The UFC returns to Sydney, Australia, for the second time in the last 17 months. The Undisputed Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis will defend his title against former title holder Sean Strickland at UFC 312 on Saturday, February 8, 2025.

In September 2023 at UFC 293, Strickland beat Israel Adesanaya to win his first championship in the same venue, Qudos Bank Arena. UFC Strawweight Champion Zhang Weili will defend her title against rising star Tatiana Suarez. Weili will look to successfully defend her championship for the third time in her UFC career.

The Early Prelims start at 6:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+, as the Prelims begin at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and ESPN 2. The Main Card for UFC 312 will air live on ESPN+ PPV at 10:00 p.m. ET. Check out my favorite fighters to add to your daily fantasy lineup for Saturday’s UFC 312: Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2.

Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $500K UFC 312 Special [$100K to 1st]

Studs

Dricus Du Plessis ($8,600)

Du Plessis, the current middleweight champion, has a perfect 8-0 record in the UFC. He is coming off an impressive submission victory over former middleweight king Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in August. He also has been a machine for daily fantasy lineups, as he has totaled 100-plus fantasy points in seven of his eight bouts.

This Saturday, Du Plessis faces a familiar opponent in Strickland. He beat him at UFC 297 in January 2024 to win his first UFC title. Although he won that contest by split decision, he scored 119 points, his second-highest score in the promotion. Strickland did succeed on the feet, outlanding the champion 173-137 in significant strikes. But Du Plessis dominated Strickland on the ground. He scored six of 11 takedown attempts while having over two minutes of control time.

On paper, these fighters match up identically. They each have a 76″ standing reach and are 6’1″ tall. A big part of Strickland’s game plan is being aggressive and throwing as many strikes as possible. Strickland attempted 419 strikes in their first bout, 61 more than Du Plessis. But quantity doesn’t always equal quality. Du Plessis is the more efficient striker (49% vs. 42%), landing more significant strikes per minute (6.18 vs. 6.01). Du Plessis continues to defy the odds, and a better performance should be in store for the champion in his rematch with Strickland.

Tatiana Suarez ($8,200)

As good as the champion Weili is, her new challenger, Suarez, may be her toughest test yet. After many setbacks in her career, Suarez finally has a chance to win UFC gold. She debuted in the UFC in 2017 but has only competed five times since. Suarez is 11-0 in her MMA career and 6-0 in the UFC, with four finishes.

Suarez hadn’t fought in 18 months when she submitted Jessica Andrade in August 2023. Weili is in her second reign as UFC Strawweight champion and has won three consecutive title fights. In April 2024, at UFC 300, she defeated Yan Xiaonan by unanimous decision. To date, Weili has five title wins in her UFC career.

The challenger has a three-inch more significant reach (66″ vs. 63″) and a one-inch edge in height (5’5″ vs. 5’4″). Overall, Suarez is the more efficient fighter on the feet and the ground. She lands significant strikes at a 63 percent rate, 10 percent better than Weili. Suarez’s best asset is her wrestling; she averages over six takedowns per 15 minutes.

Getting Suarez at $8,200 is a steal, considering her recent performances. Although she has been inactive, when Suarez enters the Octagon, she means business. Suarez has recorded at least 99 points in each of her UFC contests. If she showcases an aggressive attack early in this bout, Suarez will likely provide your fantasy lineup with elite production.

Value Play

Jack Jenkins ($7,300)

Jenkins, 31, is 3-1 in the UFC and is coming off his best performance to date at UFC 305. On that PPV, Jenkins knocked out Herbert Burns. He also had 104 fantasy points in that contest, the most in his young UFC career. Jenkins is a +190 underdog in this bout as his opponent, Gabriel Santos, is 230 on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Jenkins is an excellent value play at $7,300 against Santos. He lands more significant strikes and is the more accurate striker in this contest. Also, since he will be fighting in his home country of Australia, the crowd will support him. Getting Jenkins at this low of a price is surprising after showing elite upside lately.

Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $500K UFC 312 Special [$100K to 1st]