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MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
(c) Dricus Du Plessis (185 lbs.) vs. #1 Sean Strickland (185 lbs.) – for middleweight title
(c) Zhang Weili (115 lbs.) vs. #1 Tatiana Suarez (114.5 lbs.) – for women’s strawweight title
Justin Tafa (266 lbs.) vs. Tallison Teixeira (263 lbs.)
Rodolfo Bellato (205 lbs.) vs. Jimmy Crute (206 lbs.)
Jake Matthews (170.5 lbs.) vs. Francisco Prado (170.5 lbs.)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews/Disney+, 8 p.m. ET)
Jack Jenkins (146 lbs.) vs. Gabriel Santos (145.5 lbs.)
Viacheslav Borshchev (156 lbs.) vs. Tom Nolan (155.5 lbs.)
Bruna Brasil (125.5 lbs.) vs. Wang Cong (125 lbs.)
Colby Thicknesse (135.5 lbs.) vs. Aleksandre Topuria (135.5 lbs.)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET)
Kody Steele (156 lbs.) vs. Rong Zhu (156 lbs.)
Kevin Jousset (171 lbs.) vs. Jonathan Micallef (170 lbs.)
Anshul Jubli (155.5 lbs.) vs. Quillan Salkilld (156 lbs.)

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Hello everyone and welcome to 411mania’s LIVE UFC 312 coverage, I’m Robert Winfree and I’ll be your host for the event. The UFC is back in Australia and this PPV has two title fights at the top, but almost nothing else of value to be found. In the main event we’ve got a rematch for the middleweight title, champion Dricus du Plessis tries for his second title defense as he takes on the man he beat to become champion in Sean Strickland. In the co-main event Zhang Weili looks to extend her dominance at strawweight against Tatiana Suarez, Suarez is someone a lot of us expected to get to the title level but injury and illness have plagued her career to the point where the matchmakers just threw up their hands and shoved her into a title fight despite having pulled out of her last two fights and her last fight being in August of 2023. Beyond that things get pretty poor, Justin Tafa being next down on the card is never a good sign and he’s taking on a debutant. Jake Matthews is going have a bit of a crossroads fight against Francisco Prado, I’m usually down to watch Jack Jenkins fight, Wang Cong is trying to rebound from a loss she wasn’t expected to take, and the novelty of Ilia Topuria’s brother making his UFC debut are about all that this card has going for it. It’s a really weak PPV card, but the title fights are solid bouts and we can hope that the action delivers for the rest of the card.

UFC 312 comes to the world from the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier, and Michael Bisping will provide commentary. Keep in mind we’ve got the bigger cage plus I believe we’ve got the newer rules but I’ll have to see if the broadcast corrects that given that I’m unsure if Australia has adopted the new definition of a downed fighter and unbanned 12-6 elbows.

Quillan Salkilld brings a seven fight winning streak into his UFC debut and he looks to extend that while making good on his only chance at a first impression. Anshul Jubli has gone 1-1 in the UFC, he’s coming off of a loss which was one of the funnier losses I’ve seen as he had the fight pretty well in hand through the first two rounds but then fell apart when his opponent began barking and trash talking him in the third leading to a finish. That fight was in October of 2023 and now he’s trying to avoid his first losing streak. Salkilld is a pretty heft favorite at -520 to Jubli’s +390.

Lightweight Bout: Anshul Jubli (7-1, 155.5 lbs.) vs. Quillan Salkilld (7-1, 156 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height while Salkilld has a significant six inches of reach advantage. Some early jabs from Salkilld then a calf kick. Jubli eats a right hand, gets floored and the ref jumps in.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Quillan Salkilld via TKO, punch, at :19 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Salkilld for his work. Mic time for Salkilld, he has no words for this moment and calls this whole thing perfect to get a finish that quickly in his UFC debut here in Sydney. He talks through the finish, noting that Jubli tends to have his lead hand out and that opens up the counter right. He then makes the case for a post fight bonus to close.

Jubli is unhappy with that stoppage, he was trying to wrestle up but he also didn’t do much right after going down and when you just curl up like that a ref is more likely to get involved. This isn’t the best stoppage in the world but looking at how Jubli dropped I can see it.

KO IN 19 SECONDS 🤯

QUILLAN SALKILLD MAKES A STATEMENT IN HIS UFC DEBUT 💥#UFC312 pic.twitter.com/hgx8eZ7s52

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 8, 2025

Jonathan Micallef brings a two fight winning streak into his UFC debut and he’s hoping to make a good first impression on the audience here. Kevin Jousset has gone 2-1 in the UFC but is coming off of a loss, he’s trying to bounce back and avoid his first ever losing streak. The odds are with Jousset at -240 while a Micallef win pays out at +195.

Welterweight Bout: Kevin Jousset (10-3, 171 lbs.) vs. Jonathan Micallef (7-1, 170 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Jousset is two inches taller while Micallef has two inches of reach advantage. They touch gloves to get us going. Southpaw for Micallef. A lot of pressure from Jousset early, Micallef then lands a left hand and a body kick. Jousset has a few high kicks blocked then lands a body kick. They trade body kicks then Jousset lands a left hook. They trade power hand punches. Another body kick from Micallef then Jousset lands a left hook. Jousset lands a body kick. Jousset is starting to pull and counter now, Micallef’s right eye is starting to swell up a bit. Front kick from Jousset then an inside leg kick. Left hook from Jousset but Micallef gets a clinch and they trade in close before separating. Jousset complains of a low kick, no ref reaction so Micallef kicks him in the head and drops him but Jousset is able to fight back up and clocks Micallef with a right hand. Left hand from Micallef. Jousset lands a right to the body. Micallef lands another body kick but eats a counter punch. A few more kicks from Micallef close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Micallef

ROUND TWO: Jousset’s body is all marked up after that first round. They touch gloves again. One two from Micallef. Jousset lands a left hook then a body kick. Bit of a right from Jousset. Glancing head kick from Jousset. Both men fall short with some punches. You know if either of them starts using oblique kicks with the volume of back leg kicks they’re throwing they could mess up a knee joint real easy. Micallef lands another body kick. Bit of a high kick from Jousset. Micallef lands a left hand. Micallef is starting to flow now, he’s not that worried about Jousset’s fire power. Bit of a one two from Jousset. Jousset lands a body kick. Micallef lands another left hand. Glancing head kick from Micallef. Again that glancing high kick from Micallef. They trade body kicks then Jousset lands an inside leg kick. They trade punches in close. Jousset is just a bit out gunned on the feet, but he does land a few body kicks. A bit of a question mark kick from Micallef closes the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Micallef but a closer one, 20-18 Micallef overall

ROUND THREE: Jousset with a body kick to start the round. Seriously, I’m begging either guy to throw some side kicks to the knee, it’ll alter the kicks coming back at them. Micallef lands a body kick. Another body kick from Micallef. Jousset lands a right hand. Jousset with a body kick. Jab from Micallef then Jousset lands a right hand. Jousset is marching Micallef down at this point and lands a body kick. Right to the body from Jousset. They both miss punches. Knee from Micallef in close. Micallef lands a bit of a high kick then a body kick. Solid right hand from Jousset. Micallef lands a few jabs but he’s mostly trying not to get stopped. Counter right from Jousset. They trade in close but nothing comes of the clinch. Short right from Jousset. Micallef lands a body kick. Jousset tries to blitz forward but wont find much before the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Jousset, 29-28 Micallef overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Jonathan Micallef via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Mic time for Micallef, he puts over Jousset and says he’s still improving as a fighter and promises to deliver even more in the future. His left foot is visibly swelling up and he says he can’t feel it yet but knows it’s going to be quite sore tomorrow.

Rongzhu dropped his return bout to the UFC in September of last year, he’s looking to get his first UFC win since 2021 under his belt here. Kody Steele is undefeated and has a pretty decorated grappling career behind him, now he’s looking to score a memorable win in his UFC debut. Steele closed at -405 to Rong’s +270.

Lightweight Bout: Kody Steele (7-0, 156 lbs.) vs. Rong Zhu (25-6, 156 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: These two have identical heights and reaches. They touch gloves to get us going. Rongzhu looks to keep his lead hand working early. Rongzhu with a front kick. Some level feints form Steele then he lands a calf kick. Another calf kick from Steele. Rongzhu is not biting on the feints from Steele so Steele throws a right hand which is mostly blocked. Body jab from Steele then he hits a double leg off of the fence and gets on top. Rongzhu with a headlock sweep to get on top then he scrambles free. Bit of a right from Steele. Steele lands a right hand. Rongzhu lands a calf kick. Left hook from Rongzhu in close. Bit of a one two from Steele. They trade rights, both men are just looking to swing bombs at this point but Rongzhu’s defense is better. Rongzhu defends a double leg. They both land in close again. Steele stuns Rongzhu with a right hand and lands a knee but Rongzhu recovers and cracks him with a left hook. Both men land punches again but Rongzhu is getting the better of this. One two from Rongzhu. Uppercut from Steele. Rongzhu lands a left hook. They trade in close again to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Rongzhu

ROUND TWO: Calf kick from Rongzhu to start the round. Stiff jab from Rongzhu hurts Steele, he looks to follow him down but Steele ties up a leg and looks for an entanglement then inverts under and continues tying up the legs. Eventually Rongzhu is able to pull his leg free and they reset on the feet. Steele avoids a few punches. Steele lands a jab. Rongzhu jabs the body then lands a left hook. Right to the body from Steele but Rongzhu lands a counter left hook. Double jab from Rongzhu. Rongzhu with a left hook. Both men land in close again. Right hand then a left hook from Rongzhu. They trade a few jabs. Rongzhu avoids a single leg to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Rongzhu, 20-18 Rongzhu overall

ROUND THREE: They hug for the last round. A few jabs go back and forth. Bit of a right from Steele. Rongzhu jabs the body. Bit of a left hook in close from Steele. Rongzhu lands a combination of punches. A few jabs again go back and forth. Bit of a right from Rongzhu. Steele is just a few steps behind in the striking thus far and Rongzhu is getting the better of him. A few body shots from Steele land, that’s the kind of thing you need to be landing much earlier in a fight. Rongzhu lands a jab. Left hand from Rongzhu. More jabs from Rongzhu. Rongzhu just can’t miss right now and any time Steele enters the pocket he’s eating several punches. Steele lands a jab. Rongzhu avoids a right hand and does some dancing, he’s feeling very good. Steele swings a few hooks but they’re blocked. They start swinging and both men land to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Rongzhu, 30-27 Rongzhu overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Rongzhu via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Man the odds makers are not having a good night so far. Mic time for Rongzhu and the translator, he feels good after that mini war then thanks all of his coaches and puts over Steele as they used to train together.

THEY WERE SWINGING FOR THE LAST 10 SECONDS OF THE FIGHT 😳 #UFC312 pic.twitter.com/IWhKM8JrFe

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 9, 2025

Aleksandre Topuria is the brother of featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, he’s bringing a three fight winning streak into his UFC debut and he’ll be looking to add to his families success in the promotion. Colby Thicknesse is undefeated coming into his UFC debut and he’s trying to spoil Topuria’s debut by making his own a successful one. The odds are with Topuria at -305 but given how relatively junior both men are in their careers the +245 comeback on Thicknesse might tempt a few bettors out there.

Bantamweight Bout: Colby Thicknesse (7-0, 135.5 lbs.) vs. Aleksandre Topuria (5-1, 135.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height while Thicknesse has an inch of reach advantage. They touch gloves to get things going. Some early stance switching from Thicknesse as Topuria looks to talks him towards the fence. I’m also calling BS on these two being the same height, Thicknesse seems much taller. Bit of a right from Topuria. Thicknesse tries to get his jab going, Topuria lands a right to the body. Another right to the body from Topuria. Thicknesse lands a left hook. Topuria jabs the body. Bit of a right from Topuria. Thicknesse lands an elbow but they tie up and Topuria pushes him into the fence. Body shot from Topuria then Thicknesse fires a knee as they break. Hard right hand from Topuria, Thicknesse is hurt and Topuria sprawls on a takedown then spins to the ride. A few short punches from Topuria land as Thicknesse stands then they break. More pressure from Topuria, he’s trying to find the right bit of timing rather than spamming offense. Thicknesse has some kicks blocked. Topuria lands to the body again then lands punches in close and hits a lovely German suplex to get into the ride position as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Topuria

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves again. Topuria lands a calf kick. Thicknesse lands an inside leg kick, he’s trying to get back to being loose and elusive. Topuria jabs the body. Bit of a high kick from Thicknesse. Topuria misses a wheel kick but lands a right to the body. Some head movement from Topuria, he’s making Thicknesse miss a lot with the punches. Calf kick from Topuria. Bit of a counter right from Topuria. A few more body jabs from Topuria then a calf kick. Thicknesse misses a few punches but he’s starting to put some heat on these. They clinch up then Topuria breaks free but eats a punch. Calf kick from Thicknesse. Topuria lands a jab then a calf kick. That left leg of Thicknesse is starting to bother him. Knee from Topuria in close. Right hand from Thicknesse. Topuria is maybe being a little too measured at this point and Thicknesse is fighting his way back into this with just activity. Right uppercut from Topuria lands. Thicknesse tries a takedown, Topuria defends then they reset. Bit of a right from Topuria. A right hand from Topuria closes the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Thicknesse but could go either way, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Body kick from Thicknesse. Topuria avoids a takedown and moves to the ride. Thicknesse scoots to the fence and wall walks into a clinch. Topuria is still on the back of Thicknesse and fires a few knees but mostly this is about control. Eventually they break and reset. Topuria avoids some punches. Thicknesse lands a right hand. Uppercut from Topuria then he grabs a front headlock and moves to the ride again. Thicknesse tries a kimura roll but Topuria spins around it and gets on top in side control. After a second or two Thicknesse this able to hip escape and get full guard. A few body shots from Topuria. Topuria passes to half guard through a rubber guard attempt. Thicknesse moves to his knees, Topuria scoots to the ride and has the back as they stand. Thicknesse tries to roll under for a leg, that was not a great decision, and Topuria gets back on top in full guard. More punches from Topuria as he out wrestles Thicknesse to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Topuria, 29-28 Topuria overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Aleksandre Topuria via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Topuria gets an interview with the translator which might not be necessary, he feel good after the win and talks about how he likes to mix the martial arts. He felt ready for any scenario that was going to come up.

Wang Cong suffered her first MMA loss in her last fight, while that certainly messed with her hype a little bit it’s still present and she’s looking to get things back on track with a performance more in line with her UFC debut when she scored a first round knockout win. Bruna Brasil has gone 2-2 in the UFC but she is coming off of a win and is trying to get her first UFC winning streak up and running here. Wang is your favorite at -325 to +260 on Brasil.

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Bruna Brasil (10-4-1, 125.5 lbs.) vs. Wang Cong (6-1, 125 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height while Wang has an inch of reach advantage. They touch gloves to get us going. Calf kick from Wang. Brasil shows a few calf kicks of her own. Bit of a leg kick from Wang. Brasil checks a leg kick. They trade rights. A few jabs go back and forth. Glancing right from Wang but Brasil landed a calf kick. Right to the body from Wang. Calf kick from Wang. Brasil avoids a head kick. Side kick from Wang. Inside and outside leg kicks from Wang mostly land. Bit of a right from Wang. Brasil has started showing some stance switches. Bit of a calf kick from Wang then a front kick. Wang avoids a wheel kick and gets a takedown then lands a right hand to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Wang

ROUND TWO: They touch gloves again. They both avoid some leg kicks. Bit of a side kick from Wang. Solid right hand from Wang then a right to the body. Wang is starting to open up a bit now, not recklessly but she’s being a bit more active this round. Another right hand from Wang then a calf kick behind it. A lot more southpaw from Brasil this round and Wang is happy to kick either leg. Another calf kick from Wang. Wang with another calf kick, Brasil is starting to swing a little wild after those land. Bit of a side kick from Wang. Calf kick but Brasil but she eats a counter right hand. Wang with a bit of a left hand as she’s getting Brasil along the fence. Right to the body from Wang then a right hand up top, that body work is getting to Brasil now. A hard calf kick from Wang closes the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Wang, 20-18 Wang overall

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves for the final round. A bit more forward motion from Brasil this round, and Wang shows some side kicks towards the face. Body jab from Wang. Right to the body from Wang, her body work was adding up at the end of the last round so we’ll see if she goes back to it. Glancing right hand from Wang. Wang with a one two. Another right to the body from Wang. Side kick from Wang then Brasil lands a counter right. Wang still keeps up the pressure and lands a side kick to the head. Wang lands a calf kick then avoids a clinch. Inside leg kick from Wang. Wang lands a right to the body then a glancing head kick. Both women block body kicks. Knee from Wang in close as she avoids a clinch. Right to the body from Wang. Brasil keeps trying to throw a counter right hand but she’s mistiming it. Front kick from Wang. Bit of a wheel kick from Brasil. Wang lands a left hook then hits a takedown and ends the round on top.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Wang, 30-27 Wang overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Wang Cong via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Wang needed to rebuild after her last loss and this went a good way towards doing that. No interview for the winner.

Tom Nolan has gone 2-1 in the UFC and is on a two fight winning streak, he showed up with a decent amount of hype and has been rebuilding it after losing his UFC debut. A win here for Nolan would show he’s pretty much found his footing at this level of competition and he might be ready for a step up in class. Viacheslav Borshchev has gone 3-1-1 in the UFC and most recently got a slightly controversial split decision win, now he’s trying for his first UFC winning streak. Close one here, -120 on Borshchev to +100 for Nolan.

Lightweight Bout: Viacheslav Borshchev (8-4-1, 156 lbs.) vs. Tom Nolan (8-1, 155.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: