UFC 297 Fight Card: PPV Schedule, Odds and Predictions for Strickland vs. du Plessis
Sean Strickland will attempt his first defense of the UFC middleweight title against Dricus du Plessis in the main event of UFC 297 from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
The build-up to the middleweight championship fight has had some intense moments, including a dust up between the two 185-pound fighters in the crowd at UFC 296. On Saturday night, the talking stops and the fighting starts with Strickland looking to prove his shocking win over Israel Adesanya was more than a fluke.
Du Plessis has worked his way to a title shot by virtue of a eight-fight winning streak, including a 6-0 mark since joining the UFC in 2020.
The card will feature two title fights. Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva will square off with the vacant women's bantamweight title on the line. Both will be looking to establish themselves as the fighter to beat in the division that was left open by Amanda Nunes' retirement.
It's a big night of fights and the first pay-per-view offering of 2024. Let's take a look at the full card and a closer look at the biggest fights.
Main Card (ESPN+ PPV, 10 p.m. ET)
Sean Strickland (-112) vs. Dricus du Plessis (-108)
Raquel Pennington (+136) vs. Mayra Bueno Silva (-162)
Neil Magny (+300) vs. Mike Malott (-380)
Chris Curtis (-180) vs. Marc-Andre Barriault (+150)
Arnold Allen (+160) vs. Movsar Evloev (-185)
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
Brad Katona (-225) vs. Garrett Armfield (+185)
Charles Jourdain (-205) vs. Sean Woodson (+170)
Serhiy Sidey (-180) vs. Ramon Taveras (+150)
Gillian Robertson (-298) vs. Polyana Viana (+245)
Early Prelims (ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET)
Yohan Lainesse (-142) vs. Sam Patterson (+120)
Jasmine Jasudavicius (-410) vs. Priscila Cachoeira (+320)
Malcolm Gordon (-205) vs. Jimmy Flick (+170)
There's a lot to like about the main event on Saturday. It's a fun matchup of strikers with very different styles and it has the makings of a classic.
Dricus du Plessis is a dynamic striker. He's dished out finishes to Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson and Darren Till on his way to this title shot. His power and striking were the reasons that a matchup with Israel Adesanya was the fight everyone wanted before Strickland upset The Last Stylebender.
But the same problem that Strickland gave Adesanya is going to be a problem for the South African. Strickland doesn't have the same one-strike power of his opponent but he puts a pace on his opponent that is capable of breaking them.
Strickland stays busy with a high-volume jab and the cardio to stick with his plan for five rounds if he has to.
That's where things get interesting.
Du Plessis is not known for having the best cardio. It's a good thing he has finished most of his fights because he has looked drained by the time they get deep into the second round. That's a scary thought in a five-round fight.
The good news for the challenger is that Strickland as proven he's hittable before. Alex Pereira peppered him with leg kicks until he uncorked a left hand that shocked Strickland. He finished things off with a straight right.
If Du Plessis can land a similar shot early enough in the first two rounds then he is going to be a in a good spot to finish the fight and win the belt.
Prediction: Du Plessis via second-round TKO
The women's bantamweight division is completely up for grabs for the first time in a long time. The question is whether Mayra Bueno Silva or Raquel Pennington are ready to seize it.
Pennington has been on the slow and steady course to theis moment for a while. Her UFC career stretches back to 2014 and she's fought a litany of big name fighters including Nunes, Germaine de Radnamie, Jessica Andrade, Holly Holm and Miesha Tate.
Her record in those fights is spotty but she's been on a hot streak at the right time, putting up five consuective wins, including two since moving back down from featherweight to fight Aspen Ladd and Ketlen Vieira.
Bueno Silva's ascension has been much more rapid. She made her UFC debut back in 2018 but has really ascended over her last four fights going back to 2022. That's when she returned to bantamweight with a unanimous decision win over Wu Yanan.
Since then she has put together two more official submission wins over LIna Lansberg and Stephanie Egger. Another submission victory over Holm was ruled a No Contest after Bueno Silva tested positive for Ritalinic Acid.
Bueno Silva contested the failed test was due to her ADHD medication but she was still suspended.
Pennington's best hope is to keep this one standing. Bueno Silva's grappling is at a much higher level and she has a way of finishing fights with her submissions. Staying upright for five rounds is going to be a tall task.
Prediction: Bueno Silva via third-round submission
Mike Malott is quickly putting the welterweight division on notice and that trend could continue on Saturday night when he gets a shot at Neil Magny.
The 32-year-old is a little late to the game, but he earned a UFC contract with a 39-second submission victory on Dana White's Contender Series in 2021. Since then, eh's rattled off three-consecutive wins over Micky Gall, Yoahn Lainesse and Adam Fugitt.
Fugitt lasted the longest. Malott gapped him out witha guillotine choke just over a minute into the second round. Now the Canadian will get a shot at a more recognizable name in front of his home country.
Magny is one of the worn gatekeepers of the welterweight division. He's only four years older than Malott at 36, but he's much more battle-tested with over 10 years in the UFC's Octagon.
Magny's career has turned into a barometer for where fighters are. In general, his losses have only come against highly talented fighters who are either title contenders or on their way there. Rising star Ian Machado Garry was the latest to best him but his other losses include the likes of Gilbert Burns, Michael Chiesa, Rafael dos Anjos and Demian Maia over the years.
He's a savvy veteran with some skills on both the ground and in striking. Unfortunately for him, Malott happens to be skilled in both arenas as well and should have the support of the crowd.
This is a showcase fight for Malott and should play out as such.
Prediction: Malott via second-round TKO
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