Watch Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland full fight video highlights from their UFC 312 main event showdown Saturday night, courtesy of multiple outlets.
du Plessis vs. Strickland took place Feb. 8 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. Dricus du Plessis (23-2) and Sean Strickland (29-7) squared off in the main event clash. The fight aired live on pay-per-view on ESPN+.
Official decision: Dricus du Plessis def. Sean Strickland via unanimous decision (50-45 x2, 49-46)
Catch all the video highlights below.
For more on du Plessis vs. Strickland, check out our live blog below.
Round 1
Referee Marc Goddard the third man in the cage for the main event.
Strickland setting the tone right away, flicking that jab out. Du Plessis utilizing a front kick to the body to keep Strickland back. Strickland blocks a pair of du Plessis high kicks. He’s content to keep throwing straight punches, daring du Plessis to close the distance.
Good leg kick by du Plessis. Strickland with the edge in the jab battle so far. Spin kick to the body by du Plessis, not much on it. Both fighters busy, but not landing anything of substance.
Another spin kick by du Plessis, that was more impactful. Tricky high kick by du Plessis just misses. Jab down the middle by Strickland. He’s keeping that left in du Plessis’ face. Du Plessis with a right.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Strickland.
Round 2
They trade low kicks to start. Du Plessis chips away with a leg kick, then one to the body. This is some wonky striking from du Plessis, but what else is new? Looping right by Strickland scores. Pace is picking up a little. Clean jab by Strickland.
Another good jab by Strickland. Du Plessis ventures forward, but eats a counter right. Strickland with another jab. Something by du Plessis got through because Strickland’s nose is starting to pour blood. Cut on the bridge of du Plessis’ nose as well.
Overhand left scores for du Plessis. Low kick by du Plessis. High kick from du Plessis and that one got Strickland’s attention. Du Plessis starting to let his hands go. Jab-body shot combo from Strickland. Another nice high kick from du Plessis. He’s pulled away in the second half of this round.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, du Plessis. Overall, 19-19.
Round 3
Counter left from du Plessis. He mixes up his punches nicely and a right hand gets through. He’s just throwing a lot, which could be overcoming Strickland’s attempts to stay precise and methodical. Strickland rips one to the body. Lunging right by du Plessis lands. Body kick by du Plessis. He’s sticking with that strike between exchanges.
Another lunging right by du Plessis. Strickland sneaks a right hand through du Plessi’s defense. Du Plessis somehow just reaching out with that right and scoring every time, it’s mystifying. Snapping spinning backfist from du Plessis and Strickland just eats it. Ow.
Body punch pushes Strickland back. Crowd growing a bit restless with a fight that has been high on volume, but low on impact. Well-timed spinning elbow by du Plessis. He wins a brief exchange in close. Strickland with a couple of good overhand rights. Takedown by du Plessis and he just tackles Strickland, who gets back up almost immediately.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, du Plessis. Overall, 29-28 du Plessis.
Round 4
Good jab from the champion. He ducks in and scores one to the body. Du Plessis just throwing odd strikes from odd angles, I don’t know how he does this. A right hand catches Strickland and it looks like his nose is really bothering him now. Commentary speculating that Strickland’s nose is broken, it is leaking crimson.
Du Plessis smells blood-literally, probably-and he is just advancing with reckless abandon. Strickland actually managing to avoid the worst of it. Good 1-2 by Strickland to slow du Plessis. He’s in survival mode and that might actually be good for his output, which has been lacking in this fight.
There’s a 1-2 by du Plessis, the right connecting hard. Strickland gives du Plessis a right of his own. Constant pressure from du Plessis and that can’t be fun for Strickland with his nose in rough shape. Du Plessis advances with punches. Right hand pushes Strickland back to the fence.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, du Plessis. Overall, 39-37 du Plessis.
Round 5
Strickland’s corner knows he needs a finish.
That front kick to the body still paying dividends for du Plessis. Jab from the champion has Strickland flinching. He scores with a right. Strickland looks stuck in the mud right now. There’s a good jab by him.
Du Plessis with a right to the body, the one to the head. Strickland answers with a quick combo. Body kick from du Plessis. Du Plessis misses a spin kick, then just lunges forward wildly with punches and it kind of works? Strickland can’t figure out what du Plessis is thinking because I’m not sure du Plessis knows.
Strickland sticking with the jab and he’s having success, but he needs more than that. Kick to the body again by du Plessis. He follows with two punches up top. Counter left from du Plessis tags Strickland. Strickland’s nose is just a mess.
Tricky high kick by du Plessis scores. Left hook by Strickland. Du Plessis with a quick right, Strickland swings and misses with a counter punch. They’re fighting to the finish, but this one never got out of second gear.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, du Plessis. Overall, 49-46 du Plessis.
