Strickland and du Plessis come to blows for a second time at UFC 297
• 3 min read
UFC is back with its first major event of 2024. The PPV year kicks off north of the border when the promotion returns to Toronto for the city’s first PPV in five years when UFC 297 lands inside the Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night. There are two title fights atop the marquee, headlined by the bad blood between middleweight champion Sean Strickland and top contender Dricus Du Plessis.
The pair of top 185-pounders have reached this point amid a transitional time within the division. Israel Adesanya’s lengthy title reign came to an end against Alex Pereira as they continue their rivalry from kickboxing into MMA. Then, Adesanya won his belt back with a shocking TKO, only to return to the Octagon late last year and suffer a stunning loss to Strickland. Now, Strickland looks to bring some stability atop the division against a new rising challenger in du Plessis, who scored his own stunning TKO win over Robert Whittaker last year to earn this opportunity.
The other title fight is flying completely under the radar. Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva are set to meet for the vacant women’s bantamweight title. The championship was left vacant last year after Amanda Nunes announced her retirement following yet another title defense against Irene Aldana. Nunes retied as the best to ever do it on the women’s side and there’s a massive void without her in the fold anymore.
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Elsewhere, rising Canadian contender Mike Malott is back in action when he takes on veteran Neil Magny. Malott has won six in a row, including his first three Octagon appearances, but Magny represents his toughest test to date. Plus, more Canadians help fill out in the undercard, including Marc-Andre Barriault as he takes on Chris Curtis in a middleweight showdown. And on the prelims, Charles Jourdain takes on Sean Woodson in a featherweight tilt.
Below is the complete fight card for UFC 297 along with the latest odds. Check back all week long for the latest news, features and other content around this massive event.
CBS Sports will also have live coverage of the fight with round-by-round scoring and blow-by-blow updates to keep you up to date throughout the night.
UFC 297 fight card, odds
- Dricus du Plessis def. Sean Strickland (c) via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
- Raquel Pennington def. Mayra Bueno Silva def. via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-45)
- Neil Magny def. Mike Malott via third-round TKO (punches)
- Chris Curtis def. Marc-Andre Barriault via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
- Movsar Evloev def. Arnold Allen via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Garrett Armfield def. Brad Katona via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Sean Woodson def. Charles Jourdain via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Ramon Taveras def. Serhiy Sidey via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
- Gillian Robertson def. Polyana Viana via second-round TKO (punches)
- Sam Patterson def. Yohan Lainesse via first-round submission (rear-naked choke)
- Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Priscila Cachoeira via third-round submission (D’arce choke)
- Jimmy Flick def. Malcolm Gordon via second-round submission (triangle choke)
UFC 297 info
- Date: Jan. 20
- Location: Scotiabank Arena — Toronto
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET (Main card)
- How to watch: ESPN+ PPV
UFC 297 countdown
- Staff predictions and expert picks for the main card
- Campbell: Strickland’s latest tirade an ugly turn for UFC
- Brookhouse: Best bets to consider on the main card
- Mahjouri: How Strickland and his team plan to keep their cool for main event
- Mahjouri: Undercard fights worth your time this weekend
- Campbell: Five biggest storylines to watch in Toronto
Who wins UFC 297: Strickland vs. du Plessis, and how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on UFC 297, all from the MMA expert who profited more than $6,200 in 2022, and find out.
