February 4, 2025 9:20 pm ET
The UFC’s second numbered occasion of 2025 goes down Saturday with UFC 312 at Qudos Financial institution Enviornment in Sydney.
Two championship fights take middle stage “Down Below,” with Dricus Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and Sean Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) set to rematch for middleweight gold in the principle occasion, whereas Zhang Weili (25-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) places her strawweight belt up for grabs towards the unbeaten Tatiana Suarez (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) within the co-headliner.
For extra on the numbers behind the cardboard, examine under for MMA Junkie’s pre-event info about UFC 312.
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Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland
Dricus Du Plessis
Dricus Du Plessis
Du Plessis is one in every of 14 undisputed middleweight champions in UFC historical past.
Du Plessis is the one South African champion in UFC historical past.
Du Plessis is one in every of 5 fighters in UFC historical past to drive a title change by cut up determination. Alexandre Pantoja, Robbie Lawler, Henry Cejudo and Carla Esparza additionally achieved the feat.
Du Plessis’ eight-fight UFC successful streak at middleweight is the longest lively streak within the division.
Du Plessis’ eight-fight UFC successful streak at middleweight is tied for the fourth-longest streak in divisional historical past behind Anderson Silva (13), Israel Adesanya (12) and Chris Weidman (9).
Du Plessis has earned 20 of his 22 profession victories by stoppage. He’s completed eight of these wins in Spherical 1.
Du Plessis lands 6.18 vital strikes per minute in UFC middleweight competitors, the second-highest price in divisional historical past behind Strickland (6.32).
Sean Strickland
Sean Strickland
Strickland is one in every of 14 undisputed middleweight champions in UFC historical past.
Strickland is 7-3 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in October 2020.
Strickland is one in every of 17 fighters in historical past to earn victories in three UFC weight lessons. He’s gained at mild heavyweight, middleweight and welterweight.
Strickland is one in every of three fighters in UFC historical past to earn victories at mild heavyweight, middleweight and welterweight. Ildemar Alcantara and Trevin Giles additionally achieved the feat.
Strickland’s two victories in a 14-day stretch at UFC Struggle Evening 181 and UFC Struggle Evening 182 are tied for the third shortest span between non-tournament UFC wins.
Strickland’s common battle time of 17:37 in UFC middleweight competitors is longest in divisional historical past.
Strickland has landed 1,337 vital strikes in UFC middleweight competitors, the second-most in divisional historical past behind Michael Bisping (1,384).
Strickland lands 6.32 vital strikes per minute in UFC middleweight competitors, the best price in divisional historical past.
Strickland defends 62.3 % of all opponent strike makes an attempt in UFC middleweight competitors, the best price amongst lively fighters within the weight class.
Zhang Weili vs. Tatiana Suarez
Zhang Weili
Zhang Weili
Weili is the one Chinese language fighter in historical past to win a UFC title.
Weili’s 5 victories in UFC bantamweight title fights are second-most in divisional historical past behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (six).
Weili’s 4 stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competitors are tied for fifth-most in divisional historical past behind Jessica Andrade (5), Rose Namajunas (5), Mackenzie Dern (5) and Amanda Lemos (5).
Weili’s two knockout victories in UFC strawweight competitors are tied for third-most in divisional historical past behind Andrade (4) and Lemos (three).
Weili’s disparity of +267 in whole strikes landed (296 to 29) at UFC 292 is the second-biggest margin in a title battle. Kamaru Usman outlanded Tyron Woodley by a +276 margin at UFC 235.
Weili and Jedrzejczyk mixed for 351 vital strikes landed at UFC 248, the third most in UFC title-fight historical past. Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega holds the document with 400 whole at UFC 231.
Weili’s 5 fight-night bonuses in UFC strawweight bouts are fourth-most in divisional historical past behind Andrade (9), Dern (seven) and Namajunas (six).
Tatiana Suarez
Tatiana Suarez
Suarez can change into the fifteenth fighter in UFC historical past to win an undisputed championship with an undefeated document.
Suarez’s seven-fight UFC successful streak is tied with Manon Fiorot for the longest lively streak amongst feminine fighters within the firm.
Suarez’s six-fight UFC successful streak in strawweight competitors is the longest lively streak within the division.
Suarez’s 4 stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competitors are tied for fifth-most in divisional historical past behind Andrade (5), Namajunas (5), Dern (5) and Amanda Lemos (5).
Suarez’s three submission victories in UFC strawweight competitors are tied for second-most in divisional historical past behind Dern (5).
Suarez has accomplished a number of takedowns towards all seven of her UFC opponents.
Suarez completes 65.8 % of her takedown makes an attempt in UFC strawweight competitors, the most effective price in divisional historical past.
Suarez lands 63.6 % of her vital strike makes an attempt in UFC strawweight competitors, the most effective price in divisional historical past.
Suarez absorbs simply 1.48 vital strikes per minute in UFC strawweight competitors, the most effective price in divisional historical past.
Jimmy Crute vs. Rodolfo Bellato
Jimmy Crute
Jimmy Crute’s (12-4-1 MMA, 4-4-1 UFC) four-fight winless skid is the longest of his profession. He hasn’t earned a victory since October 2020.
Crute completes 57.6 % of his takedown makes an attempt in UFC mild heavyweight competitors, the second-best price in divisional historical past behind Lyoto Machida (65 %).
Crute is one in every of 5 fighters in UFC historical past to earn a number of submission victories by kimura. Krzysztof Soszynski, Rani Yahya, Frank Mir and George Sotiropoulos additionally achieved the feat.
Crute’s victory on the 4:51 mark of Spherical 3 at UFC Struggle Evening 142 is the second newest end in a three-round UFC mild heavyweight battle behind Paul Craig’s win at 4:59 of Spherical 3 at UFC Struggle Evening 127.
Jake Matthews vs. Francisco Prado
Jake Matthews
Jake Matthews (19-7 MMA, 13-7 UFC) makes his twenty first octagon look, probably the most by any Australian-born fighter in firm historical past.
Matthews has alternated wins and losses over his previous seven fights. He was victorious in his most up-to-date bout at UFC 302 in June.
Matthews is 9-4 since he moved as much as the UFC welterweight division in November 2017.
Colby Thicknesse vs. Aleksandre Topuria
Aleksandre Topuria, Ilia Topuria
Aleksandre Topuria (5-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), the older brother of UFC featherweight champion Ilia, debuts and turns into the thirty third sibling mixture in firm historical past.
Wang Cong vs. Bruna Brasil
Bruna Brasil
Bruna Brasil (10-4-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) strikes as much as the ladies’s flyweight division after spending his earlier UFC tenure at strawweight.
For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC 312.
UFC analysis analyst and reside statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Comply with him on X @MJCflipdascript.
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