An undisputed middleweight championship fight between division titleholder, Sean Strickland, and streaking number two ranked middleweight challenger, Dricus du Plessis, is set to take main event honors at UFC 297 on January 20. – with the pay-per-view event currently targeted to take place in Toronto, Canada.
Strickland, the current undisputed middleweight champion, most recently headlined UFC 293 in a reworked headliner against former two-time middleweight gold holder, Israel Adesanya – landing a spectacular unanimous decision upset win to clinch the middleweight title at the first time of trying.
As for South Africa native, du Plessis, the surging middleweight contender has been sidelined since he featured on the main card of UFC 290 back in July during International Fight Week, landing a second round TKO win over former undisputed middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker.
Sean Strickland meets Dricus du Plessis in UFC 297 headliner
UFC CEO, Dana White confirmed the booking of a middleweight championship fight between Sean Strickland, and Dricus du Plessis during a video posted on his official social media today.
Initially expected to defend his middleweight title against undefeated contender, Khamzat Chimaev after the Chechen’s close, majority decision win over former undisputed welterweight champion and former pound-for-pound number one, Kamaru Usman last month in the co-main event of UFC 294, Chimaev has been sidelined through a torn hand ligament, requiring the use of a supportive brace for a number of weeks.
In the midst of a stunning run of six consecutive victories since he landed in the Octagon back in 2020, during his brief tenure with the UFC, du Plessis has landed notable victories over former welterweight title challenger, Darren Till, as well as perennial contender, Derek Brunson, and the above-mentioned former champion, Whittaker.
As well as Sean Strickland’s title fight with Dricus du Plessis, UFC 297 is also set to feature a vacant bantamweight title fight between former title challenger, Raquel Pennington, and Brazilian contender, Mayra Bueno Silva in ‘The Great White North’.
Who wins at UFC 297: Sean Strickland or Dricus du Plessis?