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UFC 297: Dricus Du Plessis defeats Sean Strickland via split decision to win the middleweight championship
Dricus Du Plessis secured the middleweight title at UFC 297 in Toronto on Saturday night, narrowly defeating Sean Strickland via split decision at Scotiabank Arena. Du Plessis consistently took the initiative in the fight, seldom retreating. While Strickland initially showcased an effective jab, its impact diminished as the bout progressed. Du Plessis, growing more comfortable, honed in on his range, making his aggressive advances against Strickland increasingly potent.
Both fighters exhibited visible signs of the intense battle, with Du Plessis’ left eye nearly swollen shut and Strickland, who secured the title with a decision victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in September, sustaining significant cuts on the left side of his face.
Du Plessis, fresh from a knockout triumph over former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 290, strategically incorporated well-timed takedowns into the match. Despite initial concerns about his endurance, the five-round contest addressed any doubts, and Du Plessis emerged victorious with scores of 47-48, 48-47, and 48-47.
Post-fight, Du Plessis issued a callout to Adesanya, with whom he has had some unresolved issues.
Main Card (Start time: 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV):
- Middleweight Championship: Dricus Du Plessis secures victory over Sean Strickland via unanimous decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47).
- Women’s Bantamweight Championship: Raquel Pennington triumphs over Mayra Bueno Silva through unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-45).
- Welterweight: Neil Magny (+310) achieves victory against Mike Malott with a TKO at 4:45 of the third round.
- Middleweight: Chris Curtis prevails over Marc-Andre Barriault in a split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27).
- Featherweight: Movsar Evloev emerges victorious over Arnold Allen via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Prelims (Start time: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+):
- Bantamweight: Garrett Armfield defeats Brad Katona via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
- Featherweight: Sean Woodson secures a win against Charles Jourdain in a split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).
- Bantamweight: Ramon Tavares prevails over Serhiy Sidey through a split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
- Women’s Strawweight: Gillian Robertson triumphs over Polyana Viana with a TKO at 3:12 of the second round.
Early Prelims (Start time: 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+):
- Welterweight: Sam Patterson defeats Yohan Lainesse via rear-naked choke at 2:03 of the first round.
- Women’s Flyweight: Jasmine Jasudavicius secures victory over Priscila Cachoeira with a D’arce choke at 4:21 of the third round.
- Flyweight: Jimmy Flick emerges victorious over Malcolm Gordon with an arm triangle at 1:17 of the second round.
