eight-fight UFC run is that he might just be one of the greatest winners of all time. He’s not at all the greatest fighter, especially in terms of his skills and technique. But the guy wants to win so much more than all of his opponents.
Strickland will Strickland. That’s the big problem for him in this rematch. Since “Tarzan” reached what’s likely his final form at age 33, we know what to expect from him every time out. He has a strong defensive shell, forward pressure and a healthy serving of teep kicks to maintain his distance while searching for an opening to dash off 1-2 combinations.
In their first fight, du Plessis forced Strickland to brawl more than he typically does, while also mixing in the occasional takedown of his own. “Stillknocks” scored six takedowns in 25 minutes, and should return to that well at a possibly higher frequency on Saturday. Du Plessis also out-landed Strickland, dealing more damage than he absorbed, but the striking battle was closer than their grappling contrast.
Stylistically, Strickland probably can’t play his usual game twice against someone as aggressive and dangerous everywhere as du Plessis. There’s no reason to believe he won’t, though. The time is now for “DDP.” Don’t be surprised if he puts his rival away in their sequel.
Pick: Du Plessis
Official result: Zhang Weili def. Tatiana Suarez by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-45)
49-46 Zhang. She lost the first, figured it out and DOMINATED the rest of the way. Wow. What a win.
Zhang stings Suarez with a right hand early then a hard outside leg kick. Suarez goes for a body lock takedown to counter Zhang’s momentum attacking in but can’t get it. She forces the champ towards the cage with a single-leg. Zhang’s balances prevents it. Insane stuff. Zhang lands a hard body kick on Suarez coming in, connecting with an elbow in the process. Zhang gets briefly taken down but reverses Suarez. They go back to that half guard position before Zhang circles to Suarez’s back. Suarez gets back to half guard, taking short shots from the champ. Suarez works to full guard with 70 seconds left. There’s essentially no hope for her left now. Zhang punches away as the time dwindles. Another defense for the underdog champion! Wild scenes. I don’t think there’s anyone who can stop her at 115.
10-9 Zhang (49-46 Zhang)
This sport is rough. A nine-year journey to get a title shot through every kind of setback and the cumulative tolls against her self belief, only to run into a brick wall like Weili Zhang. It’s a hell of a thing.
Suarez is now in her first fourth round. Time to rally — if she can.
A big elbow connects for the champion. They clinch, and the inside trip plants Suarez underneath Zhang. They’re in a stretched half guard. There’s some blood on Suarez’s forehead now. Zhang transitions to full guard. Zhang grabs an arm triangle and steps over to half guard. Suarez survives and they return to full guard. Holy s***. That gash on Suarez’s knee is nasty. Commentary said a round ago that it was from the fence. That’s no fun.
Suarez just continues to hold onto Zhang from bottom. A burst from Suarez almost sweeps Zhang, seeking the neck, which might have cost her top position. Zhang works back to full guard. Short elbows connect for Zhang. And we’re onto the fifth round.
Wow. That knee cut is gross, man.
10-9 Zhang (39-37 Zhang)
This right hand from Zhang!
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 09: (L-R) Zhang Weili of China punches Tatiana Suarez in the UFC strawweight championship fight during the UFC 312 event at Qudos Bank Arena on February 09, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
29-28 Zhang after 3.
This is an incredible performance from the champ. She has all the momentum. She rocked Suarez hard in the 3rd and is stuffing all the shots.
A reminder that she is was the ‘dog heading into this one.
Right straight for Zhang lands first. A teep from Zhang sticks the challenger. Big punches get through Suarez’s guard. A huge right hand hurts Suarez! She shoots in but is stuffed. Suarez tries to elbow away and shoots in. This honestly feels like it’s over already. Suarez gets ahold of Zhang against the cage, pursuing another takedown. Suarez lands a knee then takes some punches in return as they break. A kick from Suarez low slips up the champ. Suarez isn’t setting up her takedowns, and it’s leading to damage being dealt to her. Suarez charges in loosely, entering the clinch for a moment to land some knees to the body. Suarez ducks an aggressive Zhang to tie up right before the round ends. Zhang is in full control.
