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.
Overshadowed by the drama is UFC 297’s second title fight. Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva compete for the vacant UFC women’s bantamweight championship. The title was vacated after former two-division champion Amanda Nunes retired following a successful title defense against Irene Aldana at UFC 289 in another major Canadian city, Vancouver.
Pennington, 35, enters on the longest winning streak of her career at five in a row. The last two were the most important in earning decisions over Aspen Ladd and Ketlen Vieira. Silva, meanwhile, has just one loss in her last seven Octagon appearances. She scored a submission win over former titleholder Holly Holm last July, but that result was overturned due to a failed drug test. Without it, Silva would on a four-fight win streak with the last three all coming by submission.
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It may not be the deepest card, but there are fights worthy of fans’ attention on the undercard. Many of Canada’s rising prospects will be in action on Saturday, like welterweight Mike Malott when he looks to extend his winning streak against veteran Neil Magny. Plus, Marc-Andre Barriault will take on rising middleweight Chris Curtis as both look to establish themselves in a shifting landscape at 185 pounds. And a fun one at featherweight is on tap to open the PPV when Movsar Evloev takes on Arnold Allen at featherweight with both looking to climb the rankings ladder.
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.
UFC 297 fight card, odds
- Sean Strickland (c) -110 vs. Dricus du Plessis -110, middleweight title
- Mayra Bueno Silva -170 vs. Raquel Pennington +145, women’s bantamweight title
- Mike Malott -370 vs. Neil Magny +290, welterweights
- Chris Curtis -190 vs. Marc-Andre Barriault +160, middleweights
- Movsar Evloev -200 vs. Arnold Allen +170, featherweights
- Brad Katona -210 vs. Garrett Armfield +175, bantamweights
- Charles Jourdain -205 vs. Sean Woodson +170, featherweights
- Serhiy Sidey -180 vs. Ramon Taveras +155, bantamweights
- Gillian Robertson -320 vs. Polyana Viana +250, women’s strawweights
- Yohan Lainesse -150 vs. Sam Patterson +125, welterweights
- Jasmine Jasudavicius -380 vs. Priscila Cachoeira +300, women’s flyweights
- Malcolm Gordon -220 vs. Jimmy Flick +180, flyweights
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
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