UFC 312
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
|---|---|
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
UFC 312: du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 9, 2025, hosted at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Background
This event represented the UFC's seventh occasion hosting a fight night in Sydney, marking their return since UFC 293 held in September 2023.
The main attraction featured a rematch for the UFC Middleweight Championship between reigning titleholder Dricus du Plessis, who is also a former KSW Welterweight Champion, and former champion Sean Strickland. Their initial encounter took place at UFC 297, where du Plessis secured the championship by split decision.
The secondary headline bout showcased a contest for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship pitting two-time titleholder Zhang Weili against strawweight victor Tatiana Suarez, known from The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. Team Cláudia.
In the light heavyweight division, a matchup between Jimmy Crute and ex-LFA Light Heavyweight Champion Rodolfo Bellato was arranged following the withdrawal of original competitor Marcin Prachnio due to undisclosed reasons.
A scheduled flyweight clash between Road to UFC Season 2 champion Rei Tsuruya and Stewart Nicoll was called off because of Nicoll's injury.
Aleksandre Topuria, making his promotional debut, was initially set to face Cody Haddon in a bantamweight fight; however, Haddon pulled out owing to a foot injury and was substituted by fellow newcomer Colby Thicknesse.
Another flyweight bout involving Road to UFC Season 1 winner Park Hyun-sung and Nyamjargal Tumendemberel was canceled as Nyamjargal failed to meet weight requirements.
During the event broadcast, it was revealed that the interim UFC Middleweight Championship bout between Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 in April 2019 will be inducted into the "fight wing" of the UFC Hall of Fame during International Fight Week in Las Vegas. Adesanya emerged victorious via unanimous decision in that contest.
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were awarded to the following fighters:
- Fight of the Night: Rong Zhu vs. Kody Steele
- Performance of the Night: Tallison Teixeira and Quillan Salkilld