Sean Strickland gets his shot not only at revenge, but at getting back his belt from Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312 on Sunday in Sydney as several Australians look to impress on a stacked card full of local talent.
The main event is a rematch of there first bout in January of last year where Du Plessis was crowned the new middleweight champ.
All in all eight Aussies will feature – while in the co-main event, China's Zhang Weili (25-3) will defend her straw-weight championship against top-ranked challenger Tatiana Suarez (11-0).
During the official press conference, there was little talk about the main event itself, with former champ Strickland showing vastly different sides to himself as he was peppered with questions by fans.
Dricus Du Plessis speaks at the UFC 312 press conference. Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Strickland who once was, in his own words, a neo-Nazi, didn't endear himself to the local crowd Down Under by hitting back at the Australian media after a Sydney newspaper put a large photo of Strickland on its back page Thursday with the headline begging someone to "knock this guy out."
"I would like to consider Australians as English white trash and even some Irish," Strickland said. "As an American white trash, I feel like I have a lot in common with you (expletive)."
He added: "You guys have got a lot of cameras here – red light cameras, cell phone cameras, seatbelt cameras, speed cameras," Strickland said.
"How do you get a b—— while you drive? Do you get a ticket for that, is there that kind of camera.
"It's real f—ing communist here."
Then Strickland showed a side of himself that has seen him gain fans all over the world, not just for his unique fighting style.
When asked by a reporter on Thursday night, "What do you think makes you a real man in the eyes of your fans?" Strickland said:
"You guys are gonna make me drop character for a second," Strickland replied.
"At the end of the day dude, sometimes you look at us as superstars and we're just another asshole out there," he said.
Strickland on Thursday night. Zuffa LLC
"We've made mistakes dude and I can tell you man, I had no f—ing self-respect before MMA. Before MMA I couldn't even f—ing look myself in the mirror without hating what I'd seen.
"I still kinda hate myself a little bit. But I will say that through you guys man, you have really made me have a life that I enjoy. I do appreciate you guys and your support.
"Win or lose man, you guys have changed my f—ing life."
Du Plessis will give it his best against Strickland, who turns 34 on February 27. But if the first meeting was any indication, an early submission is unlikely. That's the only time since joining the UFC in 2020 that Du Plessis has gone into the fifth round.
"Getting to that fifth round in a war like that proved to myself that I can do it," Du Plessis said. "It's easy to say. It's easy to do it in the fight camp, in the training, but doing it in the octagon is a bit different against a world-class fighter."
The lead-up to the first meeting was much more tense and personal, and both fighters even lobbed punches at each other at another UFC event a month earlier.
Strickland has had a colourful past. Zuffa LLC
Du Plessis was much more complimentary of his opponent this week, and Strickland said nothing especially disparaging of his competitor.
"I think Strickland is the best middleweight in the world right now behind me, and he deserves to be here," Du Plessis said. "I know he's an incredible, incredible fighter. He's so good defensively. He's tough. He's hard to hit, and when you hit him, it doesn't have that effect as on a normal guy. This man is an apex predator, so this is the toughest fight of my life coming up, and I'm ready for that because I'm an apex predator and he's in my area right now."
How to watch?
UFC 312 is on Main Event on Foxtel or Kayo.
When is it?
UFC 312 is on Sunday 9 February at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.
Start time?
Sunday morning early prelims start at 10am.
The prelims will follow from 12pm before the main card begins at 2pm.
It's understood du Plessis and Strickland will fight around 4pm.
What's up for grabs?
Du Plessis will look to successfully defend his belt against Strickland with the South African hoping to extend his fight win streak to 11.
Which Australians are in action?
None of the Australians on the card are competing for titles but every fight in the UFC counts towards something. Here's which local fighters are on the card.
Justin Tafa – One of heaviest hitters in the UFC's heavyweight division and likes to get his fights done very quickly. "Bad Man" is on a solid rise with three wins in his last four bouts, all of which not going longer than two minutes. Although Tafa does tend tostruggle against strong wrestlers, the hope is both fighters stay on their fight and exchange blows – essentially guaranteeing an early finish either way.
Justin Tafa weighs in for UFC 312 at Qudos Bank Arena on February 6, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)Â Zuffa LLC
Jimmy Crute – Once viewed as one of Australia's brightest MMA prospects has been on a slide since 2020, fighting just three times and losing all bouts via early stoppage. After taking a lengthy absence away from the octagon to nurse a knee injury, Crute will be desperate for a win against a dangerous Rodolfo Bellato. Crute can finish a fight in anyway, constricting his opponents reach and constantly putting the pressure on to try and find the early finish.
Jake Matthews – One of the most experienced Aussie fighters in the UFC, making 20 appearances in the octagon since making his promotional debut in 2014. Matthews' fighting form of late has been plagued by a mixture of bad luck and inconsistency, with three wins from his last six bouts. "The Celtic Kid" is a ground specialist with 40 per cent of his professional wins coming via submission. However, Matthews has also been on the receiving end of early stoppages via submission for 43 per cent of his losses.
Jake Matthews during the UFC 312 press conference. Zuffa LLC
Jack Jenkins – Arguably one of Australia's most talented and entertaining MMA stars in recent times. The 31-year-old is one of the few fighters in the sports' history to secure a win by way of a leg kick and has made the move synonymous with his fighting style. Jenkins has some of the nastiest leg kicks in the game and can finish a fight in a multitude of ways. After his last fight in Sydney ended in an unceremonious way, Jenkins will be highly motivated to give the local crowd something to cheer about come Sunday.
Tom Nolan – On the heels of a loss in his UFC debut just over 12 months ago, Nolan bounced back in an impressive manner to finish off 2024 with two-straight victories. Nolan is a very well-rounded fighter who picks his shot and knows when to go in for the finish. The 24-year-old is quietly climbing up the UFC's lightweight rankings and is expected to secure his third UFC win in Sydney.
Colby Thicknesse – Making his UFC debut after just seven pro fights, Thicknesse is one to watch at the Sydney pay-per-view. Thicknesse holds an impressive 14-1 record across both the amatuers and professional scene and is unanimously ranked as the country's best bantanweight yet to debut for a major promotion. The 25-year-old is best known for being former champ Alex Volkanovski's long-time sparring partner and is bound to replicate many of his signature moves.
Colby Thicknesse during the UFC 312 weigh-in. Zuffa LLC
Jonathan Micallef – The second Aussie debutant on the card, Micallef faces arguably the biggest test of all the newcomers at UFC 312, going against the experienced Kevin Jousset. Micallef earned his way to a UFC contract after an impressive triangle choke win that caught the eye of the company's president Dana White.
Quillan Salkilld – Another 25-year-old Aussie making his UFC debut on this card and looking to defend a seven-fight win streak, Salkilld faces his toughest test yet. Salkilld impressed in his lone bout on 'Dana White's Contender Series' and has been very vocal in his own ambition to make a run at the Lightweight title. Although the Perth-based fighter is a bigger body for the division and possesses great wrestling skills, this will be a massive test against an underdog ready to prove the doubters wrong.
Odds
Dricus du Plessis (c) vs. Sean Strickland
Du Plessis goes into the match up as favrouite and is paying $1.48 for the win. Strickland is paying $2.65.
Zhang Weili (c) vs. Tatiana Suarez
Zhang Weili is the slight favourite against Suarez, paying $1.85 for the victory. Suarez is rated a $1.95 outsider.
Justin Tafa in his last match up. Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Justin Tafa vs. Tallison Teixeira
Tafa $2.15 to win, $2.60 to win via KO/TKO, $10.00 via decision, $26.00 via submission
Teixeira $1.72 to win, $2.20 to win via KO/TKO, $9.00 via decision, $10.00 via submission
Jimmy Crute vs. Rodolfo Bellato
Crute $2.30 to win, $6.00 to win via KO/TKO, $3.75 via decision, $13.00 via submission
Bellato $1.60 to win, $2.60 to win via KO/TKO, $7.50 via decision, $5.50 via submission
Preliminary card
Jake Matthews vs. Francisco Prado
Matthews $1.43 to win, $7.50 to win via KO/TKO, $4.75 via decision, $21.00 via submission
Prado $2.75 to win, $6.50 to win via KO/TKO, $2.20 via decision, $5.00 via submission
Jake Matthews of Australia (L) and Phil Rowe exchange strikes in 2024. Getty
Jack Jenkins vs. Gabriel Santos
Jenkins $2.90 to win, $5.00 to win via KO/TKO, $5.00 via decision, $6.50 via submission
Santos $1.41 to win, $3.75 to win via KO/TKO, $5.00 via decision, $6.50 via submission
Tom Nolan vs. Viacheslav Borshchev
Nolan $2.00 to win, $3.75 to win via KO/TKO, $6.50 via decision, $8.00 via submission
Borshchev $1.80 to win, $2.40 to win via KO/TKO, $5.00 via decision, $26.00 via submission.
Wang Cong vs. Bruna Brasil
Wang $1.26 to win, $3.25 to win via KO/TKO, $1.85 via decision, $15.00 via submission
Brasil $3.90 to win, $12.00 to win via KO/TKO, $7.50 via decision, $13.00 via submission
Colby Thicknesse vs. Aleksandre Topuria
Thicknesse $3.90 to win, $15.00 to win via KO/TKO, $6.50 via decision, $12 via submission.
Topuria $1.26 to win, $2.10 to win via KO/TKO, $6.00 via decision, $4.00 via submission
Alonzo Menifield (R) battles with Jimmy Crute in 2023. Getty
Early Prelims
Kody Steele vs. Rongzhu
Steele $1.42 to win, $4.00 to win via KO/TKO, $3.75 via decision, $3.75 via submission
Rongzhu $2.85 to win, $4.25 to win via KO/TKO, $8.50 via decision, $19 via submission
Jonathan Micallef vs. Kevin Jousset
Micallef $3.05 to win, $10.00 to win via KO/TKO, $4.50 via decision, $13.00 via submission
Jousset $1.38 to win, $3.00 to win via KO/TKO, $2.60 via decision, $10.00 via submission
Quillan Salkilld vs. Anshul Jubli
Salkilld $1.16 to win, $3.00 to win via KO/TKO, $3.25 via decision, $3.50 via submission
Jubli $5.00 to win, $11.00 to win via KO/TKO, $8.00 via decision, $17.00 via submission
Hyun Sung Park vs. Nyamjargal Tumendemberel
Park $1.42 to win, $3.25 to win via KO/TKO, $4.00 via decision, $5.50 via submission
Tumendemberel $2.80 to win, $6.00 to win via KO/TKO, $5.50 via decision, $7.50 via submission.
UFC 312 FULL FIGHT CARD
Main card (from 2pm)
Dricus du Plessis (c) vs. Sean Strickland (middleweight)
Zhang Weili (c) vs. Tatiana Suarez (strawweight)
Justin Tafa vs. Tallison Teixeira (heavyweight)
Jimmy Crute vs. Rodolfo Bellato (light heavyweight)
Jake Matthews vs. Francisco Prado (welterweight)
Preliminary card (from 12pm)
Jack Jenkins vs. Gabriel Santos (featherweight)
Tom Nolan vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (lightweight)
Wang Cong vs. Bruna Brasil (flyweight)
Colby Thicknesse vs. Aleksandre Topuria (bantamweight)
Early prelims (from 10am)
Kody Steele vs. Rongzhu (lightweight)
Jonathan Micallef vs. Kevin Jousset (welterweight)
Quillan Salkilld vs. Anshul Jubli (lightweight)
Hyun Sung Park vs. Nyamjargal Tumendemberel (flyweight)