UFC 312 Outcomes: Prize Recipients, Highlights, and Responses
UFC 312 wraps up with some impressive performances at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. Dricus Du Plessis and Weili Zhang successfully defended their titles against Sean Strickland and Tatiana Suarez, respectively.
Domination by Champions
Du Plessis, the UFC Middleweight Champion, showed his dominance by pounding Strickland for five rounds. Breaking his nose with a powerful right hand in the fourth round, Du Plessis prevailed with consistent pressure and more damaging blows. Strickland demonstrated resilience, but his output couldn't match that of the champion. With unanimous decision victories of 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46, Du Plessis retained his title.
Zhang also put on a memorable performance in the co-main event. Doubters were silenced as Zhang outclassed Suarez, even after Suarez took her down in the first round. Zhang nearly stopped Suarez in the third round with a robust right hand, marking Suarez's first loss in her professional career. Neither champion factored into the bonus money, but heavyweight Tallison Teixeira earned a Performance of the Night bonus for his first-round TKO win over Justin Tafa. Quillan Salkilld and Rongzhu shared the Fight of the Night bonus for their intense brawl.
What's Next for Champions?
The future for both champions is promising. Du Plessis's only viable opponent seems to be Khamzat Chimaev, who is on the path to secure a middleweight title shot. If Du Plessis defeats Chimaev, it would make sense for him to move up to light heavyweight to challenge the division's titleholder, whether it's Alex Pereira or Magomed Ankalaev.
Zhang's situation is different as she has run through the strawweight division. It's likely she will move up to flyweight to face the winner of the upcoming clash between Valentina Shevchenko and Manon Fiorot. Many fans would love to see Shevchenko versus Weili, but Shevchenko must first get past Fiorot and retain her flyweight title.
In the heavyweight division, Tallison Teixeira's impressive win against Justin Tafa deservedly earned him a significant leap in the rankings. Lastly, the lack of depth in the UFC's heavyweight division makes Teixeira a strong contender for future fights.
UFC 312 saw Dricus Du Plessis and Weili Zhang add another victory to their UFC results, successfully defending their titles against Sean Strickland and Tatiana Suarez, respectively. Du Plessis's dominance resulted in a unanimous decision victory, while Zhang outclassed Suarez, securing a victory despite being taken down in the first round. The DDP results and Weili Zhang results from UFC 312 highlighted their continued success in the UFC.
