Heading the UFC 312 picks is a rematch for the UFC middleweight belt between current title holder Dricus du Plessis and the man he dethroned, Sean Strickland.
The co-main event at UFC 312 is also a title fight. Champion Weili Zhang will be seeking to defend her UFC women’s strawweight belt against unbeaten challenger Tatiana Suarez.
Let’s look at the latest betting lines for these bouts. Remember, odds are always subject to change.
| UFC 312 Odds | The Pick |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dricus du Plessis vs Sean Strickland | de Plessis | -215 | -205 | -200 |
| Weili Zhang vs Tatiana Suarez | Zhang | -117 | -110 | -115 |
In this article, SBS will be going over each fighter, offering a predicted winner in both matchups, and also providing some additional notes and information regarding UFC 312 picks and UFC betting.
Fighter Spotlight: Dricus du Plessis
The first South African fighter to ever win a UFC world title, du Plessis (22-2) has won 10 fights in a row. He dethroned Stickland in their first meeting at UFC 297 via split decision. Du Plessis followed that up by submitting former world champion Israel Adesnya at UFC 305. It was Adesanya’s first career submission loss.
He’s 8-0 since joining UFC. That’s tied for the longest win streak in UFC middleweight division history. Since joining the promotion, du Plessis also owns signature victories over Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson and Darren Till. Du Plessis is ranked No. 7 in UFC pound for pound rankings.
Fighter Spotlight: Sean Strickland
Strickland is the No. 1 challenger in the middleweight rankings. He won the title by dethroning Adesanya at UFC 293. However, he immediately surrendered the belt to du Plessis in his next bout.
Strickland is 4-1 over his past five fights. However, he’s just 4-3 through his last seven bouts. He’s suffered losses to Kamaru Usman, Alex Perreira and Jared Canonier.
Prediction: Strickland achieved something few have accomplished by going the distance in his first meeting with du Plessis. During his 10-fight win streak, the South African has won eight bouts by submission or knockout. The two certainly put on a show, winning fight of the night honors.
Strickland (29-6) is a game fighter, but he doesn’t have as many tools in his toolbox as du Plessis. The American was at his very best in their first meeting and it still wasn’t good enough to get the job done. Strickland doesn’t have the finishing knack that du Plessis possesses. Six of his last seven wins were via decision. With his versatility, take du Plessis in the UFC 312 picks.
Fighter Spotlight: Weili Zhang
The first Chinese fighter to reign as a UFC champion, Zhang (25-3) originally won the UFC women’s strawweight title in 2019, dethroning Jessica Andrade and reigning as champion for nearly two years. She lost the belt to Rose Namajunas and also was defeated by Namajunas in the rematch.
A year later, Zhang would regain the title belt, defeating Carla Esparza at UFC 281. She has successfully defended her title twice. Those two losses to Namajunas are the only setbacks Zhang has suffered through her past 27 bouts.
Fighter Spotlight: Tatiana Suarez
The No. 1 contender in the women’s strawweight division, American Suarez was also the strawweight tournament winner on the 23rd edition of the Ultimate Fighter Series.
The unbeaten (11-0) Suarez has a wrestling background, where she was a world champion. Her UFC resume features wins over former UFC strawweight champions Esparza and Andrade.
Prediction: Some online sportsbooks are citing this bout as pick’em in the odds. At 34, Suarez is getting her first title shot. The former wrestler needs to take this fight to the mat. Suarez will be second best in a stand up fight. She’s never gone the full five rounds in her MMA career. That could be the difference maker in what figures to be a tight battle. Zhang’s last two title defenses have both gone to the judges, so she’s used to working a full night. Take Zhang to retain her title in the UFC 312 picks.
Once you have settled on the wagers you will be making with each of your UFC 312 bets, you’ll want to be sure to have a look at the massive amounts of data available to you only at SBS. For more insightful analysis into all of the bouts on the card covered here, be certain to have a look at the UFC betting sites guide. These guides are providing the latest assessments for all of the betting lines the oddsmakers are setting on the sport. This information will aid you in assembling some solid UFC 312 picks.
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About the Author
Theo is our NFL guy. He is the go-to man for all things football and has proven himself to be one of the most expansive writers here, with a broad knowledge of North American sports. He's a veteran journalist based in Ontario, and has covered the gambling and sports betting industry since 2016. He has written more than two dozen books and covered the NFL since the early 1990s.
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