UFC 312 Review: Du Plessis and Zhang Defend Titles in Dominant Fashion

UFC 312 is in the books, with Dricus du Plessis and Zhang Weili retaining their championship belts in convincing fashion. Du Plessis dominated Sean Strickland over five rounds to keep his middleweight title, while Zhang thoroughly outclassed Tatiana Suarez to remain strawweight champion.

Du Plessis left no doubt about his superiority, battering Strickland for 25 minutes in a one-sided affair. The South African champion cemented his status as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Meanwhile, Zhang may have solidified her claim as the greatest strawweight of all time with her dominant victory over the previously undefeated Suarez.

While the two title fights delivered, the rest of the card was largely forgettable. Let’s break down the key takeaways from UFC 312:

Du Plessis Silences Doubters

Dricus du Plessis proved he is for real with his second win over Sean Strickland. While his unorthodox style may not always look pretty, it continues to get results at the highest level. Du Plessis is now firmly established as the man to beat at 185 pounds.

Zhang’s GOAT Case Grows Stronger

With another dominant title defense, Zhang Weili strengthened her argument as the greatest strawweight ever. Her overall body of work, including wins over Joanna Jedrzejczyk and now Suarez, is hard to deny. Zhang appears to be reaching new levels of excellence at age 35.

What’s Next for the Champions?

All signs point to a massive showdown between du Plessis and undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev next. For Zhang, a move up to flyweight to challenge Valentina Shevchenko seems likely. Both matchups would be among the biggest fights the UFC could make in 2025.

Rest of Card Underwhelms

Outside of the title fights, UFC 312 failed to deliver much excitement. The undercard lacked star power and memorable moments. However, Aleksandre Topuria impressed in his UFC debut and looks like a future contender to watch at bantamweight.

While not a spectacular event overall, UFC 312 saw two elite champions further cement their legacies. Du Plessis and Zhang left no doubt they are at the top of their respective divisions heading into 2025.