Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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It’s fair to say both reigning champions entered UFC 312 with something to prove.

For Dricus Du Plessis, the goal was to silence the ever-vocal Sean Strickland after a close call in their first matchup at UFC 297. For Weili Zhang, it was an opportunity to laugh in the face of oddsmakers who tabbed her as an underdog against Tatiana Suarez despite a wealth of big fight experience.

Both champions delivered on the big stage in Sydney on Saturday night. Du Plessis exceeded his past effort against Strickland by a significant margin, breaking his rival’s nose and unleashing a versatile striking arsenal to retain his title in the UFC 312 main event. And Zhang simply overwhelmed the American wrestler by stuffing 14 of her takedowns and battering her on the feet en route to a lopsided five-round verdict in the co-headliner. It was a statement-making night for Du Plessis and Zhang, both of whom strengthened their positions atop their respective divisions. Meanwhile, Strickland and Suarez are sent back to the drawing board in search of answers, none of which arrived Down Under in the Octagon on Saturday night.

Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.