Du Plessis Defeats Strickland Again at UFC 312
Sean Strickland’s comments about a possible rematch with Dricus du Plessis were made before UFC 312. The rematch took place in Sydney on February 9, 2025, local time (February 8 in the United States), and du Plessis retained the middleweight title by unanimous decision. UFC’s official scorecards show scores of 50–45, 50–45, and 49–46.
The proposed venue and the fight that happened
Before the bout was booked, Strickland publicly expressed a preference for Las Vegas and raised concerns about competing in Australia. Those remarks were part of the pre-fight debate, not a report of a confirmed venue. UFC 312 ultimately took place at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, where du Plessis won the five-round rematch and kept his championship. UFC’s event recap summarizes the result.
Strickland’s preference for Las Vegas did not determine the final location. The championship rematch went ahead in Australia.
How Strickland earned the rematch
Strickland had already achieved a major championship victory in Sydney. At UFC 293 in September 2023, he defeated Israel Adesanya by unanimous decision to win the middleweight title. That earlier success gave the Australian venue a significant place in his career before the later discussion about where to face du Plessis again.
Between his two bouts with du Plessis, Strickland defeated Paulo Costa in a five-round contest at UFC 302 on June 1, 2024. His official UFC record lists that victory as a split decision. The win kept him in contention for another championship opportunity.
UFC 312 ultimately gave him that chance, but the title stayed with du Plessis. The result therefore completed a sequence that included Strickland’s original championship win, a return to the win column against Costa and an unsuccessful attempt to regain the belt in Sydney.
