The UFC’s second pay-per-view of 2025 cannot be rightly called a doozy, but it has two title fights at the top, including a rematch between Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland for the middleweight belt, and Zhang Weili’s toughest title defense to date against Tatiana Suarez. There are plenty of questions heading in. Fortunately, Uncrowned's star duo of Chuck Mindenhall and Petesy Carroll are here to address them.

1. In the first fight, Strickland out-struck Du Plessis in every round but one. Should he keep the same game plan?

Petesy: The more I think about it, the more I feel like Dricus du Plessis has become a middleweight Merab Dvalishvili. There is one big difference though; while we expect Merab to come into his own in the second half of his fights like we saw recently against Umar Nurmagomedov, "DDP" often looks cooked by round two but somehow always finds that additional gas to careen him over the finish line.

Out of all of the champ's opponents thus far, Strickland has come closest to defeating him. The American is the only foe out of du Plessis' past five to hear the final bell. I think it would be silly for Strickland to enact a complete tactical overhaul ahead of this second meeting, but I also think we’re going to see the champion switch the dynamic of the fight a lot more by attempting to wear the American down from top position.

Chuck: After a while you become immune to anything resembling excuses in the fight game, Petesy, so when Strickland pointed out that he couldn’t see for the majority of that first encounter due to that cut over his eye, I barely registered it.

But now that they are rematching, and we’re taking closer examinations of how everything went down, I will say that played a massive role. Not only in hindering Stickland’s ability to see, but also in creating a macabre visual to skew the judges towards obvious “damage.” Strickland was doing a good job in the striking, as he always does. He was landing, but it was nothing splashy. It was a lot of peppering, volume that may not register. Bigger shots went to du Plessis.

I think if I’m Strickland, the goal is to keep du Plessis in front of you, avoid the takedowns at all costs and preserve enough energy to come to life later against one of the greatest motors in the division.

2. Who would the UFC prefer to be holding that middleweight title after UFC 312?

Chuck: I think, for as articulate as du Plessis is and for all that he represents for the continent of Africa, the broader appeal probably goes to Strickland. It feels almost blasphemous to list the reasons for that, but score one for cheap heat, intolerant attitudes and sheer audacity.

It’s been interesting to watch Khamzat Chimaev and Strickland go at each other on social media just as Strickland is getting a second crack at du Plessis. I think the UFC might have a fairly major feud brewing between the two, and you can imagine all the ugly, dark corners that rivalry would go should Strickland win. Right now it seems to center on who is “gayest,” which is essentially a fifth-grade level of sophistication on the trash-talking scale, and thereby appeals to a great number of MMA fans.

I will say, though, that du Plessis would make a certain section of fight fans very happy to do away with Strickland once and for all.

Petesy: Yeah, I can see reasons why having either "DDP" or Strickland as champion would appeal to the UFC.

On one hand, du Plessis remains the most prominent key to the African market for the promotion, with White repeatedly citing hopes to take the UFC to South Africa over the past 12 months. Now that Ngannou has left the company as well as Adesanya and Usman parting ways with their titles, "DDP" is the UFC's biggest commodity in terms of an African marquee.

Strickland, on the other hand, is a bona-fide purveyor of pearl-clutching. With UFC CEO Dana White raising the flag of free speech throughout the Bryce Hall incident, it feels like Strickland’s patented “You guys…” rants are in perfect lockstep with what the company is attempting to be identified as in 2025.

3. Who should be in line for the winner of du Plessis vs. Strickland: Khamzat Chimaev or Nassourdine Imavov?

Petesy: It has to be Chimaev, Chuck.

It’s hard to believe the same guy we were talking about fighting for a welterweight title less than a year after his 2020 debut still hasn’t fought for a belt in 2025. Of course, he is not without issues — mainly travel ones — but White seems confident that the Chechen’s visa saga is coming to end. If that’s true, I think that will alleviate some of the hesitation the company had putting him in that top spot, as it’s been widely known that “Borz” was not able to compete anywhere outside of the Middle East for some time.

Imavov would certainly be the guy if Chimaev wasn’t a fixture at middleweight. His win over Adesanya showed the world that he is capable of challenging for the belt, but it seems a meeting between him and Caio Borralho makes the most sense now to determine the next contender.

Chuck: Khamzat should be the guy, for sure, and I think the combo of his mystique and ruthlessness makes him a rare kind of must-see star. The only thing is it feels so 50/50 that he’ll be there on fight night. To put him on all the promo material and create B-roll to signal out to the masses about his dominance, and to sell the feud between him and whoever holds that belt … it’s a lot to undo if a week out he says he’s not feeling good.

I do think you’re right, though. The risk is worth it to create a star of his magnitude. And if he can travel more freely given White's ties to this new U.S. administration, that's the obvious kicker to this whole setup. Being confined to the Middle East essentially made him the greatest regional fighter of all time, but if he can come to Vegas to usher in the “Borz Era” at middleweight? White’s eyes would light up like he’s looking at an ice bath.

4. It's been a long, hard road for Tatiana Suarez to get her title shot. Now that she's here, does she take control of the women's strawweight division?

Chuck: I feel like I’ve been saying that Tatiana Suarez will one day be a champion for a decade, and I can’t go back on that now. She has made it this far, finally, and it would be an all-time letdown if she doesn’t realize that dangling-carrot of a dream after everything she’s been through.

I think she gets it done in Australia, though I think Zhang Weili will make it incredibly tough. I don’t think this will be the one-sided traffic we’ve seen in previous Suarez fights. Zhang is built like an anvil. Her hands, I swear, are made of six million layers of densely compressed burlap. Just a rugged fighter with power and an unsung mean streak.

But Tatiana will finally get her belt. And I have to say, that will feel good for somebody who was on the verge of replacing Zabit Magomedsharipov on the “Greatest What If” list.

Petesy: Why are you even asking me? Mr. “5-0” Mindenhall (in terms of main card picks in 2025) should be the only person people should be listening to at this point.

You’re right though — when we first were introduced to her, it seemed it was only a matter of time before we saw Suarez fight for a belt. Yet as her inactivity due to injury became commonplace, I doubted whether she could get through a camp unscathed to make it to a championship date.

Fingers crossed, just days away from her meeting with Zhang Weili, it seems that date has finally arrived and — damnit Chuck, I think she’s going to get the job done.

5. Outside of the title fights at the top, what's the low-key banger on UFC 312?

Petesy: There is not a lot to be excited about on this card outside of the top two fights. It’s really lacking the flair and supporting cast we saw on UFC 311 with the likes of Payton Talbott, Ailin Perez and Kevin Holland.

I’m kind of intrigued by the debut of Ilia Topuria’s brother, Aleksandre, who is jerking the curtain against another debutant, Colby Thicknesse. And you can call me a mark, but I was all-in on the Wang Cong build as the Alex Pereira to Valentina Shevchenko’s Israel Adesanya. I’m looking forward to seeing if she can get back into the win column when she faces Bruna Brasil of the Fighting Nerds.

Chuck: Everybody have fun tonight, Petesy. Everybody Wang Cong tonight.

I’ll see myself out.

But I will leave you with this: Jake Matthews is a quiet wonder that I always enjoy. It feels like he’s been fighting since the Fertittas came in and bought the UFC, yet he’s only 30 years old. Somewhere in his attic there’s a portrait of himself in the stages of hideous decay. Yet he goes in there to fight every time, especially when competing in his native Australia. I think he and Francisco Prado will be in the running for a fight night bonus.