By traditional pay-per-view standards, UFC 312 is inferior to its peers. Only four ranked fighters — who all compete in the final two fights of the night — are listed on the card.
For Australian MMA fans, this event is a dream. There are not many Aussie fighters on the UFC roster, but the majority of them are competing on this card. The general star power may be lacking, but the local attraction will still likely sell out the Qudos Bank Arena.
Unsurprisingly, the UFC is using this event to introduce a handful of new talent to the mainstream market. Six fighters, three from Australia, will make their Octagon debuts on Saturday.
While some of the debuting fighters might already be household names among the local fan base, most are far from hot commodities to the general public. Of the influx of fighters looking to make a first impression, these are the three most talented to keep an eye on at UFC 312.
Of the debuting fighters on the card, arguably none are more exciting than 25-year-old Quillan Salkilld, who will make his inaugural walk in his home country. Salkilld, 7-1, enters the UFC as the former lightweight champion of Eternal MMA, Australia's premier regional promotion.
Primarily a grappler, Salkilld enters the UFC with 43 percent of his wins by submission. However, his striking is what stood out in his win over Gauge Young on "Dana White's Contender Series." For a young fighter with a wrestling background, Salkilld is a slick boxer with quick hands, pinpoint accuracy and above-average footwork.
Defensively, Salkilld could use some work, but at 25, the best is yet to come. He makes his debut against the 7-1 Anshul Jubli, who is coming off a viral knockout loss to Mike Breeden at UFC 294. With the right setups, Salkilld could very well hand the Indian his second straight defeat inside the distance.
Few fighters have entered the UFC with as much promotion from the company before they even signed a contract as Kody Steele. Most of that has to do with his Brazilian jiu-jitsu credentials. Before committing to MMA full-time, Steele constructed a decorated submission grappling career, competing for the Zuffa-branded Submission Underground and UFC Fight Pass Invitational.
Unlike Mackenzie Dern, who entered the UFC as a multi-time BJJ world champion, Steele does not have the best grappling record. However, few athletes in the sport can match his strength of schedule. Steele has competed against a handful of the best pound-for-pound grapplers in the world, including Mason Fowler, Vagner Rocha, Jonnatas Gracie and Tye Ruotolo.
Regardless, Steele's grappling is already among the division's best. It would just be hard to tell from watching him fight. Since transitioning to MMA, Steele has become more of a knockout artist than a submission threat, winning four of his seven professional fights by KO/TKO.
Perhaps he is falling in love with his hands more than one would want to see out of someone with his background, but he has clearly advanced far enough to be seen as more than just a grappler. Steele won his fight on Dana White's Contender Series with a brutal body shot TKO. The win was actually his second attempt on the show, as his initial opponent supposedly suffered a panic attack backstage just hours before the fight.
A division like lightweight is hardly ever starving for new talent. Yet, depending on how Steele performs against Rong Zhu at UFC 312, they just might have a new player.
Aleksandre Topuria is easily the least qualified debutant on the card, yet is simultaneously the most hyped prospect. As the older brother of UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, the 29-year-old Georgian is 5-1 in his professional career while obviously training with the best talent in his region.
Much like his younger brother, Aleksandre Topuria is nothing if not confident. He enters every room with a purpose and processes every fight camp as if he already knows the outcome. Few fighters truly boast that mentality without forging it, but the few who do have typically recognized great success.
However, unlike Ilia, Aleksandre Topuria does not have the pre-UFC resume to match his social media hype. He has just one win over an opponent with a winning record and has fought just once in the past four years. For what it's worth, he recognizes this aspect of his appeal and vowed to formally introduce himself to the general fan base at UFC 312.
Of the debuting fighters on the card, Topuria faces arguably the toughest test. He faces fellow promotional newcomer Colby Thicknesse, a local Australian prospect and Alexander Volkanovski's prodigy. In his previous bout, Thicknesse defeated Marvin Malunes in the first round to claim the HEX bantamweight title.
If "El Conquistador" can perform the way he sees himself doing, the Topuria family has a strong chance of becoming one of the most successful pairs of siblings in the UFC.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers have been easing their way into training camp ahead of the 2025 season. The players have just been wearing helmets and shorts, and the pads will come on soon. Pittsburgh's training camp is always known as being one of the most intense in the league, and that is because Head Coach Mike Tomlin has his team go full contact, which is something other coaches around the NFL try to avoid. The pads will come on on Tuesday, and fans should expect to see some skirmishes as emotions rise throughout the rest of camp. Practices in just helmets and shorts are difficult for the big guys in the trenches. It is essentially impossible to simulate blocking without pads on, so the defenders and offensive linemen are itching for when the team gets to go full contact. Second-year offensive lineman Troy Fautanu spoke to the media on Sunday, and he shared how things have been going at practice, while also noting that the two sides of the ball have been going at it. "You know, there's a lot of banter going on between the offense and the defense right now." Fautanu said. "As you guys could tell yesterday, things got a little rowdy. I mean, that's something that's normal. I'm super excited just to finally be able to play real football, because as an offensive lineman it's the worst thing to play football in shorts and t-shirts." Fautanu is probably itching to get back to full contact more than others after missing nearly all of his rookie season in 2024. He played in one game in Week 2 before suffering a knee injury that kept him out for the rest of the year. Tuesday will be the first time he gets to put the pads on and get truly physical in nearly a year. The way he described things, it sounds like there will probably be some confrontations as the offense and defense have already been going at it. Training camp is going to be a true test for Fautanu. He is the team's starting right tackle going into the season, and the organization is relying on the offensive line to take a step forward. He needs to try to live up to his first-round label, and he is going to have to do so while blocking TJ Watt in every practice. Watt is going to be moving around the defensive formation more often than usual, but most of his snaps will come when he is lined up over the right tackle. Fautanu is going to be tested on every snap, and if he can handle Watt, he can handle anyone in the league. Having to go up against Watt every day in practice is good for Fautanu in the long run. Practicing against the best is only going to make him better, and he won't have to block anyone during the 2025 regular season that is as good of a pass rusher as Watt. Steelers' Fautanu Could Solidify 2024 Draft For Pittsburgh It is already looking like the Steelers made a ton of right decisions during the 2024 NFL Draft. Zach Frazier had a spectacular rookie season in 2024, and he is looking like he could be one of the best centers in the league. Mason McCormick was a pleasant surprise at right tackle when he was thrust into the starting lineup, and it seems he has gotten considerably better over the course of the 2025 offseason. If Fautanu can prove he is the starting right tackle of the future for the Steelers, then the organization would have nailed three cornerstones of the franchise in just one draft. All contenders have solid offensive lines, and it looks like the Steelers might have one that could be great in the near future.
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin had been holding out of training camp but reported Sunday. McLaurin was fined $200K ($50K per day) for skipping four days of camp. The fines, however, aren't the only reason he returned to the team's facility in Ashburn, Va. He also missed spending time with fans and teammates. According to ESPN's John Keim, supporters chanted his name at Sunday's practice, and the WR later signed autographs for approximately 30 minutes. "It feels good to be around my teammates and around the fans," the WR said, per Keim. "I can't beat that at all. They showed me a lot of love and support. You lose sight of something when the business gets involved, but I never lost sight of the way they supported me. It's business, but it has nothing to do with them." While it's a positive for the Commanders that McLaurin is no longer holding out, it's fair to wonder whether contract negotiations will continue to drag on. The WR is entering the final year of his deal and seeking an extension. (He's set to make $15.5M this season.) McLaurin and the team have made little progress in negotiations thus far. The two-time Pro Bowler recorded a career-high 13 touchdown catches in 17 games last season, but his age could be a concern for the Commanders. McLaurin turns 30 on Sept. 15. He's already injured as well. McLaurin is starting training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list because of an ankle issue. The WR is aiming to make a quick recovery and insists his age shouldn't be a factor in contract negotiations. McLaurin said the Commanders should view it on a "case-by-case" basis. McLaurin has been one of the NFL's more consistent pass-catchers, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards in five of his first six seasons with Washington. Now that he's back with the team, perhaps that will remind the Commanders why they love having him around. That could expedite contract talks.
In an effort to extend his NHL career, veteran winger Conor Sheary has agreed to a professional tryout (PTO) with the New York Rangers, per the NY Post’s Mollie Walker. Sheary has played in 593 games throughout his 10-year career, posting 124 goals and 267 points. He has also shown an ability to elevate his game in big moments during the playoffs, as evidenced by his contributions to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ back-to-back Stanley Cup wins early in his career, when he often played a key role alongside Sidney Crosby. Notably, some of his best professional seasons came in Pittsburgh under head coach Mike Sullivan. After signing a five-year deal in May to lead the Rangers, Sullivan is bringing in a familiar face as he looks to implement a new game plan in New York. However, Sheary has struggled in recent years. After producing just 15 points in 57 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2023-24 season—his lowest output since his rookie year—he dressed in only five games last season with the team. He spent the majority of his year with Tampa’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, where he produced 20 goals and 61 points in 59 games. Sheary, 33, will now look to rejuvenate his career with the Rangers, a team in the midst of transition. Beyond the obvious changes that come with a new head coach, the team has also seen longtime staples Chris Kreider and K’Andre Miller depart, while adding forward Taylor Raddysh and prospect Carey Terrance. While PTOs are anything but guaranteed, Sheary’s history of producing quality offense, combined with his relationship with Sullivan, should give him a strong chance to make the opening night roster.
The Dallas Cowboys will be learning a lot more about the team's talent in the trenches with players in full pads for the first time during training camp in Oxnard, California. An intriguing position is offensive tackle, where last year's first-round pick Tyler Guyton is attempting to bounce back after struggling as a rookie, Terence Steele is dealing with a minor ankle injury, and players like Asim Richards and Nathan Thomas have received some hype. Last week, Thomas received high praise from the coaching staff and was named a player to keep an eye on, so what does that mean for Richards? Well, Richards isn't quite on the outs. In fact, Brian Schottenheimer said the team is getting him looks at another position. Richards has bene getting looks at "jumbo" tight end as the team looks to beef up its blocking in goaline and short-yardage packages. "We’ve got jumbo tight ends we’re training. You look at Asim Richards. He’s not playing just tackle. He’s playing tight end," Schottenheimer revealed, via Blogging the Boys. "Well how does he get with Lunda Wells, and how do we make that happen?" The 6-foot-4, 306-pound Richards came to the Cowboys as a unique prospect after being selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft. He can play guard and tackle, and now, apparently, tight end. Schottenheimer loves to get players reps at multiple positions and "cross-train," so it will be interesting to see if the Cowboys use the jumbo package as an opportunity to get Richards on the field.