Deadly Dricus Du Plessis is hungry for more after retaining his middleweight crown and putting the trash-talking Sean Strickland back in his box with a bloody beat-down of the American in their UFC rematch in Sydney.
Like their first encounter in 2023, Sunday's fight went the distance, but the result was never really in doubt after Du Plessis broke Strickland's nose with a big right early in the fourth and penultimate round.
Strickland stayed on his feet but, with his face splattered in red, the judges predictably awarded Du Plessis the contest 50-45, 50-45, 49-46 for a unanimous win at Qudos Bank Arena.
The South African's ninth straight victory is both the third-longest active winning streak in UFC and the third-longest in the concept's middleweight history.
"I am a top-three pound-for-pound fighter as of tonight and I'm coming for that No.1 spot," Du Plessis said.
The 31-year-old's latest triumph was a popular one for most neutral fans after Strickland once again failed to endear himself to Australians in the lead-up.
The foul-mouthed, controversial combat fighter was lucky to be granted a visa after revealing he'd punched a fan in the stomach in Bondi during his last visit to Sydney UFC 293 two years ago.
This time around he called "English white trash" Australians "communists" for what he deemed excessive regulations, and even questioned the country's introduction of gun laws after "one mass shooting", as he called the infamous 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
But on Sunday Du Plessis had the final say.
He won the opening two rounds through output alone, using his left kick particularly effectively, prompting Strickland's corner to plead with the challenger to get more active.
Things looked desperate for Strickland when blood continued trickling from his nose and mouth.
Strickland produced some nice combinations in the third and may have stolen the round with a late flurry, but the statistics still showed Du Plessis was landing almost double the amount of strikes.
Du Plessis's brutal blow to Strickland's nose in the fourth signalled the beginning of the end.
In the co-main event, Zhang Weili scored a unanimous points decision over gallant American Tatiana Suarez to retain her women's strawweight title in clinical fashion.
The 35-year-old Chinese superstar withstood a spirited early attack from Suarez to make a mockery of the bookmakers who had the champion as an underdog entering the fight.
Earlier the Australians in action enjoyed a mixed day out in front of a host of Sydney celebs and sporting figures enjoyed UFC 312.
NSW premier Chris Minns, NRL heavyweights Peter V'Landys, Andrew Abdo, James Tedesco and Nathan Cleary, cricket legend Steve Waugh, Sydney Swans gun Tom Papley and tennis star Thanasi Kokkinakis all had cageside seats as Aussie lightweight Quillan Salkilld made a spectacular octagon debut.
Salkilld knocked out India's so-called "King of the Lions" Anshul Jubli with a brutal right to the head after just 19 seconds to light up the arena.
Welterweight Jake Matthews kicked off the main card with a unanimous points decision over Argentinian Francisco Prado.
Despite his early dominance, Jimmy Crute was held to a majority draw against Brazilian Rodolfo Bellato in their light heavyweight tussle.
Lightweight Tom Nolan went the distance with Viacheslav Borshchev, winning a unanimous points decision in his battle with Russia's so-called "Slava Claus".
Bantamweight Colby Thicknesse lost via unanimous decision on his UFC debut against Georgian Aleksandre Topuria.
Australian welterweight Jonathan Micallef won his debut against Frenchman Kevin Jousset, while Jack Jenkins submitted two minutes, six seconds into the third round of his featherweight fight with Brazilian Gabriel Santos.
And Justin Tafa's pay-per-view battle with Tallison Teixeira lasted just 35 seconds before the referee stopped the fight after the Brazilian battered the Brisbane-based Kiwi heavyweight with a flurry of knuckles, knees and elbows to the head and body.
