5 fighters with a big point to prove at UFC 312 feat. Sean Strickland

This weekend sees the UFC head down under for the lone pay-per-view event in February. Sydney will be treated to two title fights, and some other intriguing bouts.

UFC 312: Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland does not have the deepest card, and so a number of the fighters in action have a major point to prove.

Some of them will be looking to prove that they belong in the promotion, while others will simply be looking for validation for their spot on the card.

Here, then, are five fighters with a big point to prove at UFC 312.

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#5. Wang Cong - UFC flyweight

It feels like since Alex Pereira shot to the top of the UFC, any successful kickboxer making the transition into the octagon is looked as a possible 'next Poatan'.

Flyweight contender Wang Cong certainly got that treatment when she arrived in the promotion last year. Parallels with Pereira were easy to see, as she held a win over Valentina Shevchenko from their kickboxing days, just as 'Poatan' had beaten Israel Adesanya.

When 'The Joker' easily knocked out Victoria Leonardo in her debut, then, the hype train quickly began to speed up. Some fans even began discussing a title shot.

However, Cong was then upset badly in her second fight, being submitted by the unheralded Gabriella Fernandes in a fight everyone expected her to win.

Now, then, the Chinese star is back at the drawing board. If she really wants to follow in the footsteps of Pereira, she absolutely needs a big showing this weekend against Bruna Brasil.

Like her bout with Fernandes, this one should be winnable, but it's safe to say that she'll have needed to work on her ground skills to do it. With any hope, 'The Joker' has done that, and can get back on track by proving a major point in Sydney.

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#4. Francisco Prado - UFC welterweight

One fighter who has a major point to prove at UFC 312 this weekend is Francisco Prado. The 22-year-old prospect is set to face off with Aussie veteran Jake Matthews, and the duo have been handed a main card showcase.

There's a reason for this, of course. Not only is Matthews an Australian favorite, but thus far, Prado has produced nothing but bangers when he's stepped into the octagon.

Unfortunately for the Argentine, he's only come out on top of one of those bangers, knocking out Ottman Azaitar in 2023.

Sure, his last fight was one of the more memorable of 2024, as he put on a three-round thriller with Daniel Zellhuber with both men landing huge shots, but in the end, he still lost.

If Prado wants to climb into contendership, then, he probably needs to beat Matthews this weekend. 'The Celtic Kid' is no mug, having beaten most of the lower-end fighters he's faced in recent years, so the Argentine will need a special showing to pull it off.

From what we've seen of him, he's definitely capable, and some slight defensive tweaks could take him to where he wants to be. If he wants to be known as more than an action fighter, then, he has a point to prove this weekend.

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#3. Jimmy Crute - UFC light heavyweight

Many fans have questioned whether UFC 312 is truly a pay-per-view level card. Part of that questioning has to do with a couple of the main card fights.

One of those fights is a 205 pound showdown that will see Jimmy Crute take on Rodolfo Bellato, and it's safe to say that it's Crute who has the point to prove.

'The Brute' was once considered one of the division's best prospects. Emerging into the UFC from Dana White's Contender Series in 2018, Crute beat Paul Craig and Sam Alvey to garner some hype.

Since then, though, he's lost more fights than he's won, and will come into this weekend on the back of a four-fight winless streak. In fact, Crute hasn't won since 2020, and his last loss saw him consider retirement.

This weekend, then, 'The Brute' has a major point to prove. If he wants to show that he's still in the promotion for any other reason than to fill a spot on the Australian cards, he needs to win, and win big.

Anything other than that, and Crute may have to consider retiring once again, as it's unlikely he'll retain his roster spot.

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#2. Tallison Teixeira - UFC heavyweight

The UFC's decision to showcase the heavyweight bout between Justin Tafa and Tallison Teixeira this weekend is a curious one.

Sure, Tafa is a favorite Down Under, but he's as capable of putting on a sloppy, dull fight as he is producing a thrilling knockout. Teixeira, meanwhile, has yet to debut in the octagon.

However, the Brazilian will come into this fight with a point to prove after missing out on his octagon debut last year with an injury.

'Xicao' has a lot of hype around him. At 6ft 7in, he's a huge, athletic heavyweight, and he extended his record to 7-0 with a big knockout on Dana White's Contender Series last year.

A win over Tafa won't push him into the top 15, but it would definitely mark him as a man to watch, particularly if he can find a way to knock 'Bad Man' out.

Therefore, he'll want to prove that he can make his mark in the octagon at the first time of trying, and land a big finish this weekend.

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#1. Sean Strickland - former UFC middleweight champion

It's almost certain that the fighter with the biggest point to prove this weekend is Sean Strickland. 'Tarzan' will attempt to reclaim the middleweight title from Dricus du Plessis, and prove his doubters wrong in the process.

Strickland and 'Stillknocks' first faced off at UFC 297 last year, with du Plessis winning a split decision. Essentially, Strickland landed with more volume in the fight, but du Plessis got the bigger shots in, and that won him the title.

The result was a controversial one, and that alone means that 'Tarzan' will have a chip on his shoulder coming into this rematch. However, Strickland has more to prove than just that.

The way in which he earned this rematch - with a tepid decision win over a rusty Paulo Costa - was questionable to say the least.

Many fans have already argued that Khamzat Chimaev, who submitted Robert Whittaker in October, should've been given the shot instead.

That feeling of frustration only increased this past weekend when Nassourdine Imavov threw his name into the hat of contenders with a knockout of Israel Adesanya, too.

Therefore, not only will Strickland want to win, but he'll also want to prove that he can actually entertain the fans in the octagon instead of just point-fighting.

If he can do the former, then he'll have his title back, but if he can do both, then his star will absolutely rise higher than ever before.