Matches to Make After UFC 312

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to Australia for its second pay-per-view of 2025. Headlined by two title fights, including a middleweight championship rematch between Dricus Du Plessis and and Sean Strickland, the top of the UFC 312 card provided high-level showdowns. While the fights are over, there’s no doubt that fans will have plenty to discuss in the aftermath as what’s next can be even more exciting than the action inside the Octagon.

Here are five matches to make following UFC 312.

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Du Plessis (23-2) put any doubt that he wasn't better than Strickland (29-7) to rest by clearly defeating "Tarzan” a second time in the UFC 312 main event. “Stillknocks” is now on an impressive 11-fight win streak and has notched two successful title defenses. This isn’t the time for South African titleholder to rest on his laurels, though, as Chimaev presents a very credible threat to his reign. The undefeated Chimaev (14-0) has become the middleweight division's boogeyman as he recently tore through former titleholder Robert Whittaker before submitting the Australian with a face crank in the first round. "Borz" is next in line and the most marketable contender, so this is a no-brainer fight to make next.

Weili Zhang vs. Virna Jandiroba

Zhang retained her UFC strawweight championship by dispatching an overmatched Tatiana Suarez over five rounds. Zhang (26-3) was able to stuff takedowns as the fight went on and outclassed Suarez (10-1) on the feet. "Magnum" has now won five fights in a row with losses to Rose Namajunas being her only blemishes inside the Octagon. If Brazil's Jandiroba can get past Xiaonan Yan in April, "Carcara" would make perfect sense as the next title challenger. The 36-year-old is on a four-fight win streak, which includes wins over Amanda Lemos, Lupita Godinez and Angela Hill. Jandiroba (21-3) would be a sizable underdog but so would anyone against Zhang at this point.

Related » UFC 312 Round-by-Round Scoring

Tallison Teixeira vs. Jhonata Diniz

Teixeira made an impressive promotional debut by making quick work of Justin Tafa. Now 8-0, the 25-year-old is an exciting heavyweight prospect. There’s no need to throw the undefeated into the deep end. Pair "Xicao" up with a similarly experienced opponent like Diniz. The 33-year-old Brazilian recently suffered the first loss of his career to Marcin Tybura and the fight will give us a better understanding of just how good Teixeira really is. At 8-1, Diniz will serve as a proper challenge, who is also dangerous on the feet.

Jimmy Crute vs. Rodolfo Bellato 2

The night’s lone light heavyweight fight was a back-and-forth affair between Crute and Bellato. While Crute almost finished the Brazilian in the first round, Bellato (12-2-1) was able to fight his way back and score a majority draw against Crute (12-4-2), who did take a verdict on one judge’s scorecard. Weirdly, this is the second draw in three fights for “The Brute,” who has struggled to fully put his game together. This was a fun scrap, so let’s run it back and hopefully get a more decisive verdict this time around.

Jake Matthews vs. Neil Magny

Australian Matthews picked up an easy win in the main card opener against Francisco Prado. Having now won three of his last four fights, Matthews (21-7) deserves a step up in competition. “The Celtic Kid” called out Magny afterward and that’s a fight I would like to see. Magny (29-13) is one of MMA’s great gatekeepers, who has reliably been a mainstay inside the promotion since 2013. However, “Haitian Sensation” has lost two fights in a row to Carlos Prates and Michael Morales, so it’s do-or-die for the longtime welterweight veteran. Let’s see if Matthews, 30, can get past Magny and into the top 15 of the division or if time has finally passed the 37-year-old by.