Dricus Du Plessis and Zhang Weili defend their titles at UFC 312

Two title fights mark the UFC’s return to Sydney, Australia on February 8th.

Dricus Du Plessis will defend his middleweight title in a rematch with Sean Strickland, while Zhang Weili puts her strawweight title on the line against Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312.

The fights were announced during the UFC 310 broadcast.

Du Plessis (22-2) made his first successful defense of the 185-pound title when he knocked out Israel Adesanya in the fourth round at UFC 305 in August.

Fighting outside South Africa, Du Plessis is looking to extend his winning streak to eleven against a familiar opponent. Du Plessis defeated Strickland for the middleweight title by a controversial split decision earlier in the year.

Strickland (29-6) fought his way back into title contention with a unanimous decision victory over former title contender Paulo Costa in June.

Zhang (25-3) will attempt to defend her strawweight title for the third time in what many believe will be her toughest test yet. Zhang last fought in April, earning a unanimous decision win over Yan Xiaonan. Suarez (10-0) last fought in August 2023, when she defeated former champion Jessica Andrade in the second round.

Fighting in Rancho Cucamonga, California, Suarez struggled to stay active due to injuries and a battle with thyroid cancer.