Tag: UFC 312

Debuting Aleksandre Topuria ‘Not His Brother’, Says UFC 312 Opponent

Colby Thicknesse is vowing to show the difference in ability between Ilia Topuria and the featherweight kingpin’s UFC debuting brother this weekend. The preliminary card of Saturday’s UFC 312 pay-per-view will see two prominent newcomers collide, with Thicknesse and Aleksandre Topuria getting their first taste of Octagon action against one another. The Australian bantamweight, a […]

Colby Thicknesse is vowing to show the difference in ability between Ilia Topuria and the featherweight kingpin’s UFC debuting brother this weekend.

The preliminary card of Saturday’s UFC 312 pay-per-view will see two prominent newcomers collide, with Thicknesse and Aleksandre Topuria getting their first taste of Octagon action against one another.

The Australian bantamweight, a teammate of Alexander Volkanovski’s, boasts an undefeated record and is coming off championship success under the HEX Fight Series banner. In “El Conquistador,” though, Thicknesse is facing the sibling of one of the most feared and dominant men in the UFC right now.

But challenging an opponent who trains alongside the current 145-pound champ and shares the same name doesn’t faze the local favorite, who is confident in rejecting any comparison between the two when it comes to skill level.

“He’s definitely got the same sort of style because they train together, but he’s not his brother, and I’m going to go out there on (Saturday) and show it,” Thicknesse said during UFC 312 media day. “He hasn’t really beaten anybody noticeable. His opponent’s combined records aren’t that great. Come (Saturday), I get to go out and show that against him.”

UFC 312 Loses Fight During Official Weigh-Ins

UFC 312 Loses Fight During Official Weigh-InsUFC returns to Australia for a loaded pay-per-view event headlined by a middleweight championship rematch. Emanating from Qudos Bank…

UFC 312 Loses Fight During Official Weigh-Ins

UFC returns to Australia for a loaded pay-per-view event headlined by a middleweight championship rematch.

Emanating from Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, UFC 312 will feature not one but two world title tilts. In the main event of the evening, 185-pound titleholder Dricus Du Plessis puts his belt on the line against the same man he took it from a little more than a year ago, Sean Strickland.

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It will be Du Plessis’ second time defending the middleweight strap after securing a fourth-round submission victory over Israel Adesanya in August.

In the co-main event, Chinese superstar Zhang Weili returns to put her strawweight strap up for grabs against undefeated Covina, California native Tatiana Suarez.

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In all, 13 bouts are scheduled for UFC 312, but before all 26 fighters can step inside the Octagon, they’ll have to step on the scale and make weight for their respective fights. Official UFC 312 weigh-in results:

UFC 312 Weigh-in Results

Main Card (ESPN+ PPV at 10 p.m. ET)

  • Dricus du Plessis (185lbs) vs. Sean Strickland (185lbs) – UFC middleweight championship
  • Zhang Weili (115lbs) vs. Tatiana Suarez (114.5lbs) – UFC strawweight championship
  • Justin Tafa (266lbs) vs. Talisson Teixeira (263lbs)
  • Jimmy Crute (206lbs) vs. Rodolfo Bellato (205lbs)
  • Jake Matthews (170.5lbs) vs. Francisco Prado (170.5lbs)
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Prelims (ESPN2/ESPN+/Disney+ at 8 p.m. ET)

  • Jack Jenkins (146lbs) vs. Gabriel Santos (145.5lbs)
  • Tom Nolan (155.5lbs) vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (156lbs)
  • Wang Cong (125lbs) vs. Bruna Brasil (125.5lbs)
  • Aleksandre Topuria (135.5lbs) vs. Colby Thicknesse (135.5lbs)
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Prelims (ESPN+/Disney+ at 6 p.m. ET)

  • Jonathan Micallef (170lbs) vs. Kevin Jousset (171lbs)
  • Kody Steele (156lbs) vs. Rong Zhu (156lbs)
  • Quillan Salkilld (156lbs) vs. Anshul Jubli (155.5lbs)

At the top of the broadcast, Jon Anik revealed that the previously scheduled flyweight bout between Hyun Sung Parka and Nyamjargal Tumendemberel is officially off after Tumendemberel could not make weight.

Watch the official weigh-ins below:

UFC 312: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland 2 Weigh-In Results: One Fight Canceled

UFC 312 takes place tomorrow night, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results! For the first time in 2025, the Octagon is Down Under, with the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia playing host to the promotion’s latest pay-per-view event. And for its trip across the globe, the mixed martial arts leader […]

UFC 312 takes place tomorrow night, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results!

For the first time in 2025, the Octagon is Down Under, with the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia playing host to the promotion’s latest pay-per-view event. And for its trip across the globe, the mixed martial arts leader has brought with it two championship contests.

The title clash at the top of the card will see Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland’s feud reach a second chapter 13 months on from the South African’s crowning in Canada. They’ll renew hostilities after both recording a victory apiece since their tight five-round headliner at UFC 297.

Beforehand, another champ will be in action as strawweight queen Zhang Weili gets her campaign for the new year underway. To extend her second reign beyond its third title defense, the Chinese standout is tasked with blemishing the currently perfect record of challenger Tatiana Suarez.

UFC 312: Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 Weigh-In Results

UFC 312 takes place Saturday, February 8 (February 9 local time) 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.

See above for a replay of the UFC 312 Weigh-In Show, and check out the results below.

Main Card:

  • Middleweight Championship: Dricus Du Plessis (185lbs) vs. Sean Strickland (185lbs)
  • Women’s Strawweight Championship: Zhang Weili (115lbs) vs. Tatiana Suarez (114.5lbs)
  • Heavyweight: Justin Tafa (266lbs) vs. Tallison Teixeira (263lbs)
  • Light Heavyweight: Jimmy Crute (206lbs) vs. Rodolfo Bellato (205lbs)
  • Welterweight: Jake Matthews (170.5lbs) vs. Francisco Prado (170.5lbs)

Preliminary Card:

  • Featherweight: Jack Jenkins (146lbs) vs. Gabriel Santos (145.5lbs)
  • Lightweight: Tom Nolan (155.5lbs) vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (156lbs)
  • Women’s Flyweight: Wang Cong (125lbs) vs. Bruna Brasil (125.5lbs)
  • Bantamweight: Colby Thicknesse (135.5lbs) vs. Aleksandre Topuria (135.5lbs)

Early Preliminary Card:

  • Lightweight: Rongzhu (156lbs) vs. Kody Steele (156lbs)
  • Welterweight: Kevin Jousset (171lbs) vs. Jonathan Micallef (170lbs)
  • Lightweight: Quillan Salkilld (156lbs) vs. Anshul Jubli (155.5lbs)
  • Flyweight: HyunSung Park vs. Nyamjargal Tumendemberel*

*Due to weight management issues with Nyamjargal Tumendemberel, his flyweight bout with HyunSung Park has been canceled. 

Sean Strickland Shuts Down Staph Rumors: “I Give Staph, I Don’t Get Staph!”

Sean Strickland Shuts Down Staph Rumors: "I Give Staph, I Don’t Get Staph!"Sean Strickland doesn’t get staph, he gives it. Ahead of Strickland’s return to the Octagon for a rematch with…

Sean Strickland Shuts Down Staph Rumors: "I Give Staph, I Don’t Get Staph!"

Sean Strickland doesn’t get staph, he gives it.

Ahead of Strickland’s return to the Octagon for a rematch with reigning middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312 in Australia, fight fans became concerned that the main event showdown could be in jeopardy after spotting what appeared to be an infection on the former titleholder’s left arm.

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Asked point blank if he had an infection during Thursday’s pre-fight press conference in Sydney, Strickland denied the reports and did so in the most Strickland-esque way possible.

“I’m immune to staph. You see this f*cking mustache? I give staph—I don’t f*cking get staph. Calm the f*ck down. I don’t get sick, I don’t get f*cking injured, and I don’t get f*cking staph. So relax. I’m going to be out there on Sunday, and I’m going to come out f*cking hard and strong. The hardest and strongest you’ve ever f*ckin’ seen. To the f*cking death, Dutchman!”

Staph Infections can seriously impact a fighter’s ability to perform

While these types of infections are fairly common among UFC fighters, they can have a serious impact on performance. Just ask Kevin Lee.

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In extreme cases, staph infections can lead to blood poisoning and toxic shock syndrome though most cases are resolved with a round of antibiotics. However, middleweight contender Brendan Allen was hit with an especially rough case a couple of months back and shared some gruesome pics on Instagram of his arm oozing blood while laid up in a hospital bed.

Fortunately, ‘All In’ appears to be doing just fine and is currently scheduled to return to the Octagon on February 22 for a clash with Anthony Hernandez.

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Check out the full UFC 312: Du Plessis vs. Strickland press event below:

Sean Strickland Unleashes on Khamzat Chimaev, Calls Him a ‘Whore’

Sean Strickland Unleashes on Khamzat Chimaev, Calls Him a 'Whore'Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev are at it again. ‘Borz’ will undoubtedly have his eyes on this weekend’s middleweight…

Sean Strickland Unleashes on Khamzat Chimaev, Calls Him a 'Whore'

Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev are at it again.

‘Borz’ will undoubtedly have his eyes on this weekend’s middleweight headliner between defending champion Dricus Du Plessis and former titleholder Sean Strickland. The two will close out UFC 312 this Saturday night when the promotion heads back to Sydney, Australia for its second pay-per-view event of the year.

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In all likelihood, Chimaev will be the next man up whether it be Du Plessis or Strickland who leaves The Land Down Under with middleweight gold strapped around their waist. And while the undefeated Chechen monster isn’t particularly considered with which fighter he faces, that didn’t stop him from taking a dig at ‘Tarzan’ while taking in the fight week festivities.

“Why are you baby crying all the time? Father didn’t give you love or he showed his love to you too much,” Chimaev wrote on X accompanied by a trio of laughing emojis.

Sean Strickland snaps back at ‘borz’

That sparked a strong response from Strickland who took a dig at Khamzat Chimaev’s controversial relationship with Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov who has been accused of committing crimes against humanity, including but not limited to kidnapping, assassination, torture, and anti-gay purges in the Republic.

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“Heres the thing my dad did hit me with some beer bottles once or twice lmao I will admit it, made me the man i am today… but I guarantee this little whore sucked off Kadyro.. obviously not good enough because you had to flee your country,” Strickland snapped back.

Of course, Strickland was far from done there.

“#chechenwhore not the first time you went to your knees,” Strickland wrote alongside a screenshot of Chimaev sparring with Kadyrov.

Though Chimaev and UFC CEO Dana White have denied it, Chimaev’s jiu-jitsu coach Alan Nascimento disclosed ahead of UFC 294 that Chimaev was encountering difficulties entering the United States, presumably because of his relationship with Kadyrov.

Ramzan Kadryov Khamzat Chimaev

As a result, Chimaev has relocated to the United Arab Emirates to help mitigate his travel issues.

“[Chimaev] just got a 10-year visa in Abu Dhabi and will apply for a type of passport here in the UAE, something like a citizenship, that could be used for travels,” Nascimento told MMA Fighting. “Many Russian athletes are suffering with that. Chechens, Dagestani, Russians in general. But I think things will start to flow for Chimaev soon, and for other athletes too.”

Chimaev has not competed in the U.S. since September 2022.

Zhang Weili Nearly Forces Sean Strickland to Withdraw from UFC 312, But Pulls Her Punch

Zhang Weili Nearly Forces Sean Strickland to Withdraw from UFC 312, But Pulls Her PunchZhang Weili had her chance to take out Sean Strickland. Returning to Sydney, Australia this Saturday night, Strickland and…

Zhang Weili Nearly Forces Sean Strickland to Withdraw from UFC 312, But Pulls Her Punch

Zhang Weili had her chance to take out Sean Strickland.

Returning to Sydney, Australia this Saturday night, Strickland and Zhang will headline a highly anticipated UFC 312 card inside the Qudos Bank Arena. In the main event of the evening, Strickland will look to reclaim the middleweight title when he challenges reigning and defending champion, Dricus Du Plessis.

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Before that, Zhang will attempt to successfully defend her UFC strawweight strap when she faces the undefeated standout Tatiana Suarez in the co-main event.

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Ahead of their respective bouts in The Land Down Under, Strickland and Zhang caught up with one another at the fighter hotel and engaged in a friendly staredown. At one point, ‘Tarzan’ even offered to give ‘Magnum’ a free shot, but she ultimately declined.

Check out the clip from the latest episode of UFC 312 Embedded below:

Zhang Weili could etch her name in the history books at uFC 312

While Strickland is attempting to become just the second fighter in middleweight history to hold the 185-pound crown twice, Zhang Weili is on the verge of making her own history.

With a win over Suarez, ‘Magnum’ will officially tie Joanna J?drzejczyk for the most title fight wins in UFC strawweight history. She’d also take Suarez’s ‘O’ which would be a nice feather in the cap of the Chinese superstar.

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Suarez goes into her first UFC title opportunity with a perfect 10-0 record, seven of those victories coming under the UFC banner. In her last two outings, the Covina, California native bagged back-to-back second-round submission victories over Montana De La Rosa and Jessica Andrade, launching her to the top spot in the strawweight rankings.