Sonnen Predicts UFC 312 Fireworks
Chael Sonnen expected Sean Strickland to fight with more urgency in his rematch with Dricus du Plessis after losing the title in their first meeting. That prediction was made before the bout; the rematch took place on February 8, 2025.
In comments on ESPN’s Good Guy/Bad Guy, Sonnen said he thought Strickland would perform better while trying to regain the belt. A contemporaneous report of Sonnen’s prediction attributes the view to Strickland’s changed motivation after his first loss. It was Sonnen’s assessment, not a confirmed account of Strickland’s mindset.
The rematch did not go Strickland’s way. Du Plessis retained the middleweight title by unanimous decision, with official scores of 50-45, 50-45 and 49-46. The official scorecards document the result.
Motivation was only part of Sonnen’s argument
Sonnen also urged Strickland to study Du Plessis carefully and approach the rematch with a different plan. His assessment was not simply that wanting the championship more would guarantee success. He viewed the first fight as close in its individual rounds while personally leaning strongly toward Du Plessis when assigning them.
That creates two separate layers in the prediction. One concerned Strickland’s motivation after losing the belt; the other concerned how he would prepare for an opponent he had already faced. The discussion treated the rematch as an opportunity to make adjustments, but neither increased urgency nor a revised plan could establish a result before the fight occurred.
The final scorecards supply the answer to the competitive question. Du Plessis won the rematch on every judge’s card, so Sonnen’s expectation of a better Strickland performance did not translate into a title change. For viewers returning to the video, the useful comparison is between the analyst’s pre-fight reasoning and the documented five-round outcome in Sydney.
