The UFC is traveling to Australia this week for two title fights, and one is a rematch. The card will feature a lot of Australian and Asian prospects due to the proximity, but not the main event.
South African Dricus Du Plessis will defend his middleweight title against Sean Strickland, who he took the belt from in 2024. Zhang Weili will also defend her belt against the undefeated Tatiana Suarez.
The fights should be entertaining and the crowd will be electric in Sydney. The early prelims begin at 6:00 p.m. EST and the main card will start at 10:00 p.m. on pay-per-view (PPV).
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UFC 312 Du Plessis vs. Strickland: Parlay Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Leg 1: Tom Nolan (+100)
Tom Nolan fights Viacheslav Borschev in the prelims on Saturday in front of his home country. Nolan is eight years younger than his opponent and has a four-inch reach advantage. Neither man has landed a takedown in the UFC, but Nolan has the better background in wrestling.
Borshchev is a technical kickboxer and does not have good takedown defense. He has only defended 35% of takedowns in the UFC and struggles to return to his feet once taken down.
Nolan can stand with him, but it will be a close contest and will likely be a toss-up with the judges. He should mix in some takedowns and earn this win with control time on the mat. You can read more details on this fight here. It is a good fight to start the parlay before the juicier legs.
Leg 2: Rodolfo Bellato (-162)
I wrote a breakdown that gives far more details on this fight and it is a good spot for a parlay piece. Jimmy Crute retired after his last fight but is returning for his first fight since July 2023. Only he knows why he is returning, but it is not what you want to hear from a fighter.
Rodolfo Bellato is hungry and wants to further his career, so his intentions are clear. Bellato won his UFC debut against Ihor Potieria but had to overcome getting knocked down in the second round by knocking out Potieria later in the second round. Bellato will be aggressive but lands accurately if he can avoid Crute's takedowns.
Leg 3: Justin Tafa/Tallison Teixeira Under 1.5 Rounds (-195)
Two heavyweights will enter the octagon before both title fights. Justin Tafa and Tallison Teixeira are near the upper end of the heavyweight limit. Tafa has gone to the judges three times out of their combined 17 fights. Teixeira is making his UFC debut but is the favorite against the veteran Tafa. He has a nine-inch reach advantage and is aggressive, while Tafa has poor defense.
Teixeira landed 14.87 significant strikes per minute in his Dana White's Contender Series fights. Tafa lands 4.09 and absorbs 5.02 significant strikes per minute. This fight will not last long, but it is anybody's guess who gets knocked out. We will play it safe and take under 1.5 rounds for a solid final leg of the parlay.
Parlay Odds: +389
