5 takeaways from UFC 312: Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland 2

The UFC visited Sydney last night for its latest pay-per-view. Unfortunately, despite a hot crowd, the event wasn't all that memorable. UFC 312: Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland 2 saw just three finishes across the entire card, while the headline bout underwhelmed hugely.

Still, there were some talking points produced by this event, and it answered several big questions.

Here are five takeaways from UFC 312: Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland 2.

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#5. Quillan Salkilld gave the crowd something to remember in his debut

UFC 312 was hardly full of explosive finishes, with the event producing just three across a total of 12 bouts.

However, the opening fight saw Australian newcomer Quillan Salkilld give the crowd something to remember, by sparking out Anshul Jubli in just 19 seconds.

Sure, there was some debate over whether the stoppage might've been early, but realistically, Jubli was just about done and would only have been hurt further. A right hook which appeared to land directly on the back of the Indian fighter's left ear was enough to seal the deal.

How far Salkilld can go in the UFC is hard to say. Jubli was 1-1 in the octagon coming into this bout and hardly had top-level credentials, and a 19-second knockout is always difficult to judge.

For now, though, the newcomer can bask in the glory of a great debut, and thanks to his bonus win, he'll be $50k richer today.

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#4. Jimmy Crute appeared to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory

At an event that featured too few thrilling moments, the light-heavyweight brawl between Jimmy Crute and Rodolfo Bellato was probably a high point of sorts.

Sure, the fight won't win any awards for technical excellence, but it was fun to watch, with both men getting their licks in across the three rounds.

In the end, the bout was declared a majority draw, which was probably the right call overall. However, it was hard not to think that Crute managed to let victory slip through his hands.

'The Brute', who hadn't fought since July 2023, looked excellent in the opening round. He bullied and beat Bellato up on the ground, and also dropped him at one point with a cuffing hook to the ear that saw the Brazilian fall in slow-motion.

It was as clear-cut a 10-8 round as you'd find in the modern UFC, and it seemed to signify a path to victory for Crute, who hadn't won since October 2020.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. 'The Brute' appeared to be utterly exhausted after the round, and allowed Bellato to come back into the fight. 'Trator' outlanded the Aussie for the large part of the next two rounds, and ended up securing a draw.

It's fair to say that Bellato showed a ton of toughness and heart to get back into the fight, and it was his fighting spirit that made it such an entertaining brawl in the end. For Crute, though, it was hard not to be disappointed.

A loss would likely have seen the end of his UFC career. This draw should mean he's kept around, but he will hardly feel like a winner today.

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#3. Tallison Teixeira made good on his UFC debut

The best finish of last night's event came from heavyweight prospect Tallison Teixeira.

Sporting a record of 7-0, including a thunderous win on Dana White's Contender Series, there were high hopes that the Brazilian could make his mark in the octagon last night.

Thankfully for fans who, at that point, were craving a violent stoppage, Teixeira did just that.

It took him just 35 seconds to utterly crush opponent Justin Tafa in devastating fashion. He forced 'Bad Man' into the fence, nailed him with an elbow to the side of the head that dropped him, and then caught him with a knee to the head as he fell.

The stoppage was academic, giving Texeira his first win on the big stage. There are still questions around his ceiling, of course, but for now, 'Xicao' remains a prospect to watch.

Given that the heavyweight division is painfully thin on emerging talent right now, his big victory last night was a welcome one.

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#2. Weili Zhang may well be the best strawweight fighter we've ever seen in the octagon

While the headline title fight last night was somewhat forgettable, the co-main event between strawweight champ Weili Zhang and Tatiana Suarez was a masterclass.

'Magnum' came into the fight as a betting underdog - a very rare occurrence for a UFC champion - but after a tricky first round, she turned the tables entirely on her challenger.

Suarez, unbeaten coming into the fight at 10-0, had used her wrestling to bully her way to victories over great fighters like Jessica Andrade, Carla Esparza, and Alexa Grasso.

Last night, though, she was thoroughly shut down. Zhang was taken down in the first round, but after escaping a guillotine choke attempt, she did not allow Suarez any more success.

Zhang prevented the takedown, planted the challenger on her back in vulnerable positions on multiple occasions, and landed the better strikes standing, too. She didn't get a finish, but this was as dominant a title defense as we'll probably see in 2025.

Given that 'Magnum' has now beaten Suarez largely on the ground, and outstruck Joanna Jedrzejczcyk on the feet, there's an argument that she's probably the best 115-pound fighter the UFC has ever seen.

Sure, those losses to Rose Namajunas stand against her in that area, but Zhang also has the consistency that 'Thug Rose' always lacked. Based on last night, it's hard to imagine anyone dethroning her soon.

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#1. Dricus du Plessis tried, but this was the worst UFC title fight in some time

When the UFC announced that Dricus du Plessis' second title defense would see him rematch Sean Strickland rather than face Khamzat Chimaev, many fans were frustrated.

This wasn't only because of the strength of Chimaev as a challenger, too. The first bout between du Plessis and Strickland simply wasn't a great fight, and the latter's win over Paulo Costa in 2024 was even less memorable.

Therefore, fears of last night's headliner turning into a damp squib were viable, and unfortunately, those fears largely came true.

Outside of a fourth round that saw 'Stillknocks' break Strickland's nose, essentially cementing his victory, the fight was largely forgettable.

Du Plessis tried his best to push the action, but in a similar vein to his fight with Costa, Strickland was not exactly keen to engage, instead sitting behind his jab and attempting to keep the champ at a distance.

Quite how he expected to be able to win the title like this is anyone's guess, but after this fight, it feels unlikely that there'll be a path back to another shot at the gold for him.

As for du Plessis, he can move on to his next foe, which is likely to be Chimaev, and put this bout behind him.

Unfortunately, this fight was not one to remember, and if there's a less engaging title fight in 2025, it'll be a shocker.