UFC 312 isn’t the most popular card with MMA fans, but that’s when it’s best to shine some light on some unsung talent.
Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland will headline the card for the UFC middleweight title in a highly-anticipated rematch. While Strickland thinks he won the first fight, he’ll have every opportunity to rectify that decision.
Kamaru Usman and Jack Della Maddalena were rumored to be on this card, but it never really amounted to anything. That would have fans buzzing a bit more.
Are there any other fights to get excited about? There always is if you dig deep enough. Here’s a look at some of the more underrated fights with plenty of potential for UFC 312.
Weili Zhang vs. Tatiana Suarez
Weilli Zhang is a big fan favorite. She brings skill, humility, and respect to the UFC. She’s learned from tough losses and has already been in legendary fights. It’s hard to find anything to dislike about her. She’s 25-3 with four straight wins and back-to-back title defenses.
Her next challenger is Tatiana Suarez. At one point in time, the MMA world was buzzing about Suarez. She had the experience, accolades, and skill to be one of the last decade’s most talked about female prospects.
Suarez won The Ultimate Fighter 23 and has finishes over Alexa Grasso and Carla Esparza. The big issue with Suarez is she has consistent injury issues and hasn’t fought since 2019. She’s an incredible wrestler with good cardio and improving striking. The big question will be whether she’s improved with the time off and is ready for Zhang.
There simply aren’t many female MMA fights of this caliber and Suarez’s return is highly-anticipated.
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Jake Matthews vs. Francisco Prado
The most impressive thing about Jake Matthews is he’s been in the UFC since 2014 and is only 30 years old. His experience is borderline unmatched and he’s faced different levels of talent throughout his career. Now, he’s the veteran with losses against good competition. He likes to bang and Francisco Prado is going to welcome the challenge.
Prado may not have the same UFC experience as Matthews but his three fights in the UFC have been solid.
He lost his UFC debut against Jamie Mullarkey, came back with a first-round finish of Ottman Azaitar, and was in a fight-of-the-year candidate last February against Daniel Zellhuber. In different parts of the fight, Prado looked done, but he persevered and showed incredible heart against Zellhuber.
Prado has sneaky power, Matthews is durable, and the boxing in this fight should be beautiful.
Tallison Teixeira vs. Justin Tafa
MMA fans can’t ignore an old-fashioned heavyweight bout. Justin Tafa is never in a boring fight and is on home soil. He’ll be ready to throw down. He welcomes Tallison Teixeira to the heavyweight fold and it should be on absolute barn-burner.
Teixeira enters the UFC via the LFA route and is 7-0. He won his Dana White Contender Series fight via strikes in the first round against Arthur Lopes. Despite his short professional career and this being his UFC debut, he has a massive opportunity on his hands to not only play spoiler in Australia but start his UFC career with a bang.
Tafa has been susceptible to injury and endurance issues over three rounds. This is going to be an action-packed first round. If it goes past five minutes, it will be a battle of attrition, depending on who can eat the bigger blows and keep coming forward.
Aleksandre Topuria vs. Colby Thicknesse
This may not be a high-end skill matchup, but Aleksandre Topuria and Colby Thicknesse will carry some baggage.
If it wasn’t obvious enough, Aleksandre is the brother of UFC featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria. He will surely be in his corner and the best part about this matchup is Thicknesse, a local fighter from the Oceanic region, is a training partner of Alexander Volkanovksi.
With both Topuria and Volkanovski set to be coaches for this fight, there should be some added tension and storylines coupled with this fight. Whether you’re a Topuria or Volkanovski fan, there’s no question that these are two of the best fighters the UFC has ever seen. To see them in a coaching role will be fun for the fans and a great opportunity for the fighters to live up to the hype.
While there aren’t the biggest names on UFC 312, there could be plenty of surprises. If not the big heavyweights landing a finishing blow in highlight-reel fashion, it could be the ladies taking over the spotlight in a technical, all-around battle.
One thing is for sure, there are plenty of different styles on this card, and several fighters who want to perform at home. That always makes for exciting fights.
Catch the full UFC 312 card on Saturday, February 8. Be sure to check your local listings for times since the card is being held in Australia. As always, keep it locked to SlotsFighter.com for UFC opinions, breakdowns, and best bets!
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