UFC 312 Prediction, Picks and Best Bet: Go with Du Plessis to Finish Strickland on Feb 8

From a new 185lb contender and former champ at UFC Saudi Arabia to a highly anticipated rematch for the middleweight strap in Sydney, Australia. There’s no rest for wicked regarding the 185-pound weight class, as the UFC is back on the road for its second pay-per-view of the year, and boy, it’s a special one.

The back-and-forth between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland saw tears, anger, fighting in the crowd, and, eventually, blood in the octagon last year. Now, the highly anticipated rematch is upon us, with the only difference being that the coveted gold is in the hands of DDP.

With that said, you already know what time it is: I’m back to deliver my analytic thoughts and provide you, beautiful readers, with my UFC 312 Du Plessis vs Strickland prediction.

If you don’t know, now you know!

UFC 312 How to Watch

• Date/Time: Saturday, February. 8, 2025 – 06:00 p.m. ET
• Location: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
• Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland 2 Live Stream: UFC Fight Pass
• Main Event Bout: Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland 2
• Co-Main Event Bout: Weili Zhang vs Tatiana Suarez
• Moneyline Probability: Du Plessis – 7% (-200) Strickland – 3% (+165)

Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland Betting Preview

Dricus “Stillknocks” Du Plessis

Dricus Du Plessis receives a lot of slack for his fighting style and seemingly untechnical approach to martial arts but with an 8-0 win streak and stoppage wins over names such as Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker, two of the middleweight’s greatest, it’s time that we start to put some serious respect on his name.

This weekend, ‘Stillknocks’ returns for his second title defense versus the man he took the championship from at UFC 297. While the war DDP and Sean Strickland delivered the first time was one for the ages, it was also one of the most underrated rivalries, with out-of-octagon scraps during live events, harsh criticism, and plenty of below-the-belt insults.

UFC betting fans don’t have to like DDP and Strickland to appreciate the expected festivities this weekend. Still, you’re definitely going to respect the violence they deliver in the octagon.”

The first battle between Strickland and Du Plessis was a BATTLE 😳#UFC312 | Saturday, 10 PM ET | ESPN+ PPV 🍿 https://t.co/taDY0skYzt pic.twitter.com/RYUOZViP41

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 3, 2025

Sean “Tarzan” Strickland

He’s one of the most controversial figures in MMA today. Sean “Tarzan” Strickland, with his American flag and motorcycle, is a loud-mouthed, overly opinionated SOB, yet still, we love him for it. When it comes to free speech, nobody takes advantage of it quite like Strickland, and more importantly, he backs his talk up when the cage door closes.

Following 11 years and 21 UFC appearances, Strickland is a household name and a top-ranked competitor who, despite his linear style, is known to be a difficult challenge for opponents to solve. He dropped the ball in his first title defense against DDP, but with a tight split decision scorecard separating him from defeat and success last time out, will he prove again that he’s the toughest test of Du Plessis’ 8-fight unbeaten UFC career to steal that zero and the gold!?

Du Plessis Hits a Nerve

Who can forget the moment Du Plessis reignited some childhood trauma for Strickland? These words struck a nerve and proved to be a highlight of the media’s coverage of their first fight in January 2024.

“Bro, you think your Dad beat the sh*t out of you? Your dad doesn’t have sh*t on me. Every childhood memory you have will come back,” Du Plessis said, according to UFC news outlets.

Will we get the same intensity and disrespect leading up to the rematch? Hopefully…

😳 Brutal 4-minutes trash talk between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis before their first fight.

DDP saved his main weapon for the ending 😬
🎥 @UFC pic.twitter.com/4AlszzlB0Q

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) February 3, 2025

Du Plessis vs Strickland 2: The Tale of The Tape

Inside the Octagon: Du Plessis vs Strickland Skillset Breakdown

Learning Curves for DDP

The beautiful thing about UFC rematches and fight predictions is that we have the perfect analysis to study, as the two have already fought. What we saw from the first fight is that Strickland holds a volume edge with a bunch of jabs, straights, and kicks, while Du Plessis presented more aggression and the mixing in of takedowns. The judges favored the latter, but he cannot rely on this same game plan as it was such a close result.

So, what will Du Plessis have learned from the first fight? I believe he’ll be significantly less cautious about the finishing threat of Strickland, who, despite having one of the best jabs in the game, doesn’t really pose a knockout threat, and to recognize this means a more confident DDP will emerge with his gorilla-like strength that could just plow through the challenger.

Should Du Plessis decide to use his first-round energy to ignore Strickland’s offense and close the distance, he undeniably has the power to cause an early upset and wrap this fight up quicker than we anticipate, making him a tempting online bet.

When Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland first met…

They run it back at #UFC312 on Saturday 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Znu749I2kf

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) February 3, 2025

A Lot of the Same for Strickland

Breaking down Strickland’s skill set is never difficult, as fighters, coaches, and analysts know precisely what he will bring to the table: Great footwork, unlimited cardio, plenty of jabs, a Philly-shell defense, and a volume of strikes that often exceeds the opposition more often than not. Despite this seemingly simple breakdown, new opponents of Strickland never have an easy time.

With that said, Du Plessis already has the experience, and while cardio and fundamental striking have made Strickland a top-ranked fighter, his defense isn’t great, and that’s a hole DDP could and probably will take advantage of. Then we have the takedown issue, where DDP easily found the takedowns last time, and despite failing to maintain top control, it’s still another positive siding with the champ.

Du Plessis vs Strickland Betting Trends

• Du Plessis won his first meeting with Strickland
• Du Plessis is undefeated in the UFC (8-0)
• Du Plessis has won 6 of his 8 UFC bouts via KO/TKO or submission
• Strickland has lost 3 of his last 7 UFC appearances

Get more UFC betting tips here.

Du Plessis vs Strickland Prediction and Best Bet

Overall, it’s best to make predictions based on the superior martial artist, and in this scenario, Du Plessis undoubtedly has more tools. Of course, outside factors such as cardio, power, and motivation also play a part, but arguably, most of these could also be given to the champ.

The current UFC betting odds have DDP priced at -200 on the moneyline, and I believe it’s fair. One could approach the win by decision prop for greater value, but honestly, and as previously highlighted, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the middleweight champion find a finish this time around. The price is a little steep, but this would be a great addition to your UFC parlay picks.

Bet on Dricus Du Plessis Moneyline (-200)

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.

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