The UFC is heading back to Australia in 2025 for the second PPV of the year on February 8th. Tonight, the promotion announced the main event and the co-main event. In the main event, Dricus Du Plessis (22-2) will defend his middleweight title in a rematch against former champion Sean Strickland (29-6).
These two first fought last January when Strickland was the middleweight champion. The two had a very competitive matchup and DDP won a split decision over Strickland. Strickland didn’t agree with the decision and neither did Dana White. That said, the promotion didn’t decide to do an immediate rematch.
Instead, Strickland faced former title challenger Paulo Costa and he got the win in that fight. Dana White remained consistent in saying that Sean Strickland would get his rematch and he’s getting it at UFC 312.
UFC 312
After defeating Strickland for the middleweight title, DDP faced Israel Adesanya in Australia at UFC 305. In the highly anticipated matchup, Du Plessis finished Adesanya in the fourth round to retain his middleweight title.
The recent run that Du Plessis has gone on has been incredible. He’s never lost inside the octagon, but over his last three fights he’s defeated Robert Whittaker, Sean Strickland, and Israel Adesanya. Without question, he’s one of the best fighters in the world. While some believe Strickland won the first fight, this will be DDP’s chance to silence those voices.