Rong Zhu vs Kody Steele at UFC 312 | Preview & Prediction
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He may be five years younger than his opponent Kody Steele, but Rong Zhu has had 24 more fights than his rival and it will be interesting to see how these two fighters measure up at UFC 312
Rong Zhu vs Kody Steele Facts
When is UFC 312? UK – the early preliminary card starts at 11:00pm on Saturday 8th February 2025, followed by the preliminary card at 1:00am (Sunday) and the main card at 3:00am (Sunday) / USA – 6:00pm/8:00pm/10:00pm ET and 3:00pm/5:00pm/7:00pm PT
Where is UFC 312? Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
Where can I get tickets for UFC 312? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 312
What TV channel is UFC 312 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC 312? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
For viewers in the United States, UFC 312 will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
What time are Rong Zhu and Kody Steele expected to walk out? Sunday 9th February, 2025, 12:30am UK / Saturday 8th February, 7:30pm US ET / 4:30pm US PT
UFC 312 Main Card Event
Dricus du Plessis vs Sean Strickland (Middleweight)
Zhang Weili vs Tatiana Suarez (Women’s Strawweight)
Justin Tafa vs Tallison Teixeira (Heavyweight)
Jimmy Crute vs Rodolfo Bellato (Light Heavyweight)
Jake Matthews vs Francisco Prado (Welterweight)
UFC 312 Prelims
Jack Jenkins vs Gabriel Santos (Featherweight)
Colby Thicknesse vs Aleksandre Topuria (Bantamweight)
Tom Nolan vs Viacheslav Borshchev (Lightweight)
Park Hyun-sung vs Nyamjargal Tumendemberel (Flyweight)
Quillan Salkilld vs Anshul Jubli (Lightweight)
Wang Cong vs Bruna Brasil (Women’s Flyweight)
Jonathan Micallef vs Kevin Jousset (Welterweight)
Rong Zhu vs Kody Steele (Lightweight)
Rong Zhu: 31-fight vet coming off first TKO loss of his career
Rong Zhu (25-6) is in his second spell with the UFC and the Chinese lightweight will be hoping to bounce back from a tough loss last time out. The doctor stopped his fight against Chris Padilla last September and that signalled his first-ever loss by TKO in his 31-fight career. Prior to that, he had won four fights in a row to earn his return to the promotion via the Road to UFC but one wonders whether he struggles at the top level given his struggles in the Octagon.
Kody Steele: 100% record on the line for UFC debutant
Kody Steele (7-0) earned his shot in the UFC just last October as he beat Chasen Blair in Dana White’s Contender Series. That win represented his seventh successive win and his fourth knockout in a row so he comes into this UFC debut with plenty of momentum and confidence. He puts his 100% record on the line and the American will be looking to make a statement at UFC 312.
Rong Zhu vs Kody Steele Prediction
We have an intriguing bout between the experienced Rong Zhu and the up-and-coming Kody Steele at UFC 312.
Rong Zhu’s record requires more scrutiny as 25-6 appears extremely impressive on the face of it. The Chinese 24-year-old has racked up a lot of wins against low quality opponents and he has struggled in the UFC going 1-3 across his two spells in the promotion.
It could very well be the case that he is not good enough to step up to this elite level even though he is clearly dominant on the regional circuits.
He meets Kody Steele who has nowhere near as many fights as the 29-year-old has only have seven pro fights and he has won them all.
It will be interesting to see how he settles into the UFC in what is easily the biggest fight of his career. That could work against him and any potential nerves but he does have momentum behind him.
He has to be favoured to get the win in this one but it really will be interesting to see if Rong Zhu can step up. Otherwise, his second spell in the UFC could be just as short as his first.
Prediction: Kody Steele to win
