UFC 312 Odds: Du Plessis Ousts Strickland Again?

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland Odds, Prediction, and Betting Pick

• • Dricus Du Plessis (-200)
  • Sean Strickland (+170)

South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis (22-2-0) heads to Sydney aiming for back-to-back wins over Sean Strickland (29-6-0). It should be a good one, so let’s dive straight into my Strickland vs. Du Plessis preview for the rematch.

The question you have to answer here is whether Strickland can do anything differently than the first fight. Du Plessis wore out Strickland for a split-decision victory at UFC 297 to capture the middleweight title.

It was a close fight, and Strickland’s defense was fundamentally sound as usual, but he didn’t do enough on the offense to impress the judges. While Strickland’s defense is strong, he doesn’t have the tools to “wow” against a fighter as well-rounded as Du Plessis.

Unless Strickland takes advantage of tired fighters, he has trouble finishing opponents. The round of jabs he employs and leaving it up to the judge’s scorecards Du Plessis is best on his feet, which further complicates Strickland’s strategy in the second fight.

I’m not sure the American can do anything differently than in the first bout. There shouldn’t be any surprises for Du Plessis. Look for another fight that goes to the judges. Strickland is a tough fighter, but I expect him to fall again via decision.

No judges needed in his first title defense 💪@DricusDuPlessis looks to make another statement at #UFC312! pic.twitter.com/FzBt90oDx9

— UFC (@ufc) February 3, 2025

Du Plessis made easy work with a submission win over Israel Adesanya. Strickland isn’t as much of a mismatch, though I favor the champ. The Du Plessis vs. Strickland odds favor him at -200, and while I’d wait to see if it dips to -180, the South African is the play here!

Weili Zhang vs. Tatiana Suarez Odds, Prediction, and Betting Pick

• • Tatiana Suarez (-122)
  • Weili Zhang (+102)

Weili Zhang (25-3-0) puts her strawweight title on the line against Tatiana Suarez (11-0-0). The contender intends to go forward with this fight after she backed out of UFC 298 and UFC 310.

The 34-year-old has long been waiting for a chance at the belt and appears to be healthy enough to challenge Zhang. She suffered a neck injury from training and was unable to go versus Virna Jandiroba.

Suarez’s entire career has been a myriad of injuries that continually hamper rising the ladder in the UFC. Neck injuries can be serious for a fighter. They never go away in some cases.

We don’t truly know how Suarez is before she steps into the Octagon. The 34-year-old’s latest bout was on Aug. 5, 2023 — a win over Jessica Andrade via submission to advance to 11-0-0. Instead of a “warm-up” opponent, she’s going straight for Zhang at UFC 312.

💥🇨🇳 Zhang Weili has delivered some of the most electrifying finishes in UFC history!

This Saturday at #UFC312, she defends her strawweight crown against undefeated Tatiana Suarez. Will she add another highlight to her resume? 👀🔥#WMMA #UFC pic.twitter.com/PlI0avQNyi

— Women's MMA Rankings (@WMMARankings) February 3, 2025

Zhang is a crafty, strong fighter that can be tough to overcome. She is currently on a four-win streak and has lost just two bouts since 2014.

The brute strength of Zhang should make it difficult for Suarez to stop coming off an injury. At plus odds, the champ is a solid option for your UFC 312 picks!

Tom Nolan vs. Viacheslav Borshchev Odds, Prediction, and Betting Pick

• • Tom Nolan (+122)
  • Viacheslav Borshchev (-142)

Aussie Tom Nolan (8-1-0) will enter the ring with “Slava Claus” for a lightweight bout at UFC 312. He has a big opportunity to impress Dana White in the prelims after winning his PPV debut at UFC 305 against Alex Reyes by unanimous decision on Aug. 17.

He is a solid fighter, with five KO/TKOs on his resume. Nolan’s lone loss came three bouts back versus Nikolas Motta on UFC Fight Night in January 2024. Since then, Nolan has won his last two fights, but Viacheslav Borshchev (8-4-1) presents challenges.

Borshchev isn’t bothered by fighters who stand up and want to trade punches. He struggles against wrestlers and takedown artists. However, Nolan isn’t anything of the sort. Nolan will stay with what he’s most comfortable with on his feet.

That said, Borshchev is far superior in this type of match. His weak takedown defense won’t come into play versus Nolan. In summary, Borshchev is one of my best UFC 312 picks this week!

Tallison Teixeira vs. Justin Tafa Odds, Prediction, and Betting Pick

• • Tallison Teixeira (-133)
  • Justin Tafa (+112)

In an interesting heavyweight bout on the main card, Tallison Teixeira (7-0-0) and Justin Tafa (7-4-0) square off in the Octagon at UFC 312. This fight isn’t going to be the reason people look forward to this card, but it’s a compelling matchup.

On one side, there is the 6’0” tall Samoan, and then in the opposite corner, the 6’7” Brazilian! The size and height advantage in favor of Teixeira is massive here. Nevertheless, I’m not convinced that he can necessarily use it in his favor to oust Tafa here.

After two wins in the LFA, Teixeira took his talents to Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2024. He handled Teixeira with a TKO in the first round to impress White enough for an opportunity at UFC 312.

ONE AND DONE 🤯@Justin_Tafa ends this one with a KO in the first round! #UFC293 pic.twitter.com/oAXNYshs4P

— UFC (@ufc) September 10, 2023

In any event, I’m not impressed in the least by Teixeira’s defense. A smaller and shiftier fighter like Tafa could pose problems for him. If he doesn’t put up a solid defense, which is my criticism of him, Tafa has a chance to end this fight before it goes to the judges.

The “Bad Man” is coming off a loss to Karl Williams on UFC Fight Night in March. However, he matches up well against a vulnerable Teixeira in the Octagon. As another solid value play, Tafa is one of the best UFC 312 bets on the board.