Heading back to the land down under of Australia once more, UFC 312 offers a stellar fight card led by two championship tilts. In the co-main event, Chinese juggernaut Weili Zhang makes the third defense of her strawweight gold against the undefeated Tatiana Suarez. Finally, Dricus Du Plessis aims to secure a defense of his own when he meets old foe Sean Strickland in a rematch from their electrifying first bout one year ago.
UFC 312 Main Event
Standing as the gold standard for the 185-lb division, South Africa’s Du Plessis battles his nemesis in an effort to record a second straight championship retention after trouncing previous title holder Israel Adesanya. Laying claim to possibly being the top striker in the weight class, Strickland is eager to go toe-to-toe with the power-punching “Stillknocks” to recapture his place at the head of the pack.
UFC 312 Co-Main Event
Winning the 115-lb strap back in 2022 with a win over Carla Esparza, Zhang is viewed now as the second best female fighter on the planet, and a victory over her latest challenger will cement her place as the woman to beat at strawweight. No stranger to high-stakes situations, the unbeaten Suarez is seeking to add UFC champion to her resume in the UFC 312 co-main event after securing the Ultimate Fighter trophy back in 2016.
More Bouts On the UFC 312 Main Card
On the rest of the main card at UFC 312, the popular Justin Tafa locks horns with the undefeated Tallison Teixeira. Then, after a lengthy hiatus away from the Octagon, Jimmy Crute returns in force to conquer the imposing Rodolfo Bellato. Finally, Jake Matthews will begin the late night festivities by tangoing with Francisco Prado.
UFC 312 Betting Predictions and Staff Picks
MMASucka staff picks are composed of four of the world’s leading mixed martial arts organizations: the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the Professional Fighters League (PFL) with Bellator MMA, ONE Championship (ONE FC), and Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS).
- UFC picks will include main card fights ranging from four to six matchups per event.
- PFL picks from main cards for pay-per-views and from tournament fights in the Regular Season, Playoffs, and Finals.
- ONE FC and DWCS picks will feature all MMA fights from the event with a minimum of three matchups.
The individual who picks the most victorious fighters by the end of 2025 will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a detailed chain from Championship Chains. Staff picks in 2023 were won by Ben Jamieson with a record of 300-148.
Find our UFC 312 picks and fight odds below.
Staff records after UFC Saudi Arabia:
- Michael Hernandez: 1-5
- Jeremy Brand: 5-15
- Michael DeSantis: -10
- Frazer Krohn: 5-15
- Andrew Benjamin: 4-17
- Paul Browne: 3-12
- Hank Strandberg: 5-16
- Drew Zuhosky: 4-17
*Note – not all staff pick for every event*
Jake Matthews -230
Vs.
Francisco Prado +190
WELTERWEIGHT
Jeremy Brand: Matthews by Round 3 Submission
Hank Strandberg: Matthews by Unanimous Decision
Drew Zuhosky: Matthews by Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Matthews by Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Matthews by Unanimous Decision
Paul Browne: Matthews by round three Knockout
Staff picking Matthews: 6
Staff picking Prado: 0
Rodolfo Bellato -155
Vs.
Jimmy Crute +130
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Jeremy Brand: Crute by Unanimous Decision
Hank Strandberg: Bellato by Second Round Technical Knockout Drew Zuhosky: Crute by first round Knockout
Andrew Benjamin: Crute by Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Bellato by Second Round Technical Knockout
Paul Browne: Bellato by Third Round Knockout
Staff picking Bellato: 3
Staff picking Crute: 3
Tallison Teixeira -155
Vs.
Justin Tafa +130
HEAVYWEIGHT
Jeremy Brand: Teixeira by second round Technical Knockout
Hank Strandberg: Tafa by first round Technical Knockout
Drew Zuhosky: Tafa by Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Tafa by first round Technical Knockout
Frazer Krohn: Tafa by first round Technical Knockout
Paul Browne: Teixeira by first round Knockout
Staff picking Teixeira: 2
Staff picking Tafa: 4
Tatiana Suarez -120
Vs.
Weili Zhang +100
WOMEN”S STRAWWEIGHT
Jeremy Brand: Zhang by Unanimous Decision
Hank Strandberg: Suarez by Unanimous Decision
Drew Zuhosky: Zhang by Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Zhang by Split Decision
Frazer Krohn: Zhang by fifth round Submission
Paul Browne: Zhang by Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Suarez: 1
Staff picking Weili: 5
Dricus Du Plessis -218
Vs.
Sean Strickland +180
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Jeremy Brand: Strickland by Unanimous Decision
Hank Strandberg: Du Plessis by Unanimous Decision
Drew Zuhosky: Du Plessis by first round knockout
Andrew Benjamin: Du Plessis by Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Du Plessis by fourth round Technical Knockout
Paul Browne: Du Plessis by Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Du Plessis: 5
Staff picking Strickland: 1
