UFC 297: Strickland vs. Du Plessis

On Saturday, January 20, the UFC returns to Canada for the first time in over 5 years for what looks to be an absolute war from two skilled 185 pounders. Sean Strickland looks to defend his belt for the first time against the South African challenger, Dricus Du Plessis, who hold a 20-2 record in his young career. There will also be a 135-pound queen crowned on Saturday when #2 Raquel Pennington takes on #3 Mayra Bueno Silva for the vacant belt. Two championship fights and plenty of more action take place on the UFC's first Pay Per View of the 2024 season. 

Main Event

    If there was one word to describe what I expect to see in Scotiabank Arena in the main event, it's war. Thats exactly what champion Sean Strickland and #2 Dricus Du Plessis shook on at the Thursday press conference. There has been plenty of build up to this fight with bad blood in the previous months. The brawl between these two in Las Vegas and Du Plessis' comments about Strickland's father have brought a lot of eyes to this battle. However, the two have looked a lot more friendly this fight week and have even talked about the respect they have for each other. Despite all of this, I expect to see plenty of blood and punches thrown regardless. It would be a big surprise to see this fight go five rounds.

    Strickland has quickly become one of the UFC's bigger names due to his controversial comments and beating of long-time middleweight king Israel Adesanya in September. That was one of the biggest upsets in UFC history and he did it in a dominant five round fashion. He did exactly what he said he was going to and stood with one of the best strikes in the UFC. A lot of questions will be answered on Saturday when he gets his first test as defending champion. The American has faced plenty of criticism for how he acts in the media and receives backlash for how he represents the UFC but ultimately, seeing how he reacted when winning the title made you feel for the guy. He came from a terrible childhood and made it all the way to the top of the world's largest MMA organization.

(Strickland talking about the co-main event)

(Strickland vs. Adesanya highlights)

    Challenger Dricus Du Plessis finally gets his opportunity to challenge for the belt after beating what most called the divisions boogeyman, Robert Whittaker, by KO. For years Adesanya has held the belt and Whitaker was the one who could beat everyone except the champion, however 2023 proved it was time for a new era when these two men both took brutal beatings. The 30-year-old South African hasn't lost in the UFC and has certainly deserved to fight Strickland. He's a finish beast and could certainly be a star for the organization with a big win. He has plenty of beef with Israel Adesanya due to claims that he is the true African and not Adesanya who doesn't train and live there anymore. His goal is to become the first "real" African champion and he certainly has the ability to do so based on his awkward but effective striking style and wrestling background. He will be looking for a big statement KO and to finally accomplish his childhood dream.

(Strickland and Du Plessis faceoff from December)

Other Fights

• Raquel Pennington vs Mayra Bueno Silva: The co-main event will crown a division that has been pretty lackluster for some time. Pennington puts her division high, 5 fight winning streak on the line against a young and upcoming Brazilian, Mayra Bueno Silva. Silva is a more technical fighter but has plenty of quickness and submission skills to get the finish, but she can't ignore the power and boxing skills of the veteran, Pennington. There was plenty of talk between the two at the press conference as they both had plenty of confidence in their abilities. Many have doubted if this will be a quality fight, but anytime there's a belt on the line, fireworks are expected. 

• Allen vs. Movsar Evloev: The first fight on the main card is what many think is the most exciting fight of the night. Allen is an extremely talented English striker with plenty of highlights in the UFC already. However, the 4th ranked featherweight is coming off his only loss in the UFC to one of the best in divisions history, Max Holloway. He will look to bounce back against undefeated Russian, Mosar Evloev. Evloev has won most of his fights in the UFC by decision but there's no doubt he has the skills to finish a fight however he wants. This will be by far his toughest test yet. The winner of this will jump into title contention immediately.

• Mike Malot vs. Neil Magny: Hometown Canadian, Mike Malot will look to extend his 6-fight win streak against veteran and 13th ranked welterweight, Neil Magny. The crowd will love Malot like they always do in Canada as he is one of the most popular Canadian fighters in the world currently. Malot would certainly get a top 15 spot in the rankings with a win tonight against a man who has seen all kinds of fighters throughout his career. Magny just fought and lost to undefeated Irishman Ian Garry, but he will try to bounce back against a crowd who won't give him any love. This is expected to be the closest fight on the card via Vegas odds.

(Mike Malot pumping up Canadian crowd)

Best Bets

• Strickland vs Du Plessis- Going the Distance No (-300): This a really even card from top to bottom where there are a lot of close matchups. My biggest lock of the night is that there's no way these two men make it five rounds together. They are going to be throwing hands and someone is going to get finished. I expect fireworks right from the start and honestly, three rounds seem like too many for these guys.

• Allen vs. Evloev- Evloev (-200): Arnold Allen certainly has the tools to beat Evloev but we have never seen him beat before and it really doesn't feel any different this time around. Evloev is skilled everywhere and it's going to be way too much for Allen to see. There will be a title contender after this fight and that's for sure.

• Curtis vs. Barriault- Barriault to win (+165): The hometown crowd is going to boost and the young and upcoming middleweight to victory against an older and slower striker. Chris Curtis is very good, but when he goes against guys that aren't one dimensional, he struggles. Barriault is going to do damage, it's just a matter of avoiding the power of Curtis. I think he gets this one done, I'm just not sure how.

• Strickland vs. Du Plessis- Du Plessis KO (+245): This is my boldest prediction of the night and honestly it doesn't feel like its super bold. Du Plessis is constantly an underdog and has proven Vegas wrong every time he's fought in the UFC. Strickland is a really good fighter, but does he have it in him to be a dominant champion, I don't think so. The knockout part doesn't feel too crazy here either because there's no doubt in my mind that one of these men is getting KO'd, Du Plessis to do it just feels like a better bet.

All bets combined into one parlay: +1730

All odds via ESPN Bet

In the News

The BMF is Back

    Dana White announced a new fight for UFC 300 and its surely going to excite. BMF champion and #2 ranked lightweight in the world Justin Gathje will defend his belt against the #1 featherweight, Max Holloway. Two extremely big names and guys who have fought some of the best in the sport. This is the type of matchup UFC fans love to see, two guys who are willing to put it all on the line with highlight reels that stand out next to anyone. Despite both of them being so highly ranked, neither of them feels next in line for a title shot in their respective division. I expect a fight that will live In MMA lore and one we won't forget. I'm a little nervous for Max to being going up a division against a high-octane fighter like Gathje, but Gathje has more on the line here as the bigger man.

Who's Next for Poatan?

    Light Heavyweight Champion, Alex "Poatan" Pereria is expected to make his first title defense around UFC 300 or 301. The biggest question surrounding that is which route the UFC will give him for the fight. In my opinion there are 3 options and I'll rank them from most likely to least likely.

1. Israel Adesanya at UFC 300: UFC 300 is shaping up to be a great card but the one thing it lacks in is a huge headliner main event. This would be that mega fight they are looking for. Do I think Israel deserves this shot at 205 instead of his natural weight class at 185? No, but it sure as hell is going to sell as a fight. They are tied 1-1 in the UFC and Pereria has shown plenty of interest in this fight. They can finally settle the score and I think it's what they will land on.
2. Magomed Ankalaev: After a big win last weekend, Ankalev is clearly ready for another title shot. It would be a quick turnaround to fight at 300 but he wants that belt, and it feels like he's the most deserving and healthy challenger for the natural weight class. This would be a phenomenal fight from start to finish.
3. Jamal Hill: Hill deserves this fight more than anyone on the list. He never lost his belt but was forced to vacate it when he tore his achillies last spring. It's a terrible injury to come back from and he deserves a lot of props for keeping the division active. However, when he is finally healthy there's no doubt he will fight for the belt in his return. I just don't see him being healthy enough to fight in April or May. When you add that to the fact that Pereria wants to be extremely active, it just feels too early. I expect it to be the fight to make in the summer against whoever wins the next fight for the 205 crown.