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UFC 297: Strickland v Du Plessis — Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Last night (Sat., Jan. 20, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ventured forth to Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for UFC 297. Not only was UFC 297 the first pay-per-view (PPV) of the year, but it was the promotion’s first time back in Toronto since 2018! Appropriately, the card was filled with local talent, but all eyes were on the heated main event between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis.

There were a lot of fun fights, so let’s take a look at UFC 297’s best performances and techniques:

Du Plessis And Strickland Go To War

The Middleweight main event was everything we could really hope for. Both of the combatants are known for toughness, volume, and wildness, and they brought all that to the table and more.

Early on, Strickland’s jab and teep really controlled distance. Du Plessis was having a hard time landing his low kicks early — though they were landing more than the commentary crew was admitting — and his accuracy wasn’t there yet with his wide swings. Based on the first five minutes, it felt like a possible Strickland runaway win.

That’s not DDP’s style though. He started getting the wrestling going a bit, fired a few body shots, and suddenly, those kicks began to land more cleanly. Once he was firing on all cylinders, his shots began to sneak through Strickland’s guard more and more often. When he began to land, it was clear that Strickland felt his power, because the usually high-volume fighter began to settle onto his back foot.

These were still competitive rounds, but Du Plessis’ constant offense kept him in the driver’s seat between the second and fourth. I particularly like his use of the Southpaw double threat, firing his left overhand often and pairing it with a sneakily fast high kick that glanced off Strickland’s head on several occasions. His best success came in the fourth, when he was firing Southpaw 1-2s, then shifting with a crisp Orthodox cross and cracking Strickland on the chin.

Strickland walked into the fifth bloody but unbroken. His corner screamed him back into aggression, and both men were exhausted! They made it a dogfight, and Strickland found good success by planting and firing his right hand in every single exchange. It was a great fight, and in my opinion, the judges got it right.

Dricus vs. Izzy at UFC 300, anybody?

Grit Conquers All

Raquel Pennington’s conditioning and grit won her the title. It overcame Mayra Bueno Silva’s calf kicks, jiu-jitsu, and overall athleticism edge. Pennington’s cardio and will to win also carried her to victory over her own bizarre decision-making, as “Rocky” routinely made her own life difficult by clinching at inopportune times and giving up her back in silly errors.

It’s not a fight anyone will be in a hurry to watch back, but it’s always cool to see a longtime veteran and unlikely contender ascend to the rank of champion. If there is a “next generation” at women’s Bantamweight, they have yet to make an impact!

Magny Does The Impossible

Neil Magny didn’t win a single second of his fight versus Mike Malott until about 90 seconds before he ended the fight via TKO. Malott kicked his lead leg apart, timed good power punches, and took him down repeatedly with relative ease.

What went wrong?

Malott wanted the finish. He’s stopped each of his wins via knockout or submission, and though he seemed to be closing in on the stoppage when the second came to a close, the clock was running out. Malott pushed the pedal through the floor at the start of the third, but Magny didn’t earn his status as the winningest man in 170-pound history by accident.

Magny toughed it out, and when he scrambled back to his feet, Malott was tired. Magny gained top position for the first time, and the Canadian talent spent the last of his energy reserves chasing a leg lock. When it failed to materialize, Magny was in mount with 60 seconds left on the clock.

With Malott’s gas tank on empty, it surely felt like an eternity. Magny reigned down punches-in-bunches, forcing the referees hand with just about 15 seconds remaining.

Evloev Edges Allen

Movsar Evloev vs. Arnold Allen was an excellent slow burn Featherweight fight.

Allen started well, controlling the distance early and landing some thudding body shots in the first. It was a low output round though, and Evloev’s strong finish with a couple takedowns evened it up. The action heated in the second, and the Russian pulled away with several nasty connections that wobbled Allen, as well as a couple more takedowns.

Any time Allen was put on the ground, he was scrambling with good intensity, and he actually landed some gnarly elbows while Evloev held the back clinch. The third was the Englishman’s best round, as he tore up Evloev with some LEGAL knees to an almost-grounded opponent, and he landed a few good flurries as well.

It all came down to the first. The judges awarded it to Evloev, and the undefeated fighter walks away with the best win of his career. Subsequently, he’s probably just one more win away from a title shot.

Additional Thoughts

Gillian Robertson defeats Polyana Viana via second-round TKO (HIGHLIGHTS): Fighters who cannot stop Robertson’s takedowns will never beat her. It’s really that simple! Robertson’s stand up isn’t great, but her top game is excellent! Viana may be a jiu-jitsu black belt, but Robertson ran over her defenses and overwhelmed her with shots from mount and back mount.
Sam Patterson defeats Yohan Lainesse via first-round rear naked choke (HIGHLIGHTS): Patterson picked up the first UFC win of his career in quick fashion. A brief grappling exchange along the fence allowed Patterson to wrap up the front headlock, threaten the choke, and snap his foe the ground. As Lainesse worried about the front choke, Patterson spun to his back and strangled him — classic!
Jasmine Jasudavicius defeats Priscila Cachoeira via third-round d’arce choke: It has to feel nice to set strike records on your opponent’s face. Jasudavicius dominated nearly every second of this fight, taking her foe down early and often before securing dominant positions quickly. From there, she dropped a relentless stream of strikes, building up a massive 280+ strike differential! Cachoeira was understandably battered by the third, but the submission finish did still include one interesting technical note, as Jasudavicious opted to finish the d’arce from mount rather than side control or bottom. That can be a hard position to maintain the grip, but it adds a painful element of crank to the strangle!
Jimmy Flick defeats Malcolm Gordon via second-round arm triangle (HIGHLIGHTS): Flick spent most of six minutes getting his butt kicked. Gordon was the superior athlete, wrestler, and striker, a combination that Flick absorbed all over his face. He even got stunned early in the second, but a brief moment of over-aggression saw Flick transition from a single-leg shot into a back take. As Gordon attempted to scramble away, Flick attacked the arm triangle choke and forced the tap. I wouldn’t predict a title run, but Flick fights are always fun!

For complete UFC 297: “Strickland vs. Du Plessis” results and play-by-play, click HERE!