UFC 297: Full card, key storylines, schedule, fight times and results

Sean Strickland (left) and Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa shake hands during the UFC 297 news conference at The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre on Jan. 18, 2024, in Toronto. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

UFC 297 on Saturday night features two titles bouts and a much anticipated fight between featherweight contenders. The first PPV of 2024 is a solid card that might not appeal to the casual fan, but it will provide a lot of insight about the middleweight division and perhaps shed some light on the depth of talent at featherweight.

UFC 297: Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du PlessisScotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Main card (Start time 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV; Key fights in bold, all odds via BetMGM)

• Middleweight championship: Sean Strickland (-135) vs. Dricus Du Plessis (+115)

Strickland (28-5) defends the title he shockingly took from Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in September. Du Plessis (20-2) is also coming off a major upset, knocking out former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 290. Strickland has elite boxing skills and a stellar jab, but it is Du Plessis who possesses fight-changing power. There are questions about Du Plessis’ gas tank, but his strength and power could end the fight before we get to that point.

• Women’s bantamweight championship: Raquel Pennington (+145) vs. Mayra Bueno Silva (-175)

Pennington (15-8) and Bueno Silva (10-2-1) are facing off for the title vacated by Amanda Nunes, the greatest female fighter in MMA history. Pennington is on a five-fight winning streak and coming off a split-decision victory over Ketlen Vieira. Bueno Silva has won three straight with two ending inside the distance. Bueno Silva is the rightful favorite and has a strength advantage, but Pennington does have a path to victory by staying busy and point fighting.

• Welterweight: Neil Magny (+310) vs. Mike Malott (-400)
• Middleweight: Chris Curtis (-200) vs. Marc-Andre Barriault (+165)

• Featherweight: Arnold Allen (+155) vs. Movsar Evloev (-185)

This is the people’s main event. Britain’s Allen (19-2) was on a roll after topping Sodiq Yusuff, Dan Hooker and Calvin Kattar, but he ran into a buzzsaw in all-time great Max Holloway in his last bout, a lopsided five-round decision loss. Allen is looking to rebound agains the undefeated Evloev (17-0), who is riding a streak of decision wins over Nik Lenz, Dan Ige and Diego Lopes. This is definitely a step up in competition for the Russian contender. Allen is a striker with a well-rounded game, and Evloev is an elite grappler. This is a classic contrast of styles.

Prelims (Start time 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
• Bantamweight: Brad Katona (-200) vs. Garrett Armfield (+165)
• Featherweight: Charles Jourdain (-185) vs. Sean Woodson (+155)
• Bantamweight: Serhiy Sidey (-175) vs. Ramon Tavares (+145)
• Women’s strawweight: Gillian Robertson (-250) vs. Polyana Viana (+200)

Early prelims (Start time 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
• Welterweight: Yohan Lainesse (-145) vs. Sam Patterson (+120)
• Women’s flyweight: Jasmine Jasudavicius (-400) vs. Priscila Cachoeira (+310)
• Flyweight: Malcolm Gordon (-195) vs. Jimmy Flick (+160)

Live1 update

Sat, January 20, 2024 at 8:21 PM GMT+1