UFC 312: How to watch Du Plessis-Strickland 2 and Weili-Suarez title fights, Sydney lineup, odds, more

The UFC’s return to Australia is set for Saturday in Sydney.

Here’s how to watch UFC 312 with two title fights at the top of the bill at Qudos Bank Arena.

Broadcast and streaming info

Jon Anik, Paul Felder, Daniel Cormier

UFC 312 has a main card that begins at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on pay-per-view (via ESPN+). The four-fight preliminary card airs on ESPN2 and streams on Disney+ at 8 p.m. ET. Four early prelims stream on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET.

Jon Anik will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC 312. He will command play-by-play alongside color commentators and UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier and Paul Felder.

Stay tuned for more broadcast details this week.

Main event: Dricus Du Plessis

Record: 22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC
Opponent: Sean Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland, Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson, Darren Till
Misc.: Du Plessis took the 185-pound title from Strickland a little more than a year ago at UFC 297. After a first defense over ex-champ Israel Adesanya, he now chases a second defense in a rematch. When he was KSW champion, he lost his only rematch so far to Roberto Soldic.

Main event: Sean Strickland

Record: 29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC
Opponent: Dricus Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Paulo Costa, Israel Adesanya, Nassourdine Imavov, Jack Hermansson
Misc.: Strickland bounced back from his title loss to Du Plessis with a split decision win over Paulo Costa this past June. That was enough to get him another shot.

Co-main event: Zhang Weili

Record: 25-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC
Opponent: Tatiana Suarez (11-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Key wins: Xiaonan Yan, Amanda Lemos, Carla Esparza, Joanna Jedrzejczyk (twice)
Misc.: Weili lost the strawweight title to Rose Namajunas in 2021 and lost a rematch to her later that year. But since then, she has four straight wins – including when she recaptured the belt 27 months ago and two successful defenses since then.

Zhang Weili, UFC 312 fight week (via UFC)

Co-main event: Tatiana Suarez

Record: 11-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC
Opponent: Zhang Weili (25-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Key wins: Jessica Andrade, Montana De La Rosa, Carla Esparza, Alexa Grasso
Misc.: It’s been an interesting road to the title for Suarez. She was out of action for nearly four years before she returned two years ago for a bonus-winning submission of Montana De La Rosa. Later that year, she choked out ex-champ Jessica Andrade. She pulled out of a fight against Amanda Lemos a year ago with an injury and was set to return in December against Virna Jandiroba – but took advantage of perfect timing to fight for the belt, instead.

Aug 5, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tatiana Suarez (blue gloves) celebrates the win by submission over Jessica Andrade (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

UFC debut: Tallison Teixeira

Record: 7-0
Opponent: Justin Tafa (7-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Misc.: All seven wins by stoppage, including first-round DWCS win in December and a pair of first-round wins under the LFA banner.

UFC debut: Colby Thicknesse

Record: 7-0
Opponent: Aleksandre Topuria (5-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Misc.: Aussie has three straight first-round finishes heading into his promotional debut on home soil.

UFC debut: Aleksandre Topuria

Record: 5-1
Opponent: Colby Thicknesse (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Misc.: 29-year-old brother of UFC featherweight champion Alexander Topuria has all five of his wins by stoppage.

UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and brother Aleksandre

UFC debut: Jonathan Micallef

Record: 7-1
Opponent: Kevin Jousset (10-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Misc.: 25-year-old Australian gets home UFC debut after a first-round submission win on DWCS to punch his ticket this past October.

UFC debut: Kody Steele

Record: 7-0
Opponent: Rong Zhu (25-6 MMA, 1-3 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Misc.: 29-year-old native of the stunning Olympic National Park area who trains in Las Vegas gets his UFC shot on the heels of a second-round DWCS win this past October.

Kody Steele def. Chasen Blair – DWCS 75

UFC debut: Quillan Salkilld

Record: 7-1
Opponent: Anshul Jubli (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Misc.: 25-year-old former Eternal MMA champion in Australia gets a home UFC debut after a DWCS win this past September.