Fight week for the UFC 312 pay-per-view this Saturday has kicked off with the release of the promotion’s latest Countdown episode. Under the spotlight in this edition is the headline rematch between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland and the co-main event between Zhang Weili and Tatiana Suarez. Saturday’s UFC 312 lineup is topped by […]
Fight week for the UFC 312 pay-per-view this Saturday has kicked off with the release of the promotion’s latest Countdown episode.
Under the spotlight in this edition is the headline rematch between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland and the co-main event between Zhang Weili and Tatiana Suarez.
If the South African is to continue his rule atop the 185-pound mountain, he must stall the title ambitions of a familiar foe in Strickland (29-6). Since having his championship reign quickly ended by “Stillknocks,” the polarizing American has recorded a sole win over Paulo Costa to earn a shot at redemption.
Before those two run it back in the main event at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, another UFC title will be at stake.
The strawweight gold will be contested by current champ Zhang (25-3) and undefeated contender Suarez (10-0). While “Magnum” will return 10 months on from the second defense of her sophomore title reign opposite Yan Xiaonan at UFC 300, the Californian challenger is set to make the walk for the first time since a statement-making victory over ex-champ Jéssica Andrade in August 2023.
Dana White and co. will have their fingers crossed that there isn’t a repeat of the late withdrawal in Los Angeles earlier this month when the promotion heads Down Under for UFC 312. After opening its pay-per-view schedule for 2025 with UFC 311 from Inglewood’s Intuit Dome, the mixed martial arts leader is taking the […]
Dana White and co. will have their fingers crossed that there isn’t a repeat of the late withdrawal in Los Angeles earlier this month when the promotion heads Down Under for UFC 312.
Their middleweight championship rematch won’t be the only title fight on the UFC 312 card, with strawweight queen Zhang Weili also set to defend her throne opposite undefeated challenger Tatiana Suarez.
While anticipation is building for those contests, fans will be well aware that no matchup is certain to go down until the cage door closes behind the athletes.
That much was evident a few weeks back when Arman Tsarukyan pulled out of the UFC 311 main event, forcing the promotion to find a new foe for Islam Makhachev on just 24 hours’ notice. The Dagestani ultimately faced Renato Moicano, whom he steamrolled in minutes.
Disappointment was evident when the highly awaited second clash between Makhachev and Tsarukyan fell through, but that scenario hasn’t convinced the UFC to make additional arrangements for the second PPV of the year.
Per MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin, no fighters are currently expected to make the long-haul flight to Australia to serve as backup for the UFC 312 main or co-main events.
Unless something changes or there's a behind the scenes deal I'm not aware of, #UFC312 won't feature any backup fighters for the title bouts. #UFChttps://t.co/VCPABEXWSH
The organization has often paid contenders to hit the scale as alternative options should injury or illness strike late in the day. But that hasn’t been the case since Tom Aspinall did so back at UFC 309 in November.
Backups were neither present for Alexandre Pantoja’s title defense at UFC 310 against Kai Asakura nor the pair of championship clashes on Jan. 18. UFC 312 will now make it three PPVs on the bounce in that regard.
Dana White and co. will have their fingers crossed that there isn’t a repeat of the late withdrawal in Los Angeles earlier this month when the promotion heads Down Under for UFC 312. After opening its pay-per-view schedule for 2025 with UFC 311 from Inglewood’s Intuit Dome, the mixed martial arts leader is taking the […]
Dana White and co. will have their fingers crossed that there isn’t a repeat of the late withdrawal in Los Angeles earlier this month when the promotion heads Down Under for UFC 312.
Their middleweight championship rematch won’t be the only title fight on the UFC 312 card, with strawweight queen Zhang Weili also set to defend her throne opposite undefeated challenger Tatiana Suarez.
While anticipation is building for those contests, fans will be well aware that no matchup is certain to go down until the cage door closes behind the athletes.
That much was evident a few weeks back when Arman Tsarukyan pulled out of the UFC 311 main event, forcing the promotion to find a new foe for Islam Makhachev on just 24 hours’ notice. The Dagestani ultimately faced Renato Moicano, whom he steamrolled in minutes.
Disappointment was evident when the highly awaited second clash between Makhachev and Tsarukyan fell through, but that scenario hasn’t convinced the UFC to make additional arrangements for the second PPV of the year.
Per MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin, no fighters are currently expected to make the long-haul flight to Australia to serve as backup for the UFC 312 main or co-main events.
Unless something changes or there's a behind the scenes deal I'm not aware of, #UFC312 won't feature any backup fighters for the title bouts. #UFChttps://t.co/VCPABEXWSH
The organization has often paid contenders to hit the scale as alternative options should injury or illness strike late in the day. But that hasn’t been the case since Tom Aspinall did so back at UFC 309 in November.
Backups were neither present for Alexandre Pantoja’s title defense at UFC 310 against Kai Asakura nor the pair of championship clashes on Jan. 18. UFC 312 will now make it three PPVs on the bounce in that regard.
UFC 311 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering, UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia. The promotion was in Los Angeles this past week, where the Intuit Dome played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its opening numbered event of the new year. Of note […]
UFC 311 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering, UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia.
While the aftermath of the Jan. 18 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the lightweight title picture to the middleweight championship conversation.
At UFC 312, set for the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Feb. 8, reigning kingpin Dricus Du Plessis will open his account for the new year, once again in defense of his 185-pound gold. After following his crowning against Sean Strickland with a retention opposite Israel Adesanya, the South African will next run it back with Strickland.
Stakes will also be high in the co-headliner, as two-time strawweight champ Zhang Weili looks to defend her gold for the third time since winning it back at the expense of Carla Esparza in 2022. In her way of a continued reign will be the undefeated Tatiana Suarez.
Tafa, Crute, Matthews Set The Stage For High-Profile Headliners At UFC 312
Before Du Plessis and Weili defend their belts, a number of local names will take to the Octagon looking to make the most of their position on the major UFC 312 card.
That includes heavyweight powerhouse Justin Tafa. Against undefeated newcomer Tallison Teixeira, the Australian-Samoan will look to bounce back from a decision loss to Karl Williams last March and return to the knockout ways that saw him sleep Austen Lane, Parker Porter, and Harry Hunsucker during a four-fight unbeaten streak between 2021 and 2023.
Prior to that, another home favorite will be in action as light heavyweight Jimmy Crute returns almost two years on from a submission loss to Alonzo Menifield. “The Brute” hasn’t tasted victory since a 2020 KO of Modestas Bukauskas that left him 12-1 and among the most promising prospects at 205 pounds. To revive his career amid a four-fight winless run, the 28-year-old must stall the charge of former LFA champion Rodolfo Bellato.
And opening the UFC 312 main card will be Jake Matthews, a longtime Australian prospect who has failed to live up to his promise thus far. “The Celtic Kid” has exchanged wins and losses across six fights since his most recent winning streak in 2020, and against Francisco Prado next month, he’ll be looking to build some momentum following a decision victory over Phil Rowe last time out.
Those pairings have currently gotten the nod to feature on the main card over another Aussie in Jack Jenkins, who is slated to top the prelims against Gabriel Santos.
See below for the full UFC 312 card, as it stands.
Main Card:
Dricus Du Plessis (C) vs. Sean Strickland (middleweight championship)
Zhang Weili (C) vs. Tatiana Suarez (strawweight championship)
Justin Tafa vs. Tallison Teixeira (heavyweight)
Jimmy Crute vs. Rodolfo Bellato (light heavyweight)
Jake Matthews vs. Francisco Prado (welterweight)
Preliminary Card:
Jack Jenkins vs. Gabriel Santos (featherweight)
Cody Haddon vs. Aleksandre Topuria (bantamweight)
Tom Nolan vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (lightweight)
HyunSung Park vs. Nyamjargal Tumendemberel (flyweight)
Early Preliminary Card:
Quillan Salkilld vs. Anshul Jubli (lightweight)
Kevin Jousset vs. Jonathan Micallef (welterweight)
The last two years have produced a staggering amount of title changes in the UFC. Following the record-tying eleven times that we heard “And New” in 2023, 2024 saw seven fighters capture the gold. Valentina Shevchenko, Raquel Pennington, Julianna Peña, Merab Dvalishvili, Ilia Topuria, Belal Muhammad and Dricus Du Plessis all got their hands on […]
The last two years have produced a staggering amount of title changes in the UFC. Following the record-tying eleven times that we heard “And New” in 2023, 2024 saw seven fighters capture the gold.
Valentina Shevchenko, Raquel Pennington, Julianna Peña, Merab Dvalishvili, Ilia Topuria, Belal Muhammad and Dricus Du Plessis all got their hands on the most coveted prize in MMA but former champion Michael Bisping believes that 2025 will see less movement. In a recent episode of Fight Week on TNT Sports, Bisping (alongside co-hosts Adam Catterall & Nick Peet) gave his predictions for who will end 2025 as the champion of each division.
He believes that four belts will be held by different competitors in 12-months time. At women’s strawweight, Bisping predicted that Tatiana Suarez will finally realize her true potential by becoming the new champion whether or not she defeats Weili Zhang in the co-main event of UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia this February.
“I’ve got to go with Tatiana Suarez – I did say that this time last year. Of course, she’s fighting Zhang Weili, so we’ll see how that plays out. I just think the wrestling that Tatiana Suarez has is going to cause a lot of problems for a lot of people. This time next year, one way or another, she’ll be the champ.”
Bisping also believes that the women’s bantamweight division will have a new face in the form of Kayla Harrison. The former PFL star has made a huge impact since arriving in the UFC, producing back-to-back wins over Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira to put her in title contention.
“The women’s bantamweight champion, there’s only going to be one name in discussion: Kayla Harrison. No offense to Julianna Peña, I think she’s great for the sport, she’s a fun person. She’s fun to sit and watch fights with because she talks a lot of s-h-i-t the whole time. She’s great, but Kayla Harrison, I believe, will be too big, too strong, too good at judo, too mentally strong, too fit. She’ll drag her down, she’ll get the submission, and she’ll also get the belt.”
The middleweight title is also set to be on the line at UFC 312 on February 8 but “The Count” does not see either man in that matchup ending the year on top. He believes that Khamzat Chimaev will become the champion by the end of the year, regardless of who he has to face to finally get his hands on the belt.
“It’s interesting because I’m looking at the rankings here. I never thought we’d see a year where Robert Whittaker wasn’t in the conversation. It just shows the sport is such a cruel mistress. Obviously, Khamzat Chimaev squeezed his teeth out last time, and yeah, I’m gonna have to say Khazmzat. Dricus (Du Plessis) is a tremendous champion. I think him and Sean (Strickland) will have another close fight, but I think regardless, when Khamzat gets his chance, he’ll be victorious. I mean, what he did to Robert Whittaker – I’ll never underestimate that man ever again.”
“If there is an interim champion, it will be Tom Aspinall. However, I don’t think there will be one. I believe that the reason Tom isn’t fighting at London is because Jon Jones–Tom Aspinall will go down. The biggest heavyweight fight the sport has ever seen. Maybe the biggest fight period that this sport has ever seen. Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, and when the dust settles, ‘Tommy Aspinall, Aspinall, Tommy Aspinall! Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na!’”
Former middleweight titleholder Michael Bisping believes things will look a lot different in the UFC once 2025 comes to…
Former middleweight titleholder Michael Bisping believes things will look a lot different in the UFC once 2025 comes to a close.
During a recent appearance on TNT Sports’ Fight Week, ‘The Count’ suggested that four fighters will become first-time champions over the next year. Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of those names is the undefeated Chechen monster, Khamzat Chimaev.
“It’s interesting because I’m looking at the rankings here. I never thought we’d see a year where Robert Whittaker wasn’t in the conversation,” Bisping said. “It just shows the sport is such a cruel mistress. Obviously, Khamzat Chimaev squeezed his teeth out last time, and yeah, I’m gonna have to say Khazmzat. Dricus (Du Plessis) is a tremendous champion.
“I think him and Sean (Strickland) will have another close fight, but I think regardless, when Khamzat gets his chance, he’ll be victorious. I mean, what he did to Robert Whittaker – I’ll never underestimate that man ever again” (h/t MMA Junkie).
Next up on Bisping’s list was another undefeated standout — Tatiana Suarez.
After going 10-0 in her mixed martial arts career, the Covina, California native will attempt to cash on her first shot at UFC gold when she challenges Zhang Weili for the strawweight crown at UFC 312 on February 8.
“I’ve got to go with Tatiana Suarez,” he said. “I did say that this time last year. Of course, she’s fighting Zhang Weili, so we’ll see how that plays out. I just think the wrestling that Tatiana Suarez has is going to cause a lot of problems for a lot of people. This time next year, one way or another, she’ll be the champ.”
“The women’s bantamweight champion, there’s only going to be one name in discussion: Kayla Harrison,” Bisping said. “No offense to Julianna Peña, I think she’s great for the sport, she’s a fun person. She’s fun to sit and watch fights with because she talks a lot of s-h-i-t the whole time.
“She’s great, but Kayla Harrison, I believe, will be too big, too strong, too good at judo, too mentally strong, too fit. She’ll drag her down, she’ll get the submission, and she’ll also get the belt.”
Bisping picks Tom Aspinall to defeat Jon Jones in inevitable UFC title unification clash
Last but not least is Tom Aspinall, the UFC’s reigning interim heavyweight world champion. Aspinall captured the temporary title in November 2023 with a 69-second knockout of Sergei Pavlovich. Since then, he’s defended the belt against Curtis Blaydes while waiting for Jon Jones to settle some business with former two-time champ Stipe Miocic.
With Jones handing Miocic a decisive defeat at UFC 309, all signs point toward Aspinall finally merging his title with Jones’ undisputed heavyweight crown in what could very well become the biggest fight in the division’s storied history.
“If there is an interim champion, it will be Tom Aspinall,” Bisping said. “However, I don’t think there will be one. I believe that the reason Tom isn’t fighting at London is because Jon Jones–Tom Aspinall will go down. The biggest heavyweight fight the sport has ever seen. Maybe the biggest fight period that this sport has ever seen. Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, and when the dust settles, ‘Tommy Aspinall, Aspinall, Tommy Aspinall! Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na!’”
Last year, Bisping went 6-12 on his year-end predictions, correctly predicting that Alexandre Pantoja, Islam Makhachev, Dricus Du Plessis, Alex Pereira, Tom Aspinall (interim), and Jon Jones would end 2024 as world champions.
Former middleweight titleholder Michael Bisping believes things will look a lot different in the UFC once 2025 comes to…
