Coach Eric Nicksick has spoken out regarding the reaction to how he responded to Sean Strickland’s failed attempt at reclaiming the UFC middleweight title earlier this month.
The Xtreme Couture trainer was Down Under in Sydney, Australia earlier this month to corner Strickland at UFC 312. The former champion headlined in competition for Dricus Du Plessis’ gold.
While the South African had narrowly fallen on the right side of a split decision in their first fight, the rematch was far more convincing, with “Stillknocks” cruising to a lopsided decision victory across five rounds.
Strickland received plenty of flak for his performance, not least from his head coach. Nicksick gave a brutal assessment of his pupil, branding his attempt at winning back the middleweight belt “uninspiring” and questioning his motivation.
A number of other prominent names in the MMA space, from Daniel Cormier to Matt Brown, have also spoken out against Nicksick’s decision to publicly slate his fighter. And in the comments section of an MMA Fighting Instagram post showing “The Immortal’s” remarks on it, Strickland’s coach admitted to making an error.
“@iamtheimmortal I agree, Matt, looking back at it I made a mistake,” Nicksick admitted. “My true intentions were to try and motivate him publicly, and that was a miscalculation on my part.”
It remains to be seen whether Strickland will push through with his plans to utilize new personnel for his next corner in spite of Nicksick acknowledging his mistake.
While former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland doesn’t appear to have any animosity toward his “friend” Eric Nicksick, he seemingly isn’t expecting the renowned coach to lead his corner next time out.
After sharing a special night in Sydney back in 2023 courtesy of a memorable upset win over Israel Adesanya, Strickland and Nicksick were back Down Under last week challenging the reign of Dricus Du Plessis.
They narrowly failed to crack the South African’s puzzle 13 months ago in Canada, and the polarizing American was even further from having his hand raised second time around.
In the main event of UFC 312 on Saturday, Strickland fell to a lopsided decision defeat after a disappointing display across five rounds that has garnered him plenty of flak from the MMA community. And perhaps the most vocally critical this week was the Xtreme Couture standout’s head coach and cornerman.
In addition to outlining his plan to utilize different individuals in his corner moving forward, Strickland highlighted some of the adversity he had to overcome during fight camp for UFC 312.
“Alright, you guys keep tagging me about this whole Eric thing,” Strickland began. “I like Eric; he’s a friend of mine, and he’s going to continue to be a friend of mine. Will he be in my corner? Probably not. We have so many great guys at Xtreme…we have so many savages who I would love to corner me. … That entire (UFC 312) fight camp was just a struggle. Guys, we all have exuses as to why we didn’t win…and they don’t f*cking matter.
“The only reason why I’m making this video is because Eric had to go do a f*cking podcast and become an influencer, so now I’ve got to kind of explain myself. Opportunity never comes when it’s supposed to. … You must say yes. This is not an excuse, but that entire camp was just a struggle of, ‘I’m good, I’m good,’ knowing I’m not good,” Strickland continued. “Whether it be the staph infection, the broken arm, having to get a visa that didn’t get approved until a week (before), not being able to get cornerman out there; this entire camp was a struggle of, ‘I’m not good,’ but me looking in the mirror and saying, ‘Sack up!’”
The 33-year-old also touched on Nicksick’s questioning of his motivation when it comes to a continued career in fighting.
While the renowned trainer stated in no uncertain terms that he’s only interested in coaching those who aspire to be a world champion, Strickland enters the Octagon for a different reason.
“You guys, I don’t fight to put belts on the wall. I don’t fight because Eric wants to go do a fancy podcast,” Strickland stated. “Before fighting, you guys, I had the lowest self-esteem. I couldn’t even look at myself in the f*cking mirror. Through fighting, I’ve learned so much, met so many amazing people. … You guys have changed my f*cking life. You’ve made me grow so much as a person, in the ring and out of the ring. That’s why I fight.”
The issue occurred early in the second round as Suarez attempted a takedown. In an unusual sequence, it appeared that her knee was sliced open against the base of the cage ā an uncommon injury compared to those typically sustained through striking or grappling exchanges.
The severity of the wound became evident during the break between rounds, as cameras captured the deep gash. Adding to the concern, the challenger expressed her worries to her corner about the extent of the damage and even avoided looking at it directly.
Despite a strong start, winning the first round on all judges’ scorecards, the injury visibly affected Suarezās performance. Weili took advantage, dominating the remaining rounds and securing a unanimous decision victory to retain her title.
This loss marked a pivotal moment in Suarezās career, as it ended her previously undefeated professional MMA record. A graphic photo she later shared on social media highlighted the severity of the cut and the stitches required, serving as a lasting reminder of the fight.
Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has been receiving plenty of flak for his defeat this past weekend, and it’s clear that even his own team is under no illusion about their man’s underperformance.
Strickland vowed to put on a war in pursuit of redemption against Dricus Du Plessis ā the man who took the 185-pound gold from him early last year ā in the UFC 312 main event on Feb. 8.
But in his return to the site where he shockingly dethroned Israel Adesanya in 2023, the polarizing American was unable to repeat the feat. Instead, the South African once again got the better of him on the scorecards, this time much more definitively.
During an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Nicksick described his frustrations as he watched Strickland’s lackluster display from the corner inside Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena.
“I think (Strickland) needs to evaluate what he wants to do in the sport,” Nicksick said. “If it’s just to make money, then that’s great. Let us know. I wanna coach world champions. My motivations are different. Just to kind of show up and do that and not really back it up, to me, was just kind of uninspiring.
“It was just uninspired fighting to me. It just seemed like (Strickland) was sleepwalking. It was tough, man,” Nicksick continued. “To travel all the way (to Australia) ā and let’s not forget, this is a title fight…I take these title fights very seriously. I was just disappointed, man.”
It remains to be seen how Strickland will react to Nicksick’s stance, and what kind of conversations the two have had behind closed doors in the aftermath of Saturday’s pay-per-view event Down Under.
Having long been tipped for championship success as she overcame adversity after adversity, the undefeated Suarez entered the Octagon in Sydney, Australia as favorite to emerge with the gold in her possession.
But her plans to reach the top on Feb. 8 were scuppered by Zhang, who delivered one of the performances of her career to dominantly outpoint her latest challenger across five rounds.
Following on from her first professional defeat and the disappointing setback to her title ambitions, Suarez issued her first statement days on from UFC 312 in an Instagram post this week.
The latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the UFC rankings toward contention and others fall away.
And in the aftermath of UFC 312, MMA News has you covered with this weekās complete updates.
Menās Pound-For-Pound:Ā Following his second successful title defense this past weekend, middleweight kingpin Dricus Du Plessis has received a small P4P boost. The South African has climbed above Belal Muhammad to #6, with the welterweight champ now one place worse off at #7.
Further down, the defeated Sean Strickland is on the edge of elimination from the list having slipped below lightweight fan favorite Charles Oliveira (#14) to #15.
Womenās Pound-for-Pound:Ā Zhang Weili’s incredible performance to defeat Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312 was not enough to usurp Valentina Shevchenko on the P4P list. “Magnum” has remained in second place below the flyweight queen.
Womenās Strawweight:Ā After having her record blemished for the first time and title hopes dashed, Suarez has fallen one place to #2 in the strawweight UFC rankings. That’s left another former adversary of Zhang’s in Xiaonan as the new #1-ranked contender at 115 pounds.
Womenās Flyweight:Ā No changes.
Womenās Bantamweight:Ā No changes.
Flyweight:Ā No changes.
Bantamweight:Ā No changes.
Featherweight:Ā No changes.
Lightweight:Ā No changes.
Welterweight:Ā No changes.
Middleweight:Ā After a second loss to Dricus Du Plessis in the space of three fights, Sean Strickland has lost his status as top contender at 185 pounds. The American has slipped to #2, resulting in rising Frenchman Nassourdine Imavov taking the #1 position.
Light Heavyweight:Ā No changes.
Heavyweight:Ā Jhonata Diniz’s stay in the top 15 was short. After entering last week, the Brazilian has been immediately replaced by Kennedy Nzechukwu, who now has #14 next to his name.
Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland continues to be the recipient of criticism for his latest performance.
Strickland fell to a 1-2 record since winning the gold in August 2023 this past weekend. His memorable title win over Israel Adesanya was quickly followed by the end of his reign courtesy of Dricus Du Plessis 13 months ago, and the South African once again got the better of the polarizing American on Saturday.
The pair ran it back Down Under in Sydney, Australia, headlining the UFC 312 pay-per-view. Strickland didn’t come close to redemption, instead suffering a lopsided decision defeat at the hands of “Stillknocks,” whose punches even resulted in a badly broken nose for the challenger.
During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, another ex-UFC middleweight champ in Luke Rockhold gave his assessment of Strickland’s display.
Like many in the MMA community, the 40-year-old was not impressed ā to say the least…
“If someone breaks your nose, you gotta fight like a f*cking man and sack up,” Rockhold said. “This motherf*cker talks such a big game and then he b*tches out and basically quits in a fight after he breaks his nose.
“When does (Strickland) ever f*cking put his ass on the line and f*cking bite down and really go for it through a whole process of a fight, not just the last 10 seconds of a round? Look at him out there,” Rockhold added.
Strickland has long faced heavy flak for his fight style, which sees a low-aggression approach follow fight weeks that usually involve proclamations of an impending bloody “war.”
Heavyweight fan favorite Tai Tuivasa may not have been able to bring out his patented celebration at UFC 312 this past weekend, but the city of Sydney still got a shoey.
Saturday’s pay-per-view event Down Under certainly wasn’t among the most memorable in recent times, but the card did still provide some eyebrow-raising finishes ā and quick ones, at that.
Among the notable victors was undefeated heavyweight prospect Tallison Teixeira, who moved to 8-0 as a professional with a 35-second knockout win over Justin Tafa, who was floored by a crushing elbow against the fence.
“XicĆ£o’s” celebrations following a successful debut at UFC 312 extended beyond the Qudos Bank Arena, spilling on to the streets of Sydney. The Brazilian paid homage to one of Australia’s own by completing a Tuivasa-esque shoey and posting the footage on his Instagram account.
UFC legend Demetrious Johnson thinks it’s time for Sean Strickland to change his ways after a second championship defeat in the span of three fights.
Strickland returned to action in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 312 pay-per-view, challenging for Dricus Du Plessis’ middleweight title in Sydney, Australia. Having had the gold taken away by narrow margins opposite Du Plessis 13 months ago, the polarizing American was looking for revenge Down Under.
The challenger utilized his usual limited, non-aggressive offense. Coach Eric Nicksick’s pleas for more from his student fell on deaf ears, and one prominent ex-champ believes Strickland’s current style has taken him as far as it can.
“Sean Strickland has a style where he would not deviate from it,” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. “In order to get better in this sport of mixed martial arts, you have to take the time, swallow your pride, swallow your ego, and put yourself in the position where youāre going to force yourself to evolve and get better and and learn new tools.
“That’s the only way you’re going to become a better fighter in this game. Because otherwise, people who are younger, who will take the time to evolve and get better, are always going to beat you,” Johnson added.
Strickland will now return to the gym and begin his path back to another shot at regaining the belt. Meanwhile, champ Du Plessis is expected to next face a challenge from undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev.
Sean Stricklandās loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312 was a decisive unanimous decision. During the main event, the former champion endured significant damage, including a broken nose, as blood streamed down his face.
Despite the adversity, though, he persevered and refused to quit.
UFC CEO Dana White praised Stricklandās toughness and mental focus after the fight while also sharing an interesting observation about his demeanor inside the octagon.
āSean is usually really good at shutting people down, like Izzy (Adesanya),ā White told reporters. āWhen he fought Izzy, Izzy couldnāt get into a rhythm, and Sean was in his face, pressuring him the whole time. It feels like thatās what Dricus did to him.
āIāll tell you something fascinating that I noticed tonight for the first time. I donāt know why. Weāll see if you notice this. So, Sean Strickland ā the way he acts leading up to fights, right? Normally, when you have people who act the way he does, you see signs of it in a fight. But who is more focused, professional, and solid in a fight than he is? When he gets hurt, thereās no sticking out the tongue, no, āNo, no, that didnāt hurt me.ā The guy stays focused and keeps coming forward.
“Thereās never any hint of how he acts outside the octagon when heās in there. Absolute professional the whole time. Itās actually fascinating. I donāt know if Iāve ever seen that with a guy who acts the way he does leading up to fights.ā
Stricklandās UFC record has taken a downturn since his middleweight title win in September 2023. He is now 1-2 in his last three fights, with both losses coming in title bouts against Du Plessis.
āIāve never seen a guy so solid and professional,ā White added. āHe gets his nose broken, snaps it back into place, and keeps fighting. He gets hit with some nasty shots, but when he does, he doesnāt shake his head or do the goofy things that guys like Mayorga did. You can go into any combat sport, and youāve seen it. But nobody is more professional during the fight than this guy is. Itās fascinating.ā
While Du Plessis’ dominant performance drew plaudits, the fight itself failed to impress, with the challenger’s gun-shy approach leading to noticeable boos from the crowd.
That disappointed the champ, who told Full Send MMA that he never has any intention of putting on a “boring” fight. With that in mind, he hopes the fans were directing their displeasure at Strickland.
“I donāt put on boring fights. I donāt have the ability because I donāt know how to fight like that. When I heard the boos, in my mind they are 100 percent towards him. And if it was towards me, you are stupid, anyone who booed,” Du Plessis said. “I went forward the whole time. At the stage when I heard the boos, it drove me crazy. I was like, ‘Come on, dude. Fight me!’ The first and second round, I was piecing him up. In that third round, he was kind of just evading.
“I got super frustrated because people pay a lot of money to be here and I wanna give the fans a show,” Du Plessis continued. “That irritated me. That makes me crazy. Iāll have to rewatch it. If it was boring, Iām really sorry, thatās not my fault. I went forward. I wanted to fight. I know there was times where it wasnāt a war, but itās not my fault. I went forward and I wanted to fight.”
Du Plessis is certainly not known for lackluster displays inside the cage, having gone the distance just three times in professional MMA fights and finished the likes of Robert Whittaker and Adesanya.
Strickland, on the other hand, has been repeatedly criticized for promising wars during fight weeks but failing to deliver fireworks once the cage door closes behind him.
UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili was not pleased to see one fighter’s outing at Saturday’s pay-per-view brought to a controversial end after just 19 seconds.
Kicking off proceedings was a debuting local favorite in Quillan Salkilld, who needed just one strike to finish Anshul Jubli and announce his arrival on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.
Jubli furiously protested the result, and his claim of an early stoppage has been backed by plenty in the community. That includes one prominent peer in Dvalishvili, who slammed the referee’s intervention in a post on X.
Work so hard in training camp and gets an early stoppage ā¦ hate this ! #UFC312
— Merab āThe Machineā Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) February 9, 2025
“Work so hard in training camp and gets an early stoppage ā¦ hate this ! #UFC312“
Dvalishvili frequently calls out stoppages he perceives to be early, having seen firsthand the effects of controversial finishes back in 2023 when teammate Aljamain Sterling was unseated from the bantamweight throne by Sean O’Malley.
Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland ran it back in Saturday’s UFC 312 headliner, and it’s safe to say the rematch didn’t thrill the MMA masses.
The pair’s second dance went down this weekend in Sydney, Australia, 13 months on from Du Plessis securing a narrow split decision to capture the middleweight crown.
As is often the case, “Tarzan” promised fans a war on fight night but failed to deliver, with his approach even garnering boos from the crowd in attendance at some points in the fight.
And it was far from just the locals in the arena who were bemused by how the fight played out at UFC 312. Among the critics online were a pair of top 185-pound contenders vying to compete for the gold next ā Khamzat Chimaev and Nassourdine Imavov.
With all respect, Iām ripping off your champ. Iām already ready. Anytime @danawhite@Mickmaynard2
Many believed Chimaev was deserving of the first shot at Du Plessis in 2025. While “Tarzan” got the better of Paulo Costa in a lackluster 15-minute contest last June, “Borz” emphatically submitted Robert Whittaker in Abu Dhabi four months later.
The first fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland was a close battle that could have fallen either way, ending in a controversial decision for the South African despite UFC CEO Dana White feeling “Tarzan” won the fight. But the rematch between the two was not close at all.
Du Plessis took complete control in a lackluster, dominant decision win over Strickland to retain the UFC middleweight championship in the main event of UFC 312.
The opening round saw both men delivering single shots. Despite previous acknowledgement about the risks of close rounds, Strickland tried to use his jab for a lead, but the champ kept distance and strategically landed whenever he saw an opening.
The American landed some strong strikes early in the second round, but “Stillknocks” completely took over the output of that frame from there, seemingly putting the former champion in an early 2-0 hole.
The defending champion continued to take advantage of a lack of activity from the former one during round three. The big moment of the fight, however, happened in the middle of the fourth round when a right hand from Du Plessis connected harshly, breaking Strickland’s nose. Blood poured out as the challenger looked to up his power to get back into the fight.
In spite of nearly getting caught in a guillotine during an unadvised rush in, Du Plessis stayed the course and landed from distance, with his output far exceeding Strickland’s.
The South African nearly swept the scorecards, with two 50-45s and a 49-46 in his favor to keep the gold.
Dricus Du Plessis Retains In Dominant Outing Over Sean Strickland
I thought Strickland said he was going to war. #UFC312
Dricus du Plessis with a championship effort. A rare non-finish for him, but Strickland is proven durable. What a run at middleweight it's been for DDP.
Du Plessis won the middleweight title in the original fight with Strickland last year at UFC 297 and retained the gold with a submission of Israel Adesanya at UFC 305.
Strickland, meanwhile, defeated Paulo Costa at UFC 302. He had won the middleweight title in upset fashion when he defeated Adesanya at UFC 293 in September 2023.
UFC 312 took place tonight from the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, AustraliaĀ and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights!Ā
In the main event,Ā Dricus Du PlessisĀ put his middleweight title on the line in a rematch with former champ Sean Strickland. While in the co-main event, strawweight champĀ Zhang WeiliĀ faced Tatiana Suarez.Ā
UFC 312 Results: Main Card
Middleweight Championship: Dricus Du Plessis def. Sean StricklandĀ via unanimous decision (50-45×2, 49-46)
Womenās Strawweight Championship: Zhang Weili vs. Tatiana Suarez via unanimous decision (49-46×2, 49-45)
Heavyweight: Tallison Teixeira def. Justin Tafa via TKO: R1, 0.35
Light Heavyweight: Jimmy Crute vs. Rodolfo Bellato ends in a majority draw (29-27, 28-28×2)
Welterweight: Jake Matthews def. Francisco Prado via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
Preliminary Card
Featherweight: Gabriel Santos def. Jack Jenkins via submission: R3, 2.06
Lightweight: Tom Nolan def. Viacheslav Borshchev via unanimous decision (29-28×2, 30-27)
Womenās Flyweight: Wang Cong def. Bruna Brasil via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
Bantamweight: Aleksandre Topuria def. Colby Thicknesse via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
Early Preliminary Card
Lightweight: Rongzhu def. Kody Steele via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
Welterweight: Jonathan Micallef def. Kevin Jousset via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
Lightweight: Quillan Salkilld def. Anshul Jubli via TKO: R1, 0.19
Preliminary CardHighlights
Quillan Salkilld def. Anshul Jubli
Quillan Salkilld took just 19 seconds to TKO Anshul Jubli in their lightweight bout.
The UFC 312 pay-per-view recently concluded, and MMA News has you covered with the post-fight press conference in Sydney.
The Qudos Bank Arena played host to Octagon action on tonight, as the mixed martial arts leader continued its PPV schedule for 2025 with a lineup that featured two championships and a host of local names.
Of note were victories for Dricus Du Plessis, Zhang Weili, Jake Matthews and Tallison Teixeira.
And before attention turns to UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues at the Apex next weekend, there remains some business to attend to backstage at UFC 312.
Shortly after the main eventās ending, Dana White will appear in front of the media to reveal the recipients of the Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses before answering questions. The victorious fighters from UFC 312 will also take queries from the press in reaction to their performances.
With that said, see below for a live stream of the UFC 312 post-fight press conference via the UFCās official YouTube channel, commencing at 1:15 AM ET.
Despite coming into the bout as the betting underdog for the first time as a champion, Zhang Weili was able to dominate Tatiana Suarez in a five-round decision to end the challenger’s undefeated streak and retain the UFC women’s strawweight title in the UFC 312 co-main event.
Suarez easily took control of the fight in the opening minute, scoring a takedown. The American did not land shots but remained on top without much trouble. Suarez even looked for a guillotine, but she was unable to complete the choke.
Zhang was more than ready entering round two, however. She prevented a takedown and managed to drop right into mount. With the two practically against the fence in one way or another for quite a bit of the round, the defending champion landed plenty of shots from top control.
“Magnum” scored a couple of noteworthy strikes in the third round, including a right hand that clearly rocked Suarez. The champ continued to stop the takedown attempts from the challenger, displaying complete control of the action.
Zhang Weili Retains Strawweight Title, Hands Tatiana Suarez First Loss
“Magnum” continued this pace over the course of the next two rounds, stopping any attempts from Suarez to get back into the fight and dominating more in top control.
The judges ultimately scored the bout in the champ’s favor, with two 49-46s and a 49-45.
Zhang has now won five straight, including successful defenses against Amanda Lemos and Yan Xiaonan in her second reign as UFC strawweight champion. She now ties Joanna Jedrzejczyk with six successful defenses of the 115-pound title.
With her dominant victory tonight, some now wonder if “Magnum” will be booked for a superfight against flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko in the near future.
Meanwhile, this was Suarez’s first fight since her August 2023 win over Jessica Andrade.
Israel Adesanya’s recently gone on a rough patch in his MMA venture, including his knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov last week. But in a moment of lightness, he will be honored for putting on one of the greatest bouts in Octagon history as part of this year’s UFC Hall of Fame class.
Adesanya’s interim middleweight title fight with Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 will be inducted into the Fight Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame this summer during International Fight Week, the promotion announced during the UFC 312 pay-per-view.
The two put on an absolute war at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA, on that April 2019 night, with UFC CEO Dana White claiming in the immediate aftermath that it was one of the greatest fights he’s ever seen in his life.
Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum Announced For UFC Hall of Fame Class Of 2025
The fight was a back-and-forth affair, with plenty of moments from both men. Gastelum took many people by surprise when he rocked Adesanya with a head kick late in the fight. Adesanya, however, locked in and did plenty of damage during the final round, nearly prompting referee Marc Goddard to step in.
Adesanya ultimately won the interim title on a unanimous decision before going on to defeat Robert Whittaker later that year at UFC 243 to become undisputed UFC middleweight champion.
The fight joins The Ultimate Fighter Executive Producer Craig Piligian as the inductees announced thus far for the UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2025. More inductees are expected to be announced at the next couple of UFC pay-per-view events.
Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira have waged war plenty of times with one another between their time in kickboxing and MMA. But at UFC 312 in Australia, the longtime rivals appeared to be at peace, as the pair were sitting next to each other audience.
After images emerged of the two stars seated together, a video showed Pereira flipping the camera to Adesanya, with the fellow former UFC middleweight champion calmly exclaiming, “Chama” ā the catchphrase of the current UFC light heavyweight king.
Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya are currently together watching UFC 312 š pic.twitter.com/sJnLJblS42
Israel Adesanya, Alex Pereira Seated Next To One Another During UFC 312
Adesanya and Pereira fought twice in kickboxing. Pereira won both fights, once via decision and the other via knockout.
Pereira, who went on to win championships in GLORY Kickboxing, transitioned over to MMA full time and fought Adesanya twice there. Their first meeting came at UFC 281 in November 2022, with Pereira scoring a comeback fifth-round finish to win the UFC middleweight championship.
Adesanya finally scored a win and regained the title when he went on to knock out Pereira at UFC 287 five months later.
Their careers have gone in opposite directions since. Pereira has become the champion at 205 pounds, defeating the likes of JiÅĆ ProchĆ”zka, Jamahal Hill, and Khalil Rountree. “The Last Stylebender,” meanwhile, dropped the middleweight title in upset fashion to Sean Strickland, failed to regain the belt against Dricus Du Plessis, and was knocked out by Nassourdine Imavov last week at UFC Saudi Arabia.
Though the jury may still be out on him, Aleksandre Topuria, the brother of UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria, undoubtedly scored a victory in his Octagon debut, defeating Colby Thicknesse during the preliminary card of UFC 312 in Australia.
The Spaniard and his Australian foe traded plenty of strikes to start things off, with the former also shaking off a pair of takedown attempts in the fight’s opening minute.
Late in the first, Topuria rocked Thicknesse with a right hand, with the latter going down to the mat. In spite of “El Conquistador” taking his back, Thicknesse was able to get back to his feet and got away from his grasp. Topuria, however, managed to land one nasty-looking suplex in the round’s closing seconds.
Thicknesse picked up the pacing and volume of his striking in the second round. The Spanish newcomer, however, maintained his stalking, pressure-based approach en route to another strong performance.
By the middle of the third round, Topuria had stuffed eight of Thicknesse’s takedown attempts before “El Conquistador” took the fight to the ground himself. Ilia’s brother rode out about half of the final round in top position, controlling the position and stopping any desperation submission attempts from Thicknesse.
Aleksandre Topuria, Ilia’s Brother, Wins UFC Debut At UFC 312
Thoughts on Topuria (the brother)
Lacks killer instinct and volume Well rounded Able to prove he could go 3 rounds (cardio questions) Not the same power as his brother
Will be a good fighter in the UFC but never close to his brotherās level. #UFC312
The Spanish debutant went 2-1 in fights during 2015 before taking years off, helping Ilia out with his MMA journey. He competed three times between December 2021 and May 2023, winning all three fights, before making his UFC debut tonight.
Thicknesse, meanwhile,was 7-0 prior to tonight, most recently defeating Marven Malunes at a HEX Fight Series event in November.
The Perth native, who earned a contract by way of Dana White’s Contender Series, opened his Octagon account in style, flooring Anshul Jubli with a clean right hand on home soil.
Despite the Indian fighter immediately looking to grapple his way out of the situation, the referee had seen enough.
25-year-old Salkilld is now 8-1 as a professional, with six of his wins coming via finishes. Jubli, meanwhile, has lost back-to-back fights since winning the Road to UFC tournament.
Tonight’s UFC 312 PPV will be headlined by two title fights, with Dricus Du Plessis defending his middleweight belt in a rematch against Sean Strickland and strawweight queen Zhang Weili facing a challenge from undefeated contender Tatiana Suarez.
Colby Thicknesse is vowing to show the difference in ability between Ilia Topuria and the featherweight kingpin’s UFC debuting brother this weekend.
The preliminary card of Saturday’s UFC 312 pay-per-view will see two prominent newcomers collide, with Thicknesse and Aleksandre Topuria getting their first taste of Octagon action against one another.
The Australian bantamweight, a teammate of Alexander Volkanovski’s, boasts an undefeated record and is coming off championship success under the HEX Fight Series banner. In “El Conquistador,” though, Thicknesse is facing the sibling of one of the most feared and dominant men in the UFC right now.
But challenging an opponent who trains alongside the current 145-pound champ and shares the same name doesn’t faze the local favorite, who is confident in rejecting any comparison between the two when it comes to skill level.
“He’s definitely got the same sort of style because they train together, but he’s not his brother, and I’m going to go out there on (Saturday) and show it,” Thicknesse said during UFC 312 media day. “He hasn’t really beaten anybody noticeable. His opponent’s combined records aren’t that great. Come (Saturday), I get to go out and show that against him.”
Sayif Saud, head coach at Fortis MMA, anticipates an all-out war between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland in their UFC 312 rematch this Saturday.
The two middleweights will run it back less than a year after their closely contested fight at UFC 297, where Du Plessis captured the middleweight title by split decision. Their first encounter was action-packed, with both fighters believing they had done enough to win.
Now, they meet again in Sydney, with Strickland blaming his previous loss on an alleged illegal headbutt and questionable judging. Meanwhile, Du Plessis sees no controversy and aims for a decisive victory to silence any doubts.
āSean Strickland is not a f*cking game,ā Saud told MMA Junkie. āSean Strickland is a guy that I think builds confidence with experience. He has experience in there with Dricus, going at Dricus. People are kind of counting him out a little bit more in this fight, saying, āWell, Dricus is going to finish, Dricus is getting better and better.ā That might be the case, but I still see this as a very close fight. I just think with the experience that Sean Strickland has, mentally, I feel like heāll be more prepared. But again, the champion is 30 percent better every time.
āYou become the champion, youāre literally 30 percent better. The confidence that comes with that. Dricus is a f*cking beast. He knows it doesnāt look great, but he donāt care. His whole thing is, āIām going to out-will you.ā And thatās powerful, man. Fighting is about will, and he out-wills people. He really, really does. But that aināt going to be easy to go do against Sean Strickland, because Sean Strickland is a five-round fighter.ā
Saud believes Du Plessis will be ready if Strickland comes out aggressively looking for a finish. Because of this, he dismisses any predictions of a dull fight, expecting an even more intense battle than their first encounter.
āI think weāre going to see what we saw (in the first fight), but a little more aggressive version of that,ā Saud said. āI think theyāre going to add on a bit, theyāre going to study the tape, and theyāre going to come up with some more stuff. But Dricusā coach is really, really good at game planning. This is going to be a real chess match between these two, and itās going to be violent.ā
The title clash at the top of the card will see Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland’s feud reach a second chapter 13 months on from the South African’s crowning in Canada. They’ll renew hostilities after both recording a victory apiece since their tight five-round headliner at UFC 297.
Beforehand, another champ will be in action as strawweight queen Zhang Weili gets her campaign for the new year underway. To extend her second reign beyond its third title defense, the Chinese standout is tasked with blemishing the currently perfect record of challenger Tatiana Suarez.
UFC 312: Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 Weigh-In Results
UFC 312 takes place Saturday, February 8 (February 9 local time) at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6 PM ET/3 PM PT.
See above for a replay of the UFC 312Ā Weigh-In Show, and check out the results below.
Main Card:
Middleweight Championship: Dricus Du Plessis (185lbs) vs. Sean Strickland (185lbs)
Womenās Strawweight Championship: Zhang Weili (115lbs) vs. Tatiana Suarez (114.5lbs)
Heavyweight: Justin Tafa (266lbs) vs. Tallison Teixeira (263lbs)
Light Heavyweight: Jimmy Crute (206lbs) vs. Rodolfo Bellato (205lbs)
Welterweight: Jake Matthews (170.5lbs) vs. Francisco Prado (170.5lbs)
Preliminary Card:
Featherweight: Jack Jenkins (146lbs) vs. Gabriel Santos (145.5lbs)
Lightweight: Tom Nolan (155.5lbs) vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (156lbs)
Womenās Flyweight: Wang Cong (125lbs) vs. Bruna Brasil (125.5lbs)
Bantamweight: Colby Thicknesse (135.5lbs) vs. Aleksandre Topuria (135.5lbs)
Early Preliminary Card:
Lightweight: Rongzhu (156lbs) vs. Kody Steele (156lbs)
Welterweight: Kevin Jousset (171lbs) vs. Jonathan Micallef (170lbs)
Lightweight: Quillan Salkilld (156lbs) vs. Anshul Jubli (155.5lbs)
Flyweight: HyunSung Park vs. Nyamjargal Tumendemberel*
*Due to weight management issues with Nyamjargal Tumendemberel, his flyweight bout with HyunSung Park has been canceled.Ā
The UFC 312 main event will see middleweight kingpin Dricus Du Plessis defend his title for the second time since capturing it at the expense of Sean Strickland 13 months ago. To continue his reign, the South African is tasked with repeating that feat in a rematch opposite “Tarzan.”
Co-headlining UFC 312 will be another champ in Zhang Weili, who will look to maintain her status as strawweight queen by blemishing the currently perfect record of Tatiana Suarez.
UFC 312: MMA News Staff Predictions
Ahead of SaturdayāsĀ UFC 312Ā event, Thomas Albano, Ryan Jarrell, Pranav Pandey and Aakrit Sharma have provided their picks for the five matchups set for the main card.
Below, you can check out the current leaderboard through one card in 2025.
Thomas Albano (2-1) & Pranav Pandey (2-1)
Ryan Jarrell (1-2) & Aakrit Sharma (1-2)
And with that, itās time for the teamās predictions for UFC 312.
Welterweight: Jake Matthews vs. Francisco Prado
Images: UFC.com
Thomas Albano:Ā Francisco Prado did quite well for himself on the regional scene, but he enters tonight just 1-2 in the Octagon, competing in his first fight in about a year. He wonāt be an easy pushover opponent for native hero Jake Matthews, however. Matthews has competed in the UFC for over 10 years now, and that experience will prove to be highly valuable in this kind of matchup. While Matthews has traded wins and losses since the end of a three-fight win streak that he had entering 2021, heās got the reach advantage and a real developed all-around skillset that should net him a win at UFC 312. (Prediction: Jake Matthews)
Ryan Jarrell:Ā Matthews looked impressive in his recent victory over Phil Rowe. The Aussie is 30 years old now and entering his athletic prime. Prado is 1-2 in the UFC and coming off a convincing loss to Daniel Zellhuber. On the other hand, Matthews is 13-7 in the UFC and looking like the best version of himself. The Australian does a good job of mixing things up and is very difficult to control when heās mixing up his wrestling with his great striking. This should be another close fight overall, but if this goes to the judges, Iād be shocked if the hometown fighter doesnāt get the nod. (Prediction: Jake Matthews)
Pranav Pandey:Ā This is a tough one to call, and honestly, Iām on the fence about picking a winner. But if we go by the numbers and odds, Matthews ā a decade-long UFC veteran ā has the experience edge and a reach advantage to work with. Add in the passionate Aussie crowd behind him, and heās got the tools to take down the young and hungry Prado. If he plays his cards right at UFC 312, this could be another much-needed win in his rollercoaster of a career. (Prediction: Jake Matthews)
Aakrit Sharma: I can only see one upside for Matthews in this fight, and that’s the fact heās been fighting at welterweight for quite some time. In terms of pure skill, Prado is really hard to deny, considering all 12 of his victories have been finishes (6 subs and 6 KOs). The loss to Zellhuber doesnāt take away a lot from Prado because the Mexican is easily one of the most durable and talented strikers in the lightweight division. The Argentine will carry more power at welterweight, which should concern Matthews because the Australian relies heavily on his chin and gets hit a lot.
The fact that Pradoās just 22 makes me confident that heās constantly improving. I anticipate him to have a solid start, but if Matthews can weather the early storm as usual, he could very well wrestle his way to victory. I am expecting this to be one of the most exciting fights of the night, and although Matthews is a huge step up in competition, Iām picking Prado to emerge victorious at UFC 312. (Prediction: Francisco Prado)
Consensus:Ā 3-1 Jake Matthews
Light Heavyweight: Jimmy Crute vs. Rodolfo Bellato
Images: UFC.com
Thomas Albano:Ā Itās really unfortunate to see whatās happened to Jimmy Crute. He was being talked about with plenty of hype and hope after his performance onĀ Dana Whiteās Contender Series, starting his Octagon run off with four wins in five fights, including a submission of Paul Craig in his UFC debut. Now, heās gone winless in his last four fights, having not secured a win in the UFC since October 2020. And that isnāt good when taking on an up-and-comer like Rodolfo Bellato at UFC 312.
While he was unsuccessful in his firstĀ DWCSĀ attempt, Bellato made a name for himself by becoming a champion in the LFA before securing a win in his secondĀ DWCSĀ appearance. And in his UFC debut back in December 2023, Bellato put his name out there with a second-round finish of Ihor Potieria. While he hasnāt fought since, I feel confident in selecting Bellato based on momentum alone. (Prediction: Rodolfo Bellato)
Ryan Jarrell:Ā This should be another fun, action-packed fight at UFC 312. There is no question that Crute has faced the tougher competition, and he will be fighting in front of his home crowd, which should juice him up ever more. Crute is in desperate need of a win if he wants to keep his job in the UFC. I think that Bellato is the more well-rounded fighter and deserves to be the favorite, which the odds reflect. But I think Crute will be energized by the Australian crowd and will exhibit the best of version of himself with his back against the wall at UFC 312. (Prediction: Jimmy Crute)
Pranav Pandey:Ā Cruteās career hasnāt taken off the way many expected ā itās been four years since his last win, and thatās a brutal dry spell for the Aussie. On the flip side, Bellato has been turning heads, especially with his performance against Ihor Potieria. Heās anything but a one-dimensional fighter, bringing a well-rounded arsenal to the Octagon. Unless Crute finds a way to flip the script, this oneās looking like a smooth ride for Bellato at UFC 312. (Prediction: Rodolfo Bellato)
Aakrit Sharma: Both Crute and Bellato will be entering the Octagon at UFC 312 after a silent 2024 as they last fought in July 2023 and December 2023, respectively. This is an important fight for Crute as heās lost three of his last four. Bellato is yet to face the best in the UFC light heavyweight division, but heās walked through all of his opponents with ease, except Vitor Petrino. As much as I want Crute to get back to the win column, I believe itāll be a rough night for him because Bellato boasts KO power and Crute simply hasnāt shown anything special since October 2020. (Prediction: Rodolfo Bellato)
Consensus:Ā 3-1 Rodolfo Bellato
Heavyweight: Justin Tafa vs. Tallison Teixeira
Images: UFC.com
Thomas Albano:Ā This UFC 312 fight is simple to predict, and while I understand putting Justin Tafa on the card given itās Australia, itās a shame that this fight is being placed as such a featured bout on the pay-per-view. Both men have finishing power and will be looking to end things rather quick. While Tafa doesnāt have a great track record in MMA when fights drag on, Tallison Teixeira has finished all five of the fights heās had prior to UFC 312, four of them coming by KO/TKO.
This one will end early, but in favor of whom? Personally, I feel Teixeiraās youth and skillset (not to mention Tafaās inconsistency) gives him the edge. (Prediction: Tallison Teixeira)
Ryan Jarrell:Ā Someone is going to sleep in this one. I always seem to forget that Tafa is still just in his early 30s. Maybe itās because he doesnāt fight very often and his last fight to Karl Williams was rather forgettable. Teixeira is undefeated at 7-0 and six of those wins are by TKO/KO. He looked impressive beating Arthur Lopes on DWCS. This is definitely a step up in competition, but I expect the Brazilian to rise to the occasion and notch a highlight finish in his UFC debut. (Prediction: Tallison Teixeira)
Pranav Pandey:Ā When heavyweights collide, wild knockouts are almost inevitable ā and Iāve got a strong feeling weāre in for another one in this showdown. Both Tafa and Teixeira pack serious firepower, but the young, undefeated Brazilian holds a massive reach advantage, making him an even bigger threat in the striking exchanges. That being said, “Bad Man” will have the Aussie crowd roaring behind him, and that energy could push him to turn this into a gritty test for Teixeira. However, I see āXicaoā rising to the occasion and delivering a statement performance under the brightest lights of his career at UFC 312. (Prediction: Tallison Teixeira)
Aakrit Sharma: This is a classic heavyweight bout where the first fighter to land the biggest blow should win via KO. The other potential outcome is that they both respect each otherās power too much and end up giving fans a snoozefest. Teixeira has won all seven of his fights in the first round, and the lack of big names on his record wouldāve been a huge problem if this was a lower weight class. At heavyweight, pure knockout power is enough to help you climb the ranks, and the likes of Derrick Lewis and Francis Ngannou (early in his career) are perfect examples of that. Because Teixeira also has a significant reach advantage, Iām picking him to get another early KO win over Tafa at UFC 312. (Prediction: Tallison Teixeira)
Consensus:Ā 4-0 Tallison Teixeira
UFC Strawweight Title: Zhang Weili vs. Tatiana Suarez
Images: @ufc/@tatianasuarezufc/Instagram
Thomas Albano:Ā This is the toughest fight at UFC 312 to pick, for me. Zhang Weili has done incredible things in her time with the UFC, winning the UFC womenās strawweight title twice and putting on some of the more memorable performances in the Octagon. But you have to feel great for Tatiana Suarez to get this opportunity after all the injury time she has had to endure since the start of this decade. Suarez has continued to look well even in the time sheās been away from the cage. The only problem is āMagnumā is just simply incredible.
Zhang will have the clear striking advantage, and even if Suarez gets this fight to the ground, Zhang should have less of a difficult time in fighting back than some of Suarezās other opponents have. There will hopefully be another time for Suarez to get a second crack at the gold (and maybe win it), but it wonāt be on this night. (Prediction: Zhang Weili)
Ryan Jarrell:Ā This is without question your typical striker versus wrestler matchup and I am here for it. At one point, I wasnāt so sure that anyone could beat the champion. Then I saw her fight with Yan Xiaonan and I started to feel very different. Zhang is not the indestructible force that some, including me, thought she was.
I expect the challenger to use her strength and wrestling to wear down the champ and drag her into deep waters. Zhang has the stand up skills to finish the fight against anyone, but I think Suarez will fight smart and stick to her gameplan through this fight. I can even see Suarez getting a finish at some point, but because I have so much respect for the current champion, I donāt think the finish will materialize at UFC 312. (Prediction: Tatiana Suarez)
Pranav Pandey:Ā Iāll keep it simple ā Zhang is an absolute machine. The sheer volume of strikes she unleashes is absurd, but thatās not even the scariest part. What truly makes her a dominant force is her near-impenetrable takedown defense and rock-solid grappling resistance. On the other hand, Suarez is a grappling phenom and a submission specialist who has made a habit of dismantling former champions. But hereās the catch ā sheās spent a significant portion of her career on the sidelines, and I believe that layoff will play a massive role in this fight.
So, what happens if the challenger canāt keep Weili grounded? Simple ā sheās going to get systematically picked apart by “Magnum.” And if thatās the case, this oneās looking like a clean, decisive win for the champ at UFC 312. (Prediction: Zhang Weili)
Zhangās almost the perfect womenās strawweight fighter thanks to her clean striking, strength, wrestling prowess and cardio. Iām not counting out Suarez entirely, but the challenger will surely need the best performance of her life to emerge victorious. The champion, on the other hand, already has a wealth of experience fighting the best of the best in the UFC, and itās unlikely sheāll be overwhelmed by anything this weekend. So, Iām picking Zhang to retain her womenās strawweight championship at UFC 312. (Prediction: Zhang Weili)
Consensus:Ā 3-1 Zhang Weili
UFC Middleweight Title: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland
Image: UFC.com
Thomas Albano:Ā The first time Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland met for the middleweight title, it was a fight that caused a lot of uproar in the MMA community. It appeared to be a closely contested fight, with many, including UFC CEO Dana White, feeling that Strickland deserved the nod. Despite this, White did not give Strickland an immediate rematch, instead favoring an eagerly anticipated bout between Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya. Now, at UFC 312, we finally see these two clash again.
Watching the fight live, I had it three rounds to two in favor of Du Plessis, and I still feel this way watching the rematch. Strickland landed some of the stronger strikes in the fight, and had a solid round five. Prior to that, however, Du Plessis not only matched or exceeded Strickland in terms of damage but also controlled the pace. This brings about plenty of questions as to how each made adjustments entering this next fight. Ultimately, however, when you consider both menās fighting styles and compare their records, my UFC 312 pick is still with the man currently holding the gold. (Prediction: Dricus Du Plessis)
Ryan Jarrell:Ā If this rematch is anything like the first fight, then we are in for a bloody treat. Considering the adjustments that could be made, the styles that these two both possess really line this rematch up for an interesting title fight. I feel like Iāve learned my lesson picking against Du Plessis at this point. The champion might not have the most appealing style, but you cannot argue with his effectiveness. I expect Strickland to give the champion some issues early on, but at the end of the day, the wrestling of the South African will be the difference in winning rounds en route to a successful defense of his title. (Prediction: Dricus Du Plessis)
Pranav Pandey:Ā Both fighters know each otherās game inside and out, and with that burning familiarity comes a new level of calculated chaos. When it comes to chaos, “Stillknocks” is a walking nightmare. His wildly unpredictable style has turned every opponent heās faced into a puzzle they couldnāt solve. But standing in his way is Strickland, armed with his unorthodox Philly shell stance, which enables him to apply relentless pressure. Their first encounter was a blood-soaked slugfest, and the sequel at UFC 312? I have a hunch this time, we wonāt hear the final bell toll.
Iām backing DDP this time around, and for good reason. Heās a well-rounded wrecking machine, unloading power punches at will while keeping the constant danger of a submission lurking if the fight hits the canvas. And something tells me weāre in for a taste of that on Saturday night. Now, Strickland is undoubtedly one of the sharpest boxers in the middleweight division, but his game lacks variety. That could be his undoing. Heāll bring the heat and make life miserable for the champ, but nothing Du Plessis isnāt built to withstand. (Prediction: Dricus Du Plessis)
Aakrit Sharma: Here we go again! This is easily one of the weirdest matchups stylistically in the UFC middleweight division because Du Plessisā style is incomprehensible on any given day, while Strickland just manages to make every fight close with his constant teeps, jabs, and defense. Strickland is undoubtedly a better striker than Du Plessis in my mind, and he was able to neutralize the South Africanās wrestling to a large extent in the first fight. Having said that, itās hard to pick against Du Plessis at this point in his career. Heās arguably in his physical prime, undefeated in the UFC, and has beaten the likes of Robert Whittaker, Strickland, and Adesanya in back-to-back fights.
Du Plessis has flaws ā a lot of them, in fact. However, his willingness to never back down and come up with the most unorthodox techniques makes him the most dangerous middleweight in the world. Technically, there is no way to prepare for a fighter like this, as he rarely showcases any patterns in his striking or ground game. If Strickland yet again sticks to his overly defensive and safe style, Iām sure the champion will already be a lot more prepared than their last outing. The challenger also rarely shows the intent to finish his fights which should work against him at UFC 312.
Based on his grit and recent momentum, Iām picking Dricus Du Plessis to retain his middleweight championship at UFC 312 this weekend. (Prediction: Dricus Du Plessis)
Consensus:Ā 4-0 Dricus Du Plessis
Thatāll do it for our UFC 312 staff picks! What do you think? Do your predictions look similar? Let us know in the comments section! Also, you can check out the full UFC 312 card below.
Main Card:
Middleweight Championship: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland
Women’s Strawweight Championship: Zhang Weili vs. Tatiana Suarez
Heavyweight: Justin Tafa vs. Tallison Teixeira
Light Heavyweight: Jimmy Crute vs. Rodolfo Bellato
Welterweight: Jake Matthews vs. Francisco Prado
Preliminary Card:
Featherweight: Jack Jenkins vs. Gabriel Santos
Lightweight: Tom Nolan vs. Viacheslav Borshchev
Women’s Flyweight: Wang Cong vs. Bruna Brasil
Bantamweight: Colby Thicknesse vs. Aleksandre Topuria
Early Preliminary Card:
Lightweight: Rongzhu vs. Kody Steele
Welterweight: Kevin Jousset vs. Jonathan Micallef
Lightweight: Quillan Salkilld vs. Anshul Jubli
Flyweight: HyunSung Park vs. Nyamjargal Tumendemberel
Be sure to keep it right here on MMANews.com for all the results, highlights, and updates on UFC 312!
