In a highly anticipated rematch, Dricus du Plessis successfully defended his UFC middleweight title against Sean Strickland at UFC 312, held at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. The champion secured a unanimous decision victory, with judges scoring the bout 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46 in his favor.
Second Meeting
This fight marked the second meeting between du Plessis and Strickland, following their initial encounter at UFC 297, where du Plessis claimed the title via split decision.
Dricus du Plessis claimed the UFC middleweight title with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Strickland, outstriking and outpacing the former champion across five grueling rounds. From the opening bell, Strickland relied on his signature jab to maintain distance, while du Plessis countered with unorthodox striking and relentless forward pressure.
Taking Control
As the fight progressed, du Plessis found increasing success with his body kicks and looping punches, forcing Strickland to adjust. A high kick in the second round left Strickland’s nose bloodied, and by the third, du Plessis’ spinning attacks and unpredictable angles had him in control. Though Strickland landed his own combinations, he struggled to match the volume and power of du Plessis, who constantly pressed the action.
Relentless Aggression
In the later rounds, du Plessis’ pace proved overwhelming, with his relentless aggression keeping Strickland on the defensive. A series of well-placed body kicks and right hands in the fourth round visibly affected Strickland, whose broken nose became a growing obstacle. Despite his corner urging him to push for a finish in the final round, Strickland couldn’t mount a comeback against du Plessis’ pressure.
The South African’s striking output and takedown attempts sealed the win, earning him scores of 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46 from the judges. In his post-fight interview, du Plessis declared himself a top-three pound-for-pound fighter and set his sights on becoming the best in the world. Meanwhile, Strickland, battered but gracious in defeat, praised his opponent as a “bad motherf*****” before exiting the Octagon, as noted by the MMA.
In the co-main event, Zhang Weili retained her UFC strawweight championship by defeating Tatiana Suarez through a unanimous decision. Zhang’s performance was lauded by many in the MMA community, with former two-division champion Henry Cejudo suggesting she should move up to 125 pounds to challenge Valentina Shevchenko.
The main card also featured a standout performance by Tallison Teixeira, who made a remarkable UFC debut by knocking out Justin Tafa with a brutal elbow just 30 seconds into the fight. According to TalkSport, commentator Daniel Cormier expressed his astonishment, stating, “Right to the face!”
After the victory, Tallison Teixeira admitted he had expected a more drawn-out battle. Reflecting on his performance, he stated in Portuguese, “This was a tough opponent. Fortunately for me, it was my night,” as reported by ESPN.
Additionally, Jimmy Crute and Rodolfo Bellato fought to a majority draw, while Jake Matthews secured a unanimous decision win over Francisco Prado.
The preliminary card highlighted emerging talents, including Tom Nolan’s victory over Viacheslav Borshchev and Aleksandre Topuria’s successful debut against Colby Thicknesse.
UFC 312 marked the promotion’s seventh visit to Sydney and first since UFC 293 in September 2023.
The event delivered a series of memorable fights, reinforcing the city’s significance in the MMA world.
