On Saturday night in Toronto at the Scotiabank Arena, Dricus Du Plessis dethroned Sean Strickland in an epic and close main event of UFC 297.
Du Plessis prevailed via split decision, with two judges scoring it 49-48 in his favor and the third judge awarding Strickland the fight by the same score.
Du Plessis’ pressure was omnipresent, and it wore Strickland down throughout the five-round war.
Both fighters were bloodied during the fight, with Strickland suffering a nasty gash near his left eye. Du Plessis had to fight through significant swelling over his left eyelid. Thankfully, the two middleweight stalwarts rescued the evening following a lackluster co-main event that didn’t meet UFC’s championship standards.
There was tons of bad blood between Du Plessis and Strickland leading up to the fight, but the combatants were respectful toward each other in the Octagon and the post-fight press conferences. Strickland expressed a desire for a rematch, but Du Plessis took his time on the mic to call out Israel Adesanya.
The latter is a former two-time UFC middleweight champion who stepped away from the sport after dropping the title to Strickland in September 2023.
Adesanya vs. Du Plessis is a significant money fight sure to have its share of quotables leading up to the fight if Adesanya is ready to return.
Raquel Pennington Wins Title in Horrendous Championship Fight
In one of UFC’s most forgettable championship fights, Raquel Pennington outpointed a listless and exhausted Mayra Bueno Silva over five rounds. MMA media and others in the sports community took to X to express their displeasure with the bout.
The fight mainly was contested against the cage. Pennington repeatedly closed distance despite her corner urging her to keep her distance and strike.
Bueno Silva and her corner seemed in disarray, and the fighter stayed on her back for the final 15 seconds of the fight without an ounce of urgency. It was startlingly uneventful, considering what was on the line.
In any case, Pennington deserved to win the most; thus, the judges made the right decision.
However, MMA fans should be eager for Julianna Pena’s return, Irene Aldana’s rise, or Valentina Shevchenko’s move up to raise the division’s quality.
UFC 297 Results, Scorecards, Finishes and Highlights
Dricus Du Plessis def. (c) Sean Strickland – split decision (49-48×2, 48-49) – new champion
Raquel Pennington def. Mayra Bueno Silva – unanimous decision (49-46×2, 49-45) – new champion
Neil Magny def. Mike Malott – third-round TKO (Punches)
Chris Curtis def. Marc-Andre Barriault – split decision (30-27×2, 28-29)
Movsar Evloev def. Arnold Allen – unanimous decision (29-28×3)
Garrett Armfield def. Brad Katona – unanimous decision (29-28×3)
Sean Woodson def. Charles Jourdain – split decision (29-28×2, 28-29)
Ramon Taveras def. Serhiy Sidey – split-decision (29-28×2, 28-29)
Gillian Robertson def. Polyana Viana – second-round TKO (Ground-And-Pound Punches)
Sam Patterson def. Yohan Lainesse – first round submission (Rear-Naked Choke)
Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Priscila Cachoeira – third round submission (Anaconda Choke)
Jimmy Flick def. Malcolm Gordon – 2nd round submission (Arm Triangle)
Fight Night Bonuses and Attendance
Neil Magny seemed to deserve a bonus with a huge comeback win over Mike Malott, but he didn’t get one. After clearly losing the first two rounds, a resilient Magny took advantage of a gassed-out Malott to secure the late TKO victory.
Officially, the bonuses went to Du Plessis and Strickland for Fight of the Night, Jasudavicius for her destruction of Cachoeira, and Robertson for her submission win over Viana.
The gate was $8 million USD with 18,559 in attendance.
What’s Next For the UFC?
On Saturday, Feb. 3, at the UFC Apex, Roman Dolidze faces Nassourdine Imavov in a battle between Top-10 middleweights.
