MMA’s leading promotion is set for an electric start to the new year, with a blockbuster lineup for Los Angeles in January being followed by two more championship fights at UFC 312 in Australia.
After opening its pay-per-view account for 2025 with Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan 2 and Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov at LA’s Intuit Dome, the UFC will be back in Sydney for its latest show at the Qudos Bank Arena.
And returning to the site where he was shockingly crowned middleweight champion in 2023 will be Sean Strickland (29-6). Despite Khamzat Chimaev gaining support for his claim to a title shot, “Tarzan” will indeed get his chance for redemption at UFC 312 opposite the man who dethroned him this past January, Dricus Du Plessis (22-2).
That news was announced by the broadcast team during Saturday’s UFC 310 PPV, alongside news of the Feb. 8 co-headliner between strawweight queen Zhang Weili (25-3) and undefeated contender Tatiana Suarez (10-0).
Du Plessis has recorded one title defense since dethroning Strickland, submitting former two-time champ Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth this past August. The American challenger, meanwhile, successfully staked his claim for a rematch opposite the South African by outpointing Paulo Costa in a lackluster five-round affair in Newark.
For Zhang, UFC 312 will mark her second challenge since returning to the throne at the expense of Carla Esparza in late 2023. She most recently defeated fellow Chinese standout Yan Xiaonan at UFC 300 this past April. In Suarez, “Magnum” faces a highly regarded wrestler who has long been touted for success on MMA’s biggest stage. She’ll look to ensure her injuries are a thing of the past and open a new era at 115 pounds.
With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at UFC 312 in Sydney on Feb. 8 are as follows:
- Dricus Du Plessis (C) vs. Sean Strickland (middleweight championship)
- Zhang Weili (C) vs. Tatiana Suarez (women’s strawweight championship)
- Jimmy Crute vs. Marcin Prachnio (light heavyweight)
- Rei Tsuruya vs. Stewart Nicoll (flyweight)
- Quillan Salkilld vs. Anshul Jubli (lightweight)
