UFC 312 predictions: Only one of us expects no titles to change hands in Sydney

The UFC is back in Australia this week with two titles on the line at the top of the bill.

UFC 312 (pay-per-view, ESPN2/Disney+, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.

Jake Matthews vs. Francisco Prado

Records: Matthews (20-7 MMA, 13-7 UFC), Prado (12-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Past five: Matthews 3-2, Prado 3-2
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 02.03.25): Matthews -230, Prado +190
Junkie pick results: Matthews 6, Prado 5

Rodolfo Bellato vs. Jimmy Crute

Records: Bellato (12-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Crute (12-4-1 MMA, 4-4-1 UFC)
Past five: Bellato 4-1, Crute 1-3-1
Division: Light heavyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 02.03.25): Bellato -155, Crute +130
Junkie pick results: Bellato 10, Crute 1

Justin Tafa vs. Tallison Teixeira

Records: Tafa (7-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC), Teixeira (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Past five: Tafa 3-2, Teixeira 5-0
Division: Heavyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 02.03.25): Tafa +130, Teixeira -155
Junkie pick results: Teixeira 10, Tafa 1

Zhang Weili vs. Tatiana Suarez

Records: Weili (25-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC), Suarez (11-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC)
Past five: Weili 4-1, Suarez 5-0
Division: Women’s strawweight
Rankings: Weili No. 1, No. 2 pound-for-pound; Suarez No. 2, No. 11 pound-for-pound
Odds (as of 02.03.25): Weili +100, Suarez -120
Junkie pick results: Suarez 10, Weili 1

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland

Records: Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC), Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC)
Past five: Du Plessis 5-0, Strickland 4-1
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: Du Plessis No. 1, NO. 6 pound-for-pound; Strickland No. 2, honorable mention pound-for-pound
Odds (as of 02.03.25): Du Plessis -220, Strickland +180
Junkie pick results: Du Plessis 9, Strickland 2

Preliminary card picks

Although they don’t count toward the standings, MMA Junkie staff members still pick the fights on the prelims. Here are the results:

• Jack Jenkins vs. Gabriel Santos: Jenkins 6, Santos 5
• Viacheslav Borshchev vs. Tom Nolan: Nolan 6, Borshchev 5
• Bruna Brasil vs. Wang Cong: Cong 10, Brasil 1
• Colby Thicknesse vs. Aleksandre Topuria: Topuria 10, Thicknesse 1
• Kody Steele vs. Rong Zhu: Steele 11, Zhu 0
• Kevin Jousset vs. Jonathan Micallef: Jousset 8, Micallef 3
• Anshul Jubli vs. Quillan Salkilld: Salkilld 9, Jubli 2

Check out all the main card picks below.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 312.