UFC 312 results and highlights as Dricus du Plessis and Zhang Weili retain titles in style

Tom Naghten

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UFC 312 results and highlights as Dricus du Plessis and Zhang Weili retain titles in style image

Dricus du Plessis ensured the middleweight title remained in South Africa with a clinical victory over Sean Strickland at UFC 312 at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena.

In what was a rematch of their contentious UFC 297 clash, du Plessis left no doubt this time around, turning in an emphatic striking display to retain the belt via unanimous decision (50-45 x2, 49-46).

Strickland was unable to get any momentum in the striking exchanges, as du Plessis’ variety of attacks continuously scored and, in the fourth round, appeared to break the challenger’s nose.

Following the bout, "Stillknocks", who improved to 23-2, declared himself a top three pound-for-pound fighter, while Strickland, who is now 29-7, conceded du Plessis "kicked his ass."

UFC boss Dana White later suggested a bout with Khamzat Chimaev was next up for the champion.

In the co-main event, China’s Zhang Weili proved too good for Tatiana Suarez, delivering a complete mixed martial arts performance to retain the strawweight world championship.

Weili more than matched the credentialed, and previously undefeated, American in the wrestling and was a class above on the feet, claiming a one-sided unanimous-decision victory (49-46 x2, 49-45) to move to 26-3 and earn her sixth win in a world title bout.

Given the dominant nature of her win, and the lack of obvious contenders, White hinted a super-fight with flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko could be on the cards in the future.

At heavyweight Tallison Teixeira improved to 8-0, making an impressive maiden bow in the UFC by stopping Justin Tafa in the first minute, with an elbow in the clinch doing the damage.

Jimmy Crute returned after 18 months and looked to have done enough to earn the win over Rodolfo Bellato, having nearly finished the Brazilian in the first round, unfortunately for the Victorian, two judges had it a draw.

To kick off the main card, Jake Matthews earned back-to-back victories for the first time since 2020, defeating Francisco Prado via unanimous decision on the back of some crisp boxing.

Brazil’s Gabriel Santos claimed a third-round submission victory over Jack Jenkins courtesy of a rear naked choke in the feature prelim.

In a bout which was as much about the corners as it was the UFC debutants in the cage, Aleksandre Topuria, the older brother of featherweight champion Ilia, scored a unanimous-decision victory over Colby Thicknesse, who had former 145lb king Alex Volkanovski as one of his coaches.

To kick off the card, Aussie Quillan Salkilld couldn’t have had a better maiden UFC appearance, knocking out Anshul Jubli just 19 seconds into the first round.

Here's how it all went down at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena:

UFC 312 results, highlights

Dricus du Plessis outstrikes Sean Strickland to retain 185lb title

(50-45 x2, 49-46)

Round 5: Both guys are showing signs of fatigue now but the bout stays standing. Strickland is looking for a way in but du Plessis is untroubled by most his attacks. Strickland stuffs a takedown attempt to keep it on the feet. The crowd is getting a little restless now, willing the challenger on to take some risks. Strickland's face is an absolute mess. Du Plessis slaps him across the face with another switch high kick. That's it, the decision is only going one way.

SN unofficial scorecard: 50-45 du Plessis

Round 4: Strickland's nose looks broken, possibly from a jab. It's pouring blood and he is back peddling hard. Du Plessis has his tail up now but Strickland has regained some composure. The challenger lands a hard 1-2 to get du Plessis' attention. The South African has an answer for anything coming at him at the moment. Strickland needs a stoppage in the last.

SN unofficial scorecard: 40-36 du Plessis

Round 3: Du Plessis gets the better of a close-range exchange. Strickland a touch gun shy at the moment, although that is his MO. Some damage showing on Strickland's front leg but he doesn't seem compromised at this stage. Du Plessis lands a spinning backfist but the American shakes it off. The variety and unorthodox nature of the champ's offence is enough to keep Strickland ay bay. Du Plessis hits the target with a spinning elbow but Strickland's chin holds up. He fires back late in the round but du Plessis responds with a takedown. Strickland needs to change it up.

SN unofficial scorecard: 30-27 du Plessis

Round 2: They trade kicks to open the second, du Plessis with more volume and variety. Strickland connects with some punches as they exchange. The champ chopping the legs but Strickland times a right hand on the counter to get a reaction. Strickland bloodied around the mouth. A left over the top gets through for du Plessis, with a switch kick to the head following shortly after. Another close DDP round on the back of activity.

SN unofficial scorecard: 20-18 du Plessis

Round 1: Cagey opening, Strickland on the jab as expected, du Plessis opens up with some kicks, including a spinning one but it doesn't land. A very quiet start but DDP has some success with a switch kick upstairs. Both guys careful not to commit too far. Champion gets it on ours.

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 du Plessis

4:30 pm AEDT: It's main event time, boys and girls. Strap in for the middleweight world championship.

Zhang Weili masterclass turns back Tatiana Suarez challenge

(49-46 x2, 49-45)

Round 5: Suarez ducks under a shot and shoots but Weili fights it off and bangs her opponent with some hard shots in close. Suarez is looking sluggish now but not giving up. Weili fires a kick to the mid-section but Suarez catches it, although she gets a sharp elbow as a reward. They tangle against the cage and Weili lands on top, again. She can see it out from here but she's going for a choke. Saurez battles on gamely but she's outclassed. This has been an exceptional performance from the best 115-pounder in the world.

SN unofficial scorecard: 49-46 Weili

Round 4: Suarez closes the distance but Weili lands a trip and gets top position. The challenger's wrestling advantage hasn't been what many had expected so far. Weili grabs an arm and the head and looks for a sub but Suarez fights it off. Suarez briefly grabs a guillotine but Weili is quickly out. Suarez needs a finish in our books.

SN unofficial scorecard: 39-37 Weili

Round 3: Weili's boxing is looking super crisp. Just as we write that she cracks Suarez hard with a right hand. The American is wobbled but pushing forward. Suarez working on a takedown against the cage but Weili looking much fresher at the moment and escapes, landing some shots on the break. Suarez still trying to close the distance but Weili picking her off and in control.

SN unofficial scorecard: 29-28 Weili

Round 2: Again, Suarez shoots through a right hand to initiate a grappling exchange but Weili reverses and ends up on top for now. They get to their feet and Weili grabs the neck before they find some space and Weili cracks Suarez with a right hand. Suarez shoots again and wears an uppercut on the entry. They go to the mat and again the champion is on top to close out a strong bounce-back round.

SN unofficial scorecard: 19-19

Round 1: Weili fires off a right hand but Suarez eats it and times the entry, securing a takedown and side control. Suarez works her way into the champion's guard but Weili defending well enough for now. Back in side control now but Weili stands up only for Suarez to jump a guillotine. The champ is out and on top in Suarez's guard. Good start for the challenger but no damage done and some confidence-boosting grappling for Weili.

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Suarez

3:30 pm AEDT: It's world title time now, with Zhang Weili taking on Tatiana Suarez at strawweight.

Tallison Teixeira stops Justin Tafa in a flash

Round 1: It is over! Teixeira goes upstairs with a head kick before shooting a takedown. They clinch against the cage and the Brazilian lands an elbow which sends Tafa down. Some follow-up strikes are enough to force referee Rich Mitchell to wave it off after just 35 seconds.

3:18 pm AEDT: For those wondering which celebs we've spotted in the arena so far: Nathan Cleary, James Tedesco, Tom Papley, Cam Rayner, Braith Anasta, Steve Waugh and Thanasi Kokkinakis getting around, not to mention a heap of UFC stars, including Alex Volkanovski, Israel Adesanya, Alex Pereira, Glover Teixeira, Tai Tuivasa, Charles Oliveira, Jack Della Maddalena, Merab Dvalishvili, Joanna Jędrzejczyk and plenty more.

Up next, Justin Tafa and Tallison Teixeira throw down at heavyweight

Jimmy Crute and Rodolfo Bellato fight out a draw

(28-28 x2, 29-27)

To the surprise of many in the arena, including us, two judges saw the fight as a draw.

Round 3: Bellato ducks under a wide hook and shots, taking Crute down. Crute fights through it and they're back standing. They fight to the bell as Bellato comes close with a flying knee. Crute will have done enough.

Round 2: All Crute again on the feet, with Bellato happy to stand and trade, which looks like a dangerous game to play at the moment. Both guys slowing down now. Bellato catches Crute a couple times with punches and lands a hard leg kick but the round still goes to the home fighter.

Round 1: They clinch and go down and Crute ends up on top, in full mount. He goes after a choke but lets it go and starts hammering away. Crute  holding Bellato down, now in the Brazilian's guard. Bellato trying to explode out but Crute good enough to maintain control, landing hard shots when he can. Back on the feet for the last 30 seconds but not for long as Crute sends Bellato down with a big right hand around the guard. Huge round for the Aussie. 

2:45 pm AEDT: Israel Adesanya's 2019 victory over Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 is added to the UFC Hall of Fame: Fight Wing

Up next, we go to light heavyweight where Jimmy Crute takes on Rodolfo Bellato.

Jake Matthews breaks win-loss streak vs. Francisco Prado

(30-27 x3)

Matthews earned two consecutive victories for the first time since 2020, with a classy decision win over a tough Prado.

Round 3: Matthews connects with two sharp hooks mid-way through the round. Prado isn't able to land the fight-changing shot through the latter stages and Matthews should take this decision. 

Round 2: Another tight one which could split the judges. Matthews looking calm in there as Prado loads up on power shots. The Argentinian fighter may need a finish in the third.

Round 1: A close opening round which looked like going Prado's way after a late takedown, although he isn't able to do much with it and Matthews climbs back to his feet and lands some hard punches which should see it go to the Aussie.

2:05 pm AEDT: We're into pay-per-view territory now. Jake Matthews and Francisco Prado kick us off in the welterweight division.

Gabriel Santos submits Jack Jenkins in the third

Round 3: Santos jolts Jenkins' head back with a front kick before going after a takedown and eventually getting the Aussie's back. Santos is able to lock in the rear naked choke and Jenkins taps! 

Round 2: Santos lands some good punches to get Jenkins' respect and then secures a takedown from a clinch against the fence. Santos spends the rest of the round on top and gets off some strikes but can't advance the position. 1-1 going into the last.

Round 1: Jenkins drops Santos with a head kick less than two minutes in and follows up with some vicious ground and pound. Santos buys some time by going for a triangle choke from his back but the Aussie escapes. They find their way back to the feet and Santos manages to force a takedown but it doesn't really go anywhere. Jenkins' round

1:35 pm AEDT: Up next, we round out the prelims with a featherweight clash between Jack Jenkins and Gabriel Santos.

Tom Nolan too good for Viacheslav Borshchev

(29-28 x2, 30-27)

Queensland's Nolan makes it three wins on the trot in the UFC with a hard-fought victory over Borschev.

Nolan's variety of offence, both on the feet and in the grappling exchanges, proved the difference and sees him move to 9-1.

Wang Cong outpoints Bruna Brasil

China's Cong collected a comfortable win at flyweight, outstriking Brasil in all three rounds to improve to 6-1.

Aleksandre Topuria decisions Colby Thicknesse

(30-27 x3)

Round 3: Thicknesse shoots but it gets stuffed and they begin to wrestle. They scramble back to the feet and Thicknesse lands a good right hand but shoots again and Topuria gets top position. The Aussie looks for a sub off his back but Topuria defends well. Topuria maintains top position to the bell and should get the nod from the judges.

Round 2: A better round for Thicknesse, who is able to score from the outside and avoid most of the heat coming back the other way, although he takes some big leg kicks. Stays on the feet for the most part. Tough one to call, could go either way.

Round 1: A watchful opening few minutes for Topuria before he uncorks a right hand which rocks Thicknesse. The Aussie is able to scramble back to his feet but Topuria caps off the round with a monster slam.

12:10 am AEDT: Up next, debutants with star-studded corners, Thicknesse and Topuria take to the cage. Keep an eye out for Alex Volkanovski, Ilia Topuria and Craig Jones barking instructions.

Rong Zhu and Kody Steele brawl to the bell

(Zhu wins via UD: 30-27 x3)

Round 3: More sharp boxing from Zhu keeps Steele at bay and prevents any last-minute Hail Mary. Shades of Holloway vs. Gaethje as they point to the mat and trade haymakers for the final moments. Great fight to close out the early prelims, Steele should taste defeat for the first time.

Round 2: The action picks up where it left off with Steele hitting the canvas twice due to punches. Zhu jumps on him but Steele recovers after latching onto an ankle and chasing a submission. Zhu escapes and they find their way back to the feet where Steele's wears more hard shots but sees out the round.

Round 1: After a slow start which had the crowd calling for more action, the fighters obliged. Zhu appeared to wobble Steele which saw the pair throw the game plans out the window and start swinging wildly, with Zhu seemingly getting the better of the exchanges.

Jonathan Micallef defeats Kevin Jousset via unanimous decision

(29-28 x3)

Round 3: An enthralling 15-minute kickboxing match comes to an end, with Jousset's body showing plenty of damage. He certainly wasn't disgraced in there and gave Micallef plenty to think about in the final round.

Round 2: Another round fought completely on the feet and more competitive this time but Micallef's body assault with his rear leg continues. Jousset needs something big in the third.

Round 1: Micaellef with a brilliant start to his UFC career, unloading a barrage of kicks into Jousset's body before switching it up and dropping him with one upstairs. Jousset recovers and makes the bell but his ribs are bright red.

11:08 am AEDT: Up next, we've got Micallef vs. Jousset at welterweight. They're in the cage and ready to go.

Salkilld flattens Jubli inside a minute

Perth's Quillan Salkilld made the perfect UFC debut, sparking Anshul Jubli in the opening seconds of the first bout on the card.

Salkilld connected with a right hand to send his Indian opponent down and followed up with a left as referee Jim Perdios waved it off after just 19 seconds.

Jubli protested about an early stoppage but he can have no excuses given the way he hit the mat.

10:40 am AEDT: It's go time! Salikilld and Jubli are making their walks for the opener.

10:10 am AEDT: Hello and welcome to our UFC 312 live blog. Due to one fight being scrapped, the bouts are getting underway a little later than scheduled.

UFC 312 full card results

Main Card

  • Dricus du Plessis (c) def. Sean Strickland via UD5 (50-45 x2, 49-46)
  • Zhang Weili (c) def. Tatiana Suarez via UD5 (49-46 x2, 49-45)
  • Tallison Teixeira def. Justin Tafa via TKO1 (0:35)
  • Jimmy Crute majority draws Rodolfo Bellato (28-28 x2, 29-27)
  • Jake Matthews def. Francisco Prado via UD3 (30-27 x3)

Prelims

  • Gabriel Santos def. Jack Jenkins via R3 sub - RNC (2:06)
  • Tom Nolan def. Viacheslav Borshchev via UD3 (29-28 x2, 30-27)
  • Wang Cong def. Bruna Brasil via UD3 (30-27 x3)
  • Aleksandre Topuria def. Colby Thicknesse via UD3 (30-27 x3)

Early Prelims

  • Rong Zhu def. Kody Steele via UD3 (30-27 x3)
  • Jonathan Micallef def. Kevin Jousset via UD3 (29-28 x3)
  • Quillan Salkilld def. Anshul Jubli via TKO1 (0:19)

Tom Naghten

Tom Naghten is a senior editor at The Sporting News Australia where he's been part of the team since 2017. He predominantly covers boxing and MMA. In his spare time, he likes to watch Robbie Ahmat's goal against the Kangaroos at the SCG in 2000.