Du Plessis retained his middleweight crown in a thrilling and bloody title rematch against Sean Strickland at UFC 312, held at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. You were treated to an action-packed main event as Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) outclassed Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) over the course of five rounds, winning by unanimous decision. The fight showcased a strategic battle, with Du Plessis demonstrating a superior striking game and relentless pace.
Here are the full UFC 312 results:
UFC 312 Full Results
Main Card
🏆 Middleweight Title Fight:
- Dricus du Plessis (c) def. Sean Strickland – Unanimous Decision (50–45, 50–45, 49–46)
🏆 Women’s Strawweight Title Fight:
- Zhang Weili (c) def. Tatiana Suarez – Unanimous Decision (49–46, 49–46, 49–45)
🥊 Heavyweight:
- Tallison Teixeira def. Justin Tafa – TKO (Knee to the body & elbows) – Round 1, 0:35
⚡ Light Heavyweight:
- Jimmy Crute vs. Rodolfo Bellato – Majority Draw (29–27, 28–28, 28–28)
💥 Welterweight:
- Jake Matthews def. Francisco Prado – Unanimous Decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
Preliminary Card (ESPN2 / Disney+ / ESPN+)
🐍 Featherweight:
- Gabriel Santos def. Jack Jenkins – Submission (Rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 2:06
🔥 Lightweight:
- Tom Nolan def. Viacheslav Borshchev – Unanimous Decision (29–28, 29–28, 30–27)
⚡ Women’s Flyweight:
- Wang Cong def. Bruna Brasil – Unanimous Decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
💥 Bantamweight:
- Aleksandre Topuria def. Colby Thicknesse – Unanimous Decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
Preliminary Card (Disney+ / ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass)
🔥 Lightweight:
- Rong Zhu def. Kody Steele – Unanimous Decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
⚡ Welterweight:
- Jonathan Micallef def. Kevin Jousset – Unanimous Decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)
💥 Lightweight:
- Quillan Salkilld def. Anshul Jubli – TKO (Punch) – Round 1, 0:19
Bonus Awards ($50,000 each)
🏆 Fight of the Night: Rong Zhu vs. Kody Steele
💥 Performance of the Night: Tallison Teixeira & Quillan Salkilld
From the opening bell, Du Plessis displayed patience and skill, working around Strickland’s tight defence. You witnessed him employing a variety of kicks and punches, while Strickland relied on his trademark straight stance with quick jabs. The action intensified early in the second round as blood flowed from both competitors, with Du Plessis maintaining a relentless tempo and pushing Strickland onto the back foot.
Strickland’s corner urged him to increase his urgency before the third round, but even with the added pressure, he found it challenging to keep pace with the champion. The fight saw Du Plessis secure the first takedown, although he was unable to capitalise on the opportunity. As the rounds progressed, you could see Strickland’s nose suffer significant damage, prompting him to acknowledge a potential fracture between rounds, yet he demonstrated determination in attempting to continue.
In his post-fight interview, Du Plessis boldly claimed, “I am a top three pound-for-pound fighter as of tonight, and I’m coming for that No. 1 spot.” This victory marks his second successful title defence after a narrow victory over Strickland in their first encounter and a submission win over Israel Adesanya at UFC 305.
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