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- What: UFC 312 Main Event
- Who: Dricus du Plessis Vs. Sean Strickland 2
- Date: Saturday, February 8, 2025
- Location: Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia
- Time: Early Prelims (6:00 p.m. ET), Prelims (8:00 p.m. ET), Pay-Per-View Card (10:00 p.m. ET)
- How to Watch: Early Prelims (ESPN+) Prelims (ESPN2), Main Card (ESPN+ PPV)
The next pay-per-view card on the UFC schedule, UFC 312, takes place on Saturday, February 8 from Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. The fight card is headlined by a rematch. In that contest, UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis puts his title on the line against the man he defeated to win the belt, Sean Strickland. Strickland enters the rematch as the No. 1 fighter in the official UFC middleweight rankings. Before we look at the betting breakdown for the UFC 312 main event, here is some information on Du Plessis and Strickland.
Dricus du Plessis (22-2) is unbeaten in the UFC (8-0) with six finishes. After winning the title from Strickland via decision in January 2024, he defeated former UFC champ Israel Adesanya via submission in August 2024.
Sean Strickland (29-6) bounced back from his loss to Du Plessis with a June 2024 split-decision win over Paulo Costa. After the win, Strickland vowed to sit out until the UFC gave him a rematch against Du Plessis.
Before we look at the best bets for Dricus du Plessis Vs. Sean Strickland 2 on the UFC 312 PPV card, check out the best UFC betting sites and where you can find the best odds on all the UFC fights.
UFC 312 main event: Dricus du Plessis Vs. Sean Strickland 2 betting picks
| To Win UFC Middleweight Title |  |  |  |
| Dricus du Plessis | -190 | -198 | -206 |
| Sean Strickland | +165 | +168 | +159 |
UFC 312 main event: Dricus du Plessis betting breakdown
Dricus Du Plessis has answered many, if not all, of the questions that have surrounded him. While he rose through the ranks, there were questions about his durability, cardio, and style. The UFC middleweight champ is durable. He has not been knocked down in his seven fights despite being matched against some heavy-handed opponents. His cardio is better than average, as he can push forward, and put a fast pace on his opponents, and go five rounds. His style is somewhat reckless, but he has beaten fighters with exceptional defense and countering skills.
Adesanya was Du Plessis’ toughest matchup on paper, and the champ handled himself well in that contest. The champ used his awkward style to rack up damage. The defending champ did his best work when pressuring Adesanya and throwing caution to the wind. Du Plessis might not be a technical genius, but he’s tough, has a good chin, is capable on his feet, as well as on the mat and has zero quit in him.
Du Plessis got hit by his fair share of Adesanya’s striking attempts, especially to the body, but he took the shots well and pushed forward. What stood out most about Du Plessis was his work on the mat, especially the finishing sequence in the fourth round. The champ showed good situational awareness and finishing instincts.
Du Plessis lands 6.18 significant strikes per minute, with an accuracy of 49 percent. His striking defense is 54 percent, and he gets hit 4.85 times per minute. The champ averages 3.04 takedowns per 15 minutes with an accuracy of 50 percent. His takedown defense is 50 percent.
UFC 312 main event: Sean Strickland betting breakdown
In Sean Strickland is a striker who uses a high-volume approach and forward pressure to wear down his foes. Strickland doesn’t have single-strike knockout power, but his cardio is top-notch, his willingness to keep moving forward is admirable, and the strength of his chin is noteworthy. Additionally, while Strickland employs a rigid stance, his striking defense is high-level, which allows him to rack up points while rarely taking a clean blow to his upright chin.
Because of his stance, Strickland can be hit, and that’s one place he will be in danger at UFC 312. The other big worry for Strickland is his opponent’s wrestling and clinch work. Leading up to this fight, Strickland attempted to get Du Plessis to agree to a striking-only battle. The champ shut down that request. In their first matchup, Du Plessis scored six takedowns on 11 attempts in their first meeting.
Strickland averages 6.01 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy of 42 percent. His striking defense is 61 percent, and he gets hit 4.48 times per minute. The ex-champ averages 0.78 takedowns per minute with a takedown rate of 64 percent. His takedown defense is 77 percent.
Best Bets: UFC 312 main event – Dricus du Plessis Vs. Sean Strickland 2
It’s hard to see this fight going much different than the first meeting between these two. The book is out on Strickland, and it’s hard to believe he will change his approach to Du Plessis in the rematch. Du Plessis has more ways to win, and he’s more willing to take chances and change up his approach and attack. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Du Plessis use more wrestling and ground work in this matchup.
The betting pick is for Dricus du Plessis to beat Sean Strickland by decision in the UFC 312 main event.
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