Two titles will be on the line at UFC 312 in Sydney, with middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis (22-2) facing Sean Strickland (29-6) in the main event, while women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili (25-3) returns to face Tatiana Suarez (10-0).
The event, which goes down at Qudos Bank Arena on February 9, sees du Plessis return to the country in which he defeated Israel Adesanya back in August, while former champion Strickland is also back at the venue he won the title in last September.
South Africa’s du Plessis ascended to the top of the pile at middleweight when he defeated Strickland via split decision in January this year.
Strickland has fought once since then, defeating Paulo Costa by split decision in June, while du Plessis made the first defence of his belt when submitting Adesanya.
There had been calls for Khamzat Chimaev to get the next shot at du Plessis but the American has got the nod and will return to Australia despite earlier saying he wouldn’t on social media.
Get ready for TWO title fights down under ??@DricusDuPlessis vs @SeanStricklandMMA 2@MMAWeili vs @TatianaUFC
✈️?️#UFC312 | Tickets on sale next week | #FeelNewSydney pic.twitter.com/xYNewQgdjr
— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) December 8, 2024
In the chief support, China’s Zhang will face the undefeated Suarez.
Suarez has been viewed by a not-insignificant portion of the fanbase to be the heir apparent to the 115-lb throne for at least five years, with her freestyle wrestling background and formidable record making her seem inevitable.
However, the former medalist at the World Wrestling Championships, as well as gold medalist of the Pan-American Games and World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championships, had years of her career taken away due to injury.
Since returning to the UFC octagon in 2023, Suarez won one flyweight fight and a strawweight fight against former champion Jessica Andrade before another injury took another year of her career.
The promotion attempted to schedule the American wrestler against BJJ expert Virna Jandiroba for UFC 310. After that fight got scrapped, the UFC clearly pivoted to this booking as champion Zhang Weili had no other contender available save for Jandiroba.
Weili is a two-time women’s strawweight champion; she defended the belt once the first time around before losing to Rose Namajunas, but has since regained the belt and defended it twice.
The pound-for-pound great Chinese champion did defend her belt the last two times against strikers Yan Xiaonan and Amanda Lemos, so Suarez will be a new challenge entirely.
