The Middleweight belt will be up for grabs once again at UFC 312. Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis fought in a skilled, tactical clash of styles for five rounds in their first encounter. The title holder will now defend his champion status once more against the same opponent. He last defeated Israel Adesanya and is ready to make 11 victories in a row.
Over/Under for UFC 312
These two fought for five rounds in their Toronto bout. Hence why the O/U is set at 4.5 in Australia. It will be safer to stick with the over again. Strickland sticks with his upright stance. The American is very good defensively. UFC 297 saw Du Plessis withstand the early jabs to the head. But more importantly, the South African continued to get closer throughout the fight. His takedowns and willingness to absorb early punishment ultimately gave him the edge.
But this won’t come easy. UFC 312 is set to be another long, grueling battle. As stated, Strickland is known for his approach and has perfected his style over the course of his career. Du Plessis may get through, but it will cost him. Either way, this will likely be another five-rounder that goes to the judges’ scorecards.
Pick: Over 4.5 (-175)
Spread/Moneyline for UFC 312
The last encounter went to a split decision. However, Du Plessis controlled a lot of aspects of the fight. More importantly, Strickland was taken out of his comfort zone. It’s known how the 33-year-old looks to approach fights. He enjoys keeping opponents on the backfoot. Furthermore, his contact forward pressure typically allows for him to conserve energy into the later rounds. Conversely, opponents are forced to spend a lot to get to him.
But this isn’t a concern with Du Plessis. His stamina and cardio are more than up for the task. He hasn’t had many fights go too far, but that concern was put to rest in Toronto. The reigning champ can absorb pressure but then counter. And between takedowns and lower body shots, he’ll manage to once again keep the Strickland attack in check.
Expect a good one and look for adjustments throughout the night in the octagon. This goes five rounds, but Du Plessis finds a way to create more separation in this one. The challenger proved able to withstand the ground game and big hits, so the headliner will go the distance. But the announcement of ‘and still’ will be heard throughout the arena at the conclusion of UFC 312.