UFC 312 is set to spotlight two extraordinary title contests, with Dricus Du Plessis preparing to defend his middleweight championship in a repeat bout against Sean Strickland. Additionally, the stage is set for Zhang Weili to challenge the unvanquished wrestler and rising star, Tatiana Suarez, for the strawweight title. In this discussion, we aim to delve deeper into these bouts and provide a comprehensive breakdown.
Our discussion starts with the main event – the middleweight championship matchup featuring Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland. This contest marks a reprisal of their January 2024 collision, where Du Plessis emerged victorious by a hair’s breadth, bagging a split decision win in a contentious showdown. Looking back at the fashion in which the fight unfolded, it’s reasonable to expect similar dynamics in their upcoming clash.
At the time of their first faceoff, Strickland held the title while Du Plessis was the challenger. Displaying advanced pugilistic skills, Strickland leveraged his superior boxing technique, primarily working through efficient use of his jab. On the other hand, Du Plessis focused on providing a forceful offensive front, banking on his potent power punches to tip the scales in his favor.
Strickland generated significant output through high-volume strikes from his defensive shell. However, his punch strength didn’t match up to that of Du Plessis and he wasn’t successful in inflicting any considerable damage in their initial confrontation. Despite his strike count outscoring Du Plessis 173 to 137 in total, the effect wasn’t as impactful as hoped due to the power disparity.
During the second and third rounds, Strickland’s strike count to Du Plessis’s head outnumbered his opponent’s 49-24. Yet, many spectators deemed Du Plessis the victor of these rounds, attributing the win to his significantly more powerful strikes. There was a difference of opinion when it came to scoring these rounds, with some, including myself, seeing it as a split – one round for each fighter.
Let’s switch our focus to the second title fight – Zhang Weili versus Tatiana Suarez. Suarez has yet to taste defeat in her professional career, boasting an impressive 11-0 record. Her superior wrestling prowess, particularly notable in the lighter weight classes, has been a defining factor in her successful trajectory.
Suarez has an impressive performance record, landing takedowns every 15 minutes and having lost only a single round in her UFC career. Based on prior fight footage and future projections, it seems likely that she will continue with this successful takedown strategy.
Zhang’s takedown defense record sits at a rather unimpressive 50 percent, which might be a chink in her armor against the adept wrestler, Suarez. The vulnerability was evident in her last fight where she ceded three takedowns to Yan Xiaonan, who isn’t reputed for wrestling skills. Against Suarez, reputedly an elite wrestler, Zhang arguably faces a significant challenge.
Given this backdrop, Suarez’s potent wrestling abilities stand her in good stead for securing multiple takedowns in the upcoming bout. The odds seem to favor Suarez in terms of potentially emerging victorious and clinching the strawweight title in the UFC 312 event.
The entertainment quotient soars with Justin Tafa scheduled to face Tallison Teixeira. The audience, eager to support the local favorite Tafa, will be keen to see how he fares against the UFC rookie Teixeira.
There’s little doubt that this showdown between the two robust athletes spells impending pandemonium and violence. Given Teixeira’s aggressive track record, it’s reasonable to expect a fiercely contested match leading to either man suffering considerable damage.