UFC 312: Breakout Prospect Makes Debut On Massive PPV Card
by Brian Mazique · ForbesIf you look for a credible list of the top prospects who earned contracts from Season 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series, Kody Steele is going to be listed at or near the top of said list.
Steele is one of six fighters Vendetta Sports Media tagged as elite from Season 8, and that’s part of the reason why the 29-year-old Syndicate MMA product’s main roster debut at UFC 312 is noteworthy.
On Wednesday, January 8, news broke about Steele’s UFC debut, which will have him facing Rongzhu at UFC 312 on February 8.
The event will take place at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Here is a look at the entire card:
- Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland - Middleweight (185 lbs)
- Weili Zhang vs. Tatiana Suarez - Strawweight (115 lbs)
- Rei Tsuruya vs. Stewart Nicoll - Flyweight (125 lbs)
- Quillan Salkilld vs. Anshul Jubli - Lightweight (155 lbs)
- Tallison Teixeira vs. Justin Tafa - Heavyweight (265 lbs)
- Tom Nolan vs. Viacheslav Borshchev - Lightweight (155 lbs)
- Jack Jenkins vs. Gabriel Santos - Featherweight (145 lbs)
- Cody Haddon vs. Aleksandre Topuria - Bantamweight (135 lbs)
- Cong Wang vs. Bruna Brasil - Flyweight (125 lbs)
- Jimmy Crute vs. Rodolfo Bellato - Light Heavyweight (205 lbs)
- Kody Steele vs. Rongzhu - Lightweight (155 lbs)
Steele comes into the fight 7-0, with finishes in five of his fights. He earned his contract with his second-round destruction of Chasen Blair. Steele had to be rescheduled to compete after his first opponent, Quemuel Ottoni, withdrew on the night of the fight.
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Steele possesses one of the most impressive and balanced skill sets for any newcomer in the UFC. He will be tested immediately.
Rongzhu is a veteran of 31 professional MMA fights despite only being 24 years old. After earning a second contract with the UFC on Road to UFC, Rongzhu lost his return to the main roster in September 2024 to Chris Padilla via doctor stoppage.
Rongzhu had previously fought in the UFC in 2021, but a 1-2 record and two weight misses forced him out of the promotion. A second consecutive loss could put him back on the cusp of being released again.
Beyond Steele’s fight, UFC 312 is packed with notable main roster debuts. Cody Haddon is another fighter from Season 8 who drew rave reviews. He’ll tangle with Aleksandre Topuria, the brother of UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who is also making his UFC debut.
The best heavyweight from Season 8 of the Contender Series, Tallison Teixeira, tangles with Justin Tafa in his main roster debut. If you’ve been plugged into the Contender Series, this card holds some intrigue from the prelims to the main card.
Even if you’re not much into watching prospects develop, the event is topped off with two championship bouts. Du Plessis rematches Strickland, and Suarez finally gets her opportunity to challenge for Weili’s title.
It’s a strong event on paper. Hopefully, it delivers when the fighters climb into the Octagon.