Dricus Du Plessis had a score to settle after his first encounter with Sean Strickland ended in a split decision over a year ago. This Sunday, during UFC 312 in Sydney, Du Plessis left no room for doubt as he decisively retained his middleweight title with a unanimous decision victory over a visibly damaged Strickland.
“This was a significant moment for me,” Du Plessis remarked. “However, I don’t want to make a habit of leaving things to the judges.” He explained that his strategy was to remain composed, as his coach emphasized the importance of staying calm. “We know I have knockout power, but it was tough not to react when I saw him clutching his nose,” he added.
The victory marked Du Plessis’ second successful title defense, following his victory over Israel Adesanya via a fourth-round submission on August 17 in Perth, Australia.
In the initial round, Strickland aimed to establish a reliable jab while Du Plessis stayed aggressive, unleashing a variety of kicks. Although Strickland approached his techniques cautiously in the second round, trying to choose his moments wisely, Du Plessis consistently outperformed him in significant strikes, landing 28 compared to Strickland’s 17.
The third round received more boos than cheers, as the action was rather stale until Du Plessis landed an overhand right and a spinning back fist. In the fourth round, excitement peaked as Du Plessis broke Strickland’s nose with a powerful right hand and maintained relentless pressure. While the earlier rounds were tightly contested, Du Plessis clearly took control in the fourth.
In the final round, Du Plessis continued to target Strickland’s nose and remained aggressive, securing his victory.
In the co-main event, women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili pushed through a challenging first round to seize control for over 21 minutes against top contender Tatiana Suarez. Zhang ultimately claimed a unanimous decision to uphold her championship title.
This win marks Zhang’s fourth title defense, with three of those victories coming by unanimous decision and one via second-round submission.
From the undercard, heavyweight Tallison Teixeira made a spectacular UFC debut, achieving a first-round TKO against Justin Tafa in just 35 seconds, extending his streak of first-round finishes to eight.
In a thrilling light heavyweight contest, Jim Crute and Rodolfo Bellato provided an entertaining match, with Crute dominating the first round and Bellato bouncing back in the second. The close third round led the judges to declare a majority draw.
Finally, Jake Matthews secured a unanimous decision win over Francisco Prado in a competitive three-round welterweight bout.
