This article is part of our UFC Picks series.
The UFC is in Sydney, Australia on Saturday, February 8 for UFC 312, which sees two titles on the line. The main event features Dricus Du Plessis in a rematch against Sean Strickland for the middleweight title.
Below, I'll share my UFC 312 predictions, including a betting favorite pick, an underdog, a prop and a two-fighter parlay. All UFC odds are via the DraftKings Sportsbook and are accurate as of the post date of this article.
Weight Class: Women's Strawweight
Tatiana Suarez (10-0) vs Zhang Weili (25-3)
The co-main event sees Zhang Weili defending her strawweight title against Tatiana Suarez, and I'm backing Suarez to get the win as a small favorite and become the new champ.
Since Suarez entered the UFC, many, including myself, pegged her to be a future UFC champion. However, injuries have derailed her career by forcing multiple extended layoffs, but when she fights, she is dominant. Suarez dominated the likes of Alexa Grasso, Carla Esparza and Jessica Andrade, who are all former champions.
Suarez should be able to take Weili down and control her to likely grind out a decision win. The champ is tough to finish, but Suarez's strength and wrestling will be too much for the Zhang here.
UFC 312 Bet: Tatiana Suarez (-120)
Weight Class: Light Heavyweight
Jimmy Crute (12-4-1) vs Rodolfo Bellato (12-2)
For my underdog pick at UFC 312, I'm picking Jimmy Crute to get back into the win column against Rodolfo Bellato.
Crute stepped away from MMA for a reset after his 2023 loss to Alonzo Menifield. Crute is just 28 years old and is 0-3-1 in his last four. However, the time off will be good for him, as he was able to heal up and focus on his striking defense.
Bellato has KO power, but I like Crute to be able to take this fight to the ground and have success on top. If Crute can get Bellato down, he should be able to finish him. To me, this is a pick'em fight, so to get him at plus-money makes it a must-play. I might even line Crute as favorably as (-120).
UFC 312 Bet: Jimmy Crute (+136)
Weight Class: Middleweight
Dricus Du Plessis (22-2) vs Sean Strickland (29-6)
Dricus Du Plessis is defending his middleweight title for the second time, and I like him to defeat Sean Strickland and do so by decision.
Strickland is a very durable fighter and in the first fight, he was able to take Du Plessis' best shots. Meanwhile, Du Plessis showed he has the cardio to go five rounds in the first fight.
Du Plessis can also wrestle and stall the fight against the fence. The over 4.5 rounds is -200, so the oddsmakers expect it to go the distance. Du Plessis is a -205 favorite, so to get him at +150 to win by decision is great value.
UFC 312 Bet: Dricus Du Plessis by decision (+150)
Weight Classes: Lightweight & Bantamweight
Kody Steele (7-0) vs Rong Zhu (25-6)
Aleksandre Topuria (5-1) vs Colby Thicknesse (7-0)
For my parlay at UFC 312, I'm backing Kody Steele and Aleksandre Topuria to get their hands raised.
Steele is making his UFC debut, and I like him to get the win here. Steele is a well-rounded fighter and great grappler, but he also has some power in his hands. He should be able to control Rongzhu on the ground and get a stoppage win, either by ground-and-pound or submission.
To close out the parlay, I'm backing Topuria to get the victory. Topuria is the brother of UFC featherweight champ Ilia Topuria, while Thicknesse, a teammate of Alexander Volkanovski, stepped up on short notice. I don't think either are long-term UFC guys, but Topuria is a bit better on the feet and should be able to get a TKO win in the second or third round.
UFC 312 Bet: Kody Steele & Aleksandre Topuria parlay (-119)
UFC 312 Best Bet
Here is a recap of my best UFC picks for this weekend's UFC 312 card.
- Tatiana Suarez (-120)
- Jimmy Crute (+136)
- Dricus Du Plessis by decision (+150)
- Kody Steele & Aleksandre Topuria parlay (-119)
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