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Chael Sonnen Drops Bomb: Khamzat Chimaev Is the UFC 312 Backup Fighter

Chael Sonnen Drops Bomb: Khamzat Chimaev Is the UFC 312 Backup Fighter According to our dear old Uncle Chael, Khamzat Chimaev is set to be the official backup for this Saturday’s…

According to our dear old Uncle Chael, Khamzat Chimaev is set to be the official backup for this Saturday’s middleweight championship headliner in The Land Down Under.

Emanating from the Quodos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, reigning 185-pound titleholder Dricus Du Plessis is set to put his gold on the line against Sean Strickland in a rematch more than a year in the making.

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Initially, reports claimed that there was no backup in place in case either Strickland or ‘DDP’ found themselves unable to compete ahead of Fight Night. However, ‘The American Gangster’ is claiming otherwise.

“I think Chimaev is the backup fighter,” Sonnen said in a recent video on YouTube. “I don’t believe he’s just the number one contender. The timing of this fight makes it hard to believe they wouldn’t have him booked as a backup.”

Thus far, the UFC has not confirmed whether or not a backup will be in place.

The UFC is unlikely to confirm Khamzat Chimaev’s status as a backup until weigh-ins

With ‘Borz’ being the next man in line — though Nassourdine Imavov may have something to say about that now — for a shot at the division’s top prize, his being offered the backup gig makes sense. Unfortunately, we’ll probably have to wait until Friday to find out whether or not Chimaev is expected to step on the scale.

UFC 312’s showdown between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland will be the second-ever meeting between the two, the first coming around this same time last year when ‘DDP’ dethroned the outspoken American via split decision to become the 14th fighter in UFC history to claim the middleweight strap.

“He Does Nothing Right” – Sean Strickland Explains Dricus Du Plessis Does Everything Wrong Ahead of UFC 312

Sean Strickland can’t figure out how a guy who seemingly does everything wrong inside the Octagon and keeps winning….

Sean Strickland can’t figure out how a guy who seemingly does everything wrong inside the Octagon and keeps winning.

When Dricus Du Plessis heads to Sydney, Australia this weekend for the UFC’s second pay-per-view of 2025, he’ll look to score his second successful defense of the middleweight title by beating the same man he defeated to take the crown last year.

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Du Plessis, undeniably one of the most unconventional fighters on the UFC roster, goes into his UFC 312 headliner against Sean Strickland boasting an impressive 8-0 record inside the Octagon. That is a pretty impressive stat for a guy who does “nothing right” according to his next challenger.

“There’s no question. The thing about Dricus is, he does nothing right, but it always works out,” Strickland said on UFC 312 Countdown. “He fights hard, he’s awkward, he’s still a bit unorthodox.”

Sean Strickland plans to bring ‘more pressure, less skill’ in rematch with du plessis

In their first meeting at UFC 297, Du Plessis narrowly outpointed Strickland to secure a split-decision victory and claim the 185-pound crown. Since then, he’s scored a stunning fourth-round submission victory over Israel Adesanya in August. Now, he’ll try to fend off Strickland who is hellbent on taking back the title he lost and handing ‘DDP’ his first loss on MMA’s biggest stage.

To do that, ‘Tarzan’ plans to lean less on his world-class boxing and instead try to make his rematch with Du Plessis more of a dog fight.

“The hard thing was when I got that cut, it really changed the dynamic of the fight but I just think with this fight, it just needs to be a dog fight,” he told ESPN. “More pressure, less skill.”

That shouldn’t be a problem for a guy who routinely challenges his opponents to fight to the death.

“He Does Nothing Right” – Sean Strickland Explains Dricus Du Plessis Does Everything Wrong Ahead of UFC 312

Sean Strickland can’t figure out how a guy who seemingly does everything wrong inside the Octagon and keeps winning….

Sean Strickland can’t figure out how a guy who seemingly does everything wrong inside the Octagon and keeps winning.

“There’s no question. The thing about Dricus is, he does nothing right, but it always works out,” Strickland said on UFC 312 Countdown. “He fights hard, he’s awkward, he’s still a bit unorthodox.”

Sean Strickland plans to bring ‘more pressure, less skill’ in rematch with du plessis

To do that, ‘Tarzan’ plans to lean less on his world-class boxing and instead try to make his rematch with Du Plessis more of a dog fight.

“The hard thing was when I got that cut, it really changed the dynamic of the fight but I just think with this fight, it just needs to be a dog fight,” he told ESPN. “More pressure, less skill.”

That shouldn’t be a problem for a guy who routinely challenges his opponents to fight to the death.

UFC 312 Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2, Zhang vs. Suarez, & More

UFC 312 is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this weekend’s lineup. The upcoming pay-per-view takes place Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at […]

UFC 312 is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this weekend’s lineup.

The upcoming pay-per-view takes place Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6 PM ET/3 PM PT.

Topping the lineup will be reigning UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis, who is tasked with getting the better of a familiar foe in Sean Strickland if he’s to record a second successful title defense.

Before they go to battle, the co-main event will see another champ in action as Zhang Weili returns to defend her strawweight gold for the third time since reclaiming the belt in 2022. To ensure her reign continues, “Magnum” must stall the title ambitions of undefeated challenger Tatiana Suarez.

Also set to make the walk on Saturday will be the likes of heavyweight Justin Tafa, featherweight Jack Jenkins, and bantamweight Aleksandre Topuria, brother of UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria.

UFC 312: Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 Betting Odds

Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC 312 (as of 2/3), courtesy of DraftKings.

Main Card:

Dricus Du Plessis (-198) vs. Sean Strickland (+164)
Zhang Weili (+102) vs. Tatiana Suarez (-122)
Justin Tafa (+120) vs. Tallison Teixeira (-142)
Jimmy Crute (+136) vs. Rodolfo Bellato (-162)
Jake Matthews vs. Francisco Prado

Preliminary Card:

Jack Jenkins (+185) vs. Gabriel Santos (-225)
Tom Nolan (+120) vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (-142)
Wang Cong (-485) vs. Bruna Brasil (+370)
Colby Thicknesse (+330) vs. Aleksandre Topuria (-425)

Early Preliminary Card:

Rongzhu (+200) vs. Kody Steele (-245)
Kevin Jousset (-245) vs. Jonathan Micallef (+200)
Quillan Salkilld (-550) vs. Anshul Jubli (+410)
HyunSung Park (-218) vs. Nyamjargal Tumendemberel (+180)

VIDEO: UFC 312 Countdown Episode Ahead Of Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 & Zhang vs. Suarez

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.

Saturday’s UFC 312 lineup is topped by a championship clash, with middleweight kingpin Du Plessis (22-2) looking to add a second successful defense to his reign, which got underway with a narrow victory over Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in January 2024.

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.

Ahead of those two contests in Australia, fans can catch previews in the full episode of UFC 312 Countdown on the promotion’s official YouTube channel.

UFC 312 Countdown: Full Episode

Israel Adesanya Weighs In On Sean Strickland’s ‘Silly’ Striking-Only Proposal For Dricus Du Plessis At UFC 312

Israel Adesanya isn’t buying into Sean Strickland’s stand-and-bang ultimatum for reigning UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis ahead of their rematch. Du Plessis and Strickland are set to reignite their rivalry in the main event of UFC 312 on Feb. 8 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. This highly anticipated rematch comes a […]

Israel Adesanya isn’t buying into Sean Strickland’s stand-and-bang ultimatum for reigning UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis ahead of their rematch.

Du Plessis and Strickland are set to reignite their rivalry in the main event of UFC 312 on Feb. 8 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. This highly anticipated rematch comes a year after their intense first encounter at UFC 297 in January 2024, where “Stillknocks” clinched a hard-fought split decision to claim the 185-pound crown.

Their initial clash was a savage striking war, and Strickland is hell-bent on keeping it just as intense for their rematch.

In a fiery social media video earlier this month, “Tarzan” urged Du Plessis to “be a f**king man” and stick to the battle on the feet, dismissing any grappling exchanges when they meet in the “Land Down Under.”

The South African champion has already dismissed Strickland’s proposals as “ridiculous” and made it clear that he’s unafraid to bring a full spectrum of skills to the Octagon.

“The Last Stylebender” shares a history with both men and will be keeping a close eye on the UFC 312 headliner, having faced them in his last two outings before shifting his focus to Nassourdine Imavov for his return at UFC Saudi Arabia this Saturday.

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Adesanya shared his thoughts on Strickland’s striking-only proposal for Du Plessis. The seasoned former UFC middleweight champion trashed the outspoken American’s suggestion, pointing out that it reflects poorly on Strickland to try and remove an essential aspect of a MMA fight.

“That’s kind of silly,” Adesanya said. “It’s silly to say. I don’t think he means it because Dricus is good at what he does. Trying to take that away from him would be you’re not really proving you’re the best then.”

While the first encounter between Du Plessis and Strickland was a closely contested affair, Adesanya, drawing from his own experience, still backs Du Plessis to successfully defend his title at UFC 312.

“Look, I think Dricus is probably going to win that fight. He’s great at what he does.”