Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland are set for a rematch, and Zhang Weili returns to fight Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312.
The championship bouts were announced Saturday during the UFC 310 broadcast. Du Plessis defends his title against Strickland in a rematch in the Feb. 8 main event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, while Zhang looks for the second straight defense of her strawweight title when she faces Suarez in the co-main event.
Du Plessis and Strickland first fought at UFC 297 this past January, with du Plessis winning a narrow split decision to claim Strickland’s middleweight title. The South African star went on to defeat rival Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 this past August for his first defense.
Strickland fought his way back to a title shot with decision win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 this past June. He looks to become a two-time champion, having beaten Adesanya for the middleweight belt at UFC 293.
Zhang competes for the first time since UFC 300 this past April, when she earned a decision nod over Yan Xiaonan. Currently in her second reign as strawweight champion, Zhang has won four straight fights.
The championship booking is a boon for Suarez, who recently had to withdraw from a bout with Virna Jandiroba for undisclosed reasons. Suarez is yet to lose in 10 pro bouts, most recently submitting former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade in August 2023.
