TORONTO – UFC 297 took place Saturday, and you can check out the play-by-play and official results below. UFC 297 took place at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
In the main event, Sean Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) lost his middleweight title to challenger Dricus Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC). In the co-feature, Raquel Pennington (16-8 MMA, 13-5 UFC) defeated Mayra Bueno Silva (10-3-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) to win the vacant women’s bantamweight title.
You also can get behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes from on-site reporters Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) and Abbey Subhan (@kammakaze) on X (formerly Twitter).
Jimmy Flick vs. Malcolm Gordon
Round 1 – Gordon comes out aggressive, throwing everything at Flick. Gordon closes the distance and pins Flick against the cage. Gordon gets the takedown, he’s in guard. Oh! Gordon got too aggressive! Flick sinks in a triangle choke! Gordon is landing ground-and-pound from top, but still unable to get out. Three minutes left. Gordon slips out! He remains on top. Gordon aggressive with his ground-and-pound. He gets pulled back to Flick’s guard. One minute left. They scramble and Gordon goes for a guillotine while on top! Flick reverses the position and puts Gordon in a Von Flue choke. It looks tight. Saved by the bell.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Gordon.
Round 2 – Again, Gordon comes out firing! The crows is going wild. He’s overwhealming Flick, who’s just backing up and trying to defend the shots. Flick shoots for a single and gets it. Flick is working now on an arm triangle. There’s the tap! It’s over.
Result: Jimmy Flick def. Malcolm Gordon via submission (arm triangle) – Round 2, 1:17
Recap: Jimmy Flick silences Canadian crowd with comeback finish of Malcolm Gordon
Photos: Jimmy Flick def. Malcolm Gordon at UFC 297: Best photos
Records: Flick (17-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC), Gordon (14-8 MMA, 2-5 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Todd Anderson
Priscila Cachoeira vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
Round 1 – Cachoeira comes out aggressive and clips Jasudavicius, but Jasudavicius times a takedown and gets it 30 seconds in the fight. Cachoeira scrambling. Good control here by Jasudavicius. Oh! Jasudavicius non-stop with ground-and-pound! Big shots. Jasudavicius gets mount now. More shots from Jasudavicius. Two minutes left. Cachoeira taking a beating here. She’s got no answer to mount. More shots from Jasudavicius. Jasudavicius rides Cachoeira the entire round, landing big shot. Dominant round.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-8, Jasudavicius.
Round 2 – A couple of leg kicks land for Cachoeira. Oh! A huge straight right from Jasudavicius drops the Brazilian. Jasudavicius jumps on her and gets top position. Big shots from Jasudavicius. Jasudavicius gets to mount with ease. More shots from Jasudavicius. Jasudavicius transitions to a D’Arce choke. It looks tight. Cachoeira fights out of it, but eats some big elbows. Jasudavicius sinks in the D’Arce again. Jasudavicius gets mount with it! How is Cachoeira not taping! Jasudavicius lets it go and begins to rain ground-and-pound. More shots. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-8, Jasudavicius.
Round 3 – Leg kick by Jasudavicius. Cachoeira looks in bad shape. Jasudavicius shoots for a takedown and Cachoeira stiffs it. Front kick to the body by Jasudavicius. Good jabs by Jasudavicius. A couple of hooks land for Cachoeira. Jasudavicius fails on another takedown. Right hand walks back Cachoeira. Cachoeira connects with a hook as she defends a takedown from Jasudavicius. Shortly after, Jasudavicius gets a takedown. She’s now ground-and-pounding Cachoeira from side control. Big shots from Jasudavicius. Cachoeira’s face is a mess. Cachoeira making no attempts to get up. One minute left. Jasudavicius sinks in an Anaconda! There’s the tap!
Result: Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Priscila Cachoeira via submission (Anaconda choke) – Round 3, 4:21
Recap: Jasmine Jasudavicius breaks down Priscila Cachoeira for late anaconda submission
Photos: Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Priscila Cachoeira at UFC 297: Best photos
Records: Jasudavicius (10-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Cachoeira (12-6 MMA, 4-6 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mathew Rocca
Yohan Lainesse vs. Sam Patterson
Round 1 – Good jabs by Patterson. Big hook by Lainesse! They lock up. Patterson brings down Lainesse to the mat with a front headlock. Patterson takes the back! He sinks in the rear-naked choke! It’s over!
Result: Sam Patterson def. Yohan Lainesse via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:03
Recap: Sam Patterson squeezes Yohan Lainesse into submission
Photos: Sam Patterson def. Yohan Lainesse at UFC 297: Best photos
Records: Patterson (11-2-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Lainesse (9-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Brian E. Beauchamp
Gillian Robertson vs. Polyana Viana
Round 1 – Big body kick by Viana. Robertson shoots for a takedown and gets it, moves to half guard. Good control by Robertson, but no damage. Robertson attempting now a kimura, but Viana gets out easily. Three minutes left. Robertsonmoves to mount. Robertson now takes back control. Robertson give sup mount. Robertson sinks in an arm triangle! It looks tight! Viana gets out! Wow! Robertson takes the back now. Good ground-and-pound from Robertson from mount. Robertson goes for an armbar! Viana gets out and lands a few shots from top before the bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Robertson.
Round 2 – A couple of leg kicks land for Robertson. Robertson walking down Viana. Robertson makes Viana miss, shoots for a takedown, and gets it. Robertson quickly gets back mount. Good elbow by Robertson. Three minutes left. Robertson non-stop striking from top. Robertson in complete control here. Good flurry of elbows by Robertson! This looks close to getting stopped, Viana is not doing much to defend. There it is! TKO win for Robertson.
Result: Gillian Robertson def. Polyana Viana via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 2, 3:12
Recap: Gillian Robertson rains down elbows to stop Polyana Viana
Photos: Gillian Robertson def. Polyana Viana at UFC 297: Best photos
Records: Robertson (12-8 MMA, 9-6 UFC), Viana (13-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Broadcast: ESPNews
Referee: Kevin MacDonald
Serhiy Sidey vs. Ramon Taveras
Round 1 – Sidey pressing Taveras here. Sidey shoots, fails on the takedown, but presses Taveras against the cage. Taveras breaks free almost immediately and back to striking. Hard leg kick by Taveras. Stiff jab by Sidey. Three minutes left. Hard leg kick by Taveras. Good combo from Sidey. Sidey seems to be ahead in the striking here. Oh! Nasty body shot by Taveras. Leg kick by Sidey. Two minutes left. Anothet body shot by Taveras. Leg kick by Taveras. Oh! A couple of left hooks connect for Taveras. Leg kicks from Sidey. Hard leg kick by Sidey. Oh! Hige right-hand wobbles Sidey! The bell rings almost immediately after Taveras connects.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Taveras.
Round 2 – Sidey immediately shoots for a takedown here. Taveras defends well and back to striking. Good jabs by Sidey. Oh! Sidey stuns Taveras with a punch. Sidey upping the pressure here. Clean combo by Sidey. One, two drops Sidey! He gets immediately back up. Sidey is a bloody mess. Sidey now connects! What a fight. Crazy exchanges here.Hard left by Sidey. Sidey’s face is covered with blood. Oh! Head kick and thena right from Sidey! One minute left. Sidey connecting clean on Taveras over and over. What a chin on Taveras. Nasty elbows from the clinch by Sidey. He presses Taveras against the cage. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Sidey.
Round 3 – Hard left by Taveras. Oh! Hard one, two by Taveras. He backs up Sidey, who’s still bleeding like crazy from his nose. Jabs and then a leg kick by Sidey. Nice left hand by Taveras. Hard jab by Taveras. Two minutes left. Oh! Flying knee partially connects for Sidey. Very competitive round. Good combo by Sidey. These two brawl it out in the final seconds. What fight.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Sidey. Overall 29-28, Sidey.
Result: Ramon Taveras def. Serhiy Sidey via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Photos: Ramon Taveras def. Serhiy Sidey at UFC 297: Best photos
Records: Taveras (10-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Sidey (10-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPNews
Referee: Todd Anderson
Judging: Eric Colon, Saleem Haniff 29-28. Derek Cleary 28-29.
Charles Jourdain vs. Sean Woodson
Round 1 – Leg kicks by Jourdain. A lot of missing shots from both. Only thing connecting constantly is Jourdain’s leg kicks. Good right hook by Woodson. Nice hook by Woodson. Looks like Jourdain is having difficulty with the reach. Great defense here by Woodson, he keeps making Jourdain miss. Nice one, two by Woodson. Knee by Woodson catches Jourdain closing the distance. Jourdain tries to take down Woodson at the end and fails. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Woodson.
Round 2 – Jourdain has yet to fully figure out Woodson’s range. Jourdain falling behind in the striking here. Woodson has yet to rock him or truly hurt him, but he’s out landing him. Jourdain closes the distance and goes for a takedown. He fails, but presses Woodson against the cage. Woodson breaks free. Jourdain again closes the distance and presses Woodson against the cage. Woodson breaks free. Had kick partially connects for Jourdain. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Woodson.
Round 3 – Jourdain really struggling with the range. Jourdain presses Woodosn against the cage. Woodson breaks free, but Jourdain connects on the break. Again, Jourdain presses Woodson against the cage. Woodson breaks free. Three minutes left. Body shot by Woodson. Leg kick by Jourdain. Jourdain closes the distance and presses Woodson against the cage. Woodson breaks free not long after. Again, Jourdain presses him against the cage. Woodson breaks free immediately. Woodson shoots for a takedown, Jourdain goes for a guillotine, but Woodson slips out a few seconds before the bell.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Jourdain. Overall 29-28, Woodson.
Result: Sean Woodson def. Charles Jourdain via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Photos: Sean Woodson def. Charles Jourdain at UFC 297: Best photos
Records: Woodson (11-1-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC), Jourdain (15-7-1 MMA, 6-6-1 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPNews
Referee: Jerin Valel
Judging: Declan Woods, Derek Cleary 29-28. Patricia Vandermeer 28-29.
Garrett Armfield vs. Brad Katona
Round 1 – Good jab by Armfield. He’s backing up Katono, who’s not really throwing much. Low kick by Katona briefly stops the action. One, two by Katona. Oh no, anothet low kick by Katona. Armfield takes about 20 seconds to recover and the fight resumes. Referee Kevin MacDonald gives a hard warning to Katona. Stiff jab by Armfield. Big right for Armfield connects. Armfield getting the better of the exchanges here. Katona closes the distance, clinches, and presses Armfield against the cage. Katona working hard for the takedown, but unable to get anything. Good knee to the head by Katona. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Armfield.
Round 2 – Katona missing a lot of his shots. One, two by Armfield Leg kick by Armfield. Katona shoots for a takedown, but gets stuffed. Stiff jab by Armfield Three minutes left. Leg kick by Katona. More jabs by Armfield. Armfield looks very comfortable, as he’s countering and letting Katona press him. Oh! Big right hook connects for Armfield. Nice left hook by Katona. Armfield out landing Katona here. Katona gets a takedown with 30 seconds left, Armfield gets back up almsot immediately, but gets pressed against the fence. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Armfield.
Round 3 – Nice combo by Armfield. Armfield clinches Katona, but gets taken down in the process. He gets back up, but Katona controls him against the cage. Short shots by Armfield while getting pressed against the cage. Armfield breaks free after a minute or so. We’re half way through the round. Good right hand by Katona. Katona shoots and gets the takedown. Clean double leg. Armfield gets back up, but again gets pressed against the cage. Armfield breaks free. They clinch. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Katona. Overall 29-28, Armfield.
Result: Garrett Armfield def. Brad Katona via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Photos: Garrett Armfield def. Brad Katona at UFC 297: Best photos
Records: Armfield (10-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Katona (13-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPNews
Referee: Kevin MacDonald
Judging: Eric Colon, Kyle Costello, Sal D’Amato 29-28.
Arnold Allen vs. Movsar Evloev
Round 1 – These two are going back and forth. Good body shot by Allen. Another one. Evloev shoots for a takedown, Allen defends well, but presses Allen against the cage. We’re halfway through the round. Allen breaks free a few seconds after. Good jabs by Evloev. Good jab by Allen. Evloev shoots for a takedown and gets it. They scramble over and over. They’re back to their feet, but Evloev presses Allen against the cage. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Allen.
Round 2 – Oh! Nice head kick by Allen. It partially connects. Allen with a ton of movement just like Round 1. Three minutes left. Not a ton going on. Lots of fainting. Evloev shoots and gets the takedown. Allen gets right back up, but Evloev remains locked to him with a body lock. Evloev pressing Allen against the cage. Allen breaks free. Nice body shot by Allen. One minute left. Another body shot by Allen. Oh! Evloev rocks Allen! It looks like Allen recovered, but he was wobbly for a second. Jab by Evloev. Another one. Allen has a big cut under his left eye. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Evloev.
Round 3 – Leg kick by Evloev. Oh! A quick combo stuns Evloev. It looks like he’s ok. Leg kick by Evloev. Allen pressing and walking down Evloev. Evloev shoots for a takedown, Allen stuffs it, and keeps the front headlock while landing knees to the head. The fight is paused as perceived illegal strikes. On the replay it looks like Allen was lifting him and not letting Evloev be officially downed. The resumes, Allen gets warning. Nasty body shot by Allen. Evloev shoots twice and comes up short. Allen pressing here. Two minutes left. Body kick by Evloev. Body shot by Allen. Eveloev shoots for a takedown, gets caught in a ninja choke, but slips out. They’re back standing, but with Evloev with a body lock. Allen breaks free. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Allen. Overall 29-28, Allen.
Result: Movsar Evloev def. Arnold Allen via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Recap: Movsar Evloev outgrapples Arnold Allen, overcomes trifecta of knees ruled illegal
Photos: Movsar Evloev def. Arnold Allen at UFC 297: Best photos
Records: Allen (19-2 MMA, 10-1 UFC), Evloev (17-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Marc Goddard
Judging: Eric Colon, Patricia Vandermeer, Saleem Haniff 29-28.
Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Chris Curtis
Round 1 – Curtis pressing Barriault here. Leg kick by Curtis. Both fighters being very cautious here. Body kick then jab by Barriault. Leg kick by Barriault. Body kick by Barriault. Curtis walking down Barriault. Very little action. Fans getting a little restless. One minute left. Jab by Curtis. Good right hand by Curtis. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Curtis.
Round 2 – Again, Curtis walking down Barriault. Very little action going on. Good right by Curtis. Good combo by Curtis. Barriault is bleeding from the bridge of hid nose. Big body kick by Curtis. Jab by Barriault. The two are taking turns trading shots. Barriault seems to be upping the attack and he’s not really backing up as much. Good jab by Barriault. The bell rings. The crowd boos.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Barriault.
Round 3 – Barriault comes out aggressive. Good jabs by Barriault. Leg kick by Barriault. Good uppercut by Barriault. He’s got Curtis backing up now. Neither is landing very clean here. It almost feels like a sparring session. The crowd is booing. Oh! Big hooks by Barriault. They trade elbows! It’s heating up a bit. Nasty uppercut by Barriault. Curtis with a body shot. Relentless pressure by Barriault. Uppercut by Curtis. Right hand catches Barriault off balance. They trade jabs. Dirty boxing from both. Barriault has a big cut on his right eye. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Barriault. Overall 29-28, Barriault.
Result: Chris Curtis def. Marc-Andre Barriault via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Photos:
Records: Curtis (31-10 MMA, 5-2 UFC), Barriault (16-7 MMA, 5-6 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Todd Anderson
Judging: Declan Woods, Eric Colon 30-27. Derek Cleary 28-29.
Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott
Round 1 – Leg kicks by Malot. More leg kicks. Magny pressing Malott, but taking several leg kicks in the process. They clinch, but break away quickly. More leg kicks by Malott. Magny clinches Malott and tries to press him against the cage, but Malott reverses him and then breaks free. Good combo by Magny. Leg kicks by Malott. One minute left. Good left uppercut by Malott. The leg kicks are starting to take effect, Magny looks hurt a bit. Leg kick hurts Magny. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Malott.
Round 2 – Magny comes out pressuring. Big straight right by Malott. Body kick by Malott. Magny needs to change something soon because he’s getting picked apart. Magny rushes Malott and gets taken down. Malott standing over Magny. He lets him back up. Leg kick by Malott. Big takedown by Malott. Shots from bottom by Magny. Malott gets mount! One minute left. Nasty elbows from top by Malott. Big shots. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Malott.
Round 3 – Leg kick by Malott. Malott with a quick takedown and direct to mount. Magny gets back to his feet and presses Malott against the cage. Malott reverses. Malott gets the takedown. Short shots from top by Malott. Good control here by Malott, who’s working from guard. Magny is doing a good job in not letting Malott cause damage, but he’s unable to get up. Magny reverses the position, and now he’s on top! Big shots from Magny. Malott going for a leg lock! Magny defends well and gets out! Mount by Magny. Big shots! This looks bad! It’s over! What a comeback. Incredible.
Result: Neil Magny def. Mike Malott via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 3, 4:43
Recap: Neil Magny TKOs Mike Malott for ridiculous buzzer-beating comeback
Photos: Neil Magny def. Mike Malott at UFC 297: Best photos
Records: Magny (29-11 MMA, 22-10 UFC), Malott (10-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Kevin MacDonald
Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
Round 1 – Big body kick by Pennington. Pennington clinches, but gets reversed by Bueno Silva and pinned against the cage. Hard leg kick by Bueno Silva. Pennington shoots for a takedown, eats a few elbows and ultimately gets stuffed. Bueno Silva now pressing Pennington against the cage. Big takedown by Bueno Silva. We’re halfway through the round. Bueno Silva working the rear-naked choke. Pennington looks safe for now, as she stands with Bueno Silva on her back. Bueno Silva brings her back to the ground. Shots from Bueno Silva. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Bueno Silva.
Round 2 – Good jabs by Pennington. A couple of good combos are landing back to back for Pennington. Bueno Silva presses Pennington against the cage. Good knees to the body by Bueno Silva. The crowd boos. Pennington reverses and now she’s doing the pressing. They break away and big elbow on the break by Bueno Silva. Bueno Silva presses Pennington again against the cage. Oh! Penington stuns Bueno Silva with a combo! She’s backing her up now! Pennington presses Bueno Silva against the cage. Uppercut by Bueno Silva! Bueno Silva takes Pennington’s back while standing! She sinks in the rear naked choke! It’s tight! Pennington gets out! The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Pennington.
Round 3 – Big shots from both ladies here. Pennington presses Bueno Silva against the cage. She gets reversed. They get reversed again. They keep going back and forth in the clinch. Bueno Silva tries a ninja choke. Pennington gets out. Good elbow by Bueno Silva! She reverses Pennington and lands a few good knees to the body. Two minutes left. Nasty elbow by Bueno Silva. Bueno Silva gos for a takedown, but Pennington threatens with a guillotine and she falls to her back. Pennington lets Bueno Silva back up. They clinch immediately, the crowd boos. Bueno Silva shoots for a takedown and the same thing happens: Pennington threatens with the guillotine and Bueno Silva falls to her back. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Pennington.
Round 4 – Big right hand connects for Pennington! Bueno Silva again clinches Pennington, but Pennington reverses and she’s doing the pressing. The crowd is not happy. Short shots land for Pennington. Bueno Silva looks tired. Good elbow by Bueno Silva on the break. Anothet one. Bueno Silva is now doing the pressing against the cage. Bueno Silva gets the back while standing. She brings down Pennington. She sinks in the rear-naked choke! It looks tight! Pennington slips out and she’s on top now! Pennington, working from guard. Bueno Silva looking to set up submissions. Short shots from top by Pennington. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Pennington.
Round 5 – Nice jabs by Pennington. Bueno Silva with leg kick. Bueno Silva closes the distance, clinches, but gets reversed and pressed against the cage. Bueno Silva reverses. Bueno Silva goes for a knee bar and fails. She’s now on bottom. Pennington working an arm triangle! It looks tight, but it’s over the chin. Three minutes left. They’re still in the same position. Two minutes left. Same position. And Bueno Silva gets out. 90 seconds left. Bueno Silva pulls Pennington to guard. One minute left. Pennington opening up with ground-and-pound. Pennington stands over Bueno Silva now and kicks her legs. The crowd is booing. She’s kicking her legs. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Pennington. Overall 49-46, Pennington.
Result: Raquel Pennington def. Mayra Bueno Silva via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-45) – to win women’s bantamweight title
Recap: Raquel Pennington outworks fatigued Mayra Bueno Silva to claim vacant title
Photos: Raquel Pennington def. Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC 297: Best photos
Records: Pennington (16-8 MMA, 13-5 UFC), Bueno Silva (10-3-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC)
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Jerin Valel
Judging: Eric Colon, Sal D’Amato 49-46. Saleem Haniff 49-45.
Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis
Round 1 – Sharp jabs by Strickland right from the start. Hard leg kick by Du Plessis. Clean jabs by Strickland. Strickland checking Du Plessis’s kicks nicely. Big body kick by Du Plessis. Strickland eats it well. Du Plessis has a small cut on the bridge of the nose. Clean jabs by Strickland. Strickland keeps cheking the leg kicks. More jabs by Strikland. He’s looking good. Du Plessis shoos for a takedown and gets it! Strickland gets back up. One minute left. Nasty jabs by Strickland. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Strickland.
Round 2 – Very similar to the first – Strickland is picking apart Du Plessis with the jab. Du Plessis is throwing big bombs, but Strickland is defending well. Good left hook lands for Strickland. Big misses by Du Plessis. Body kick by Du Plessis. Left hook connects for Du Plessis. He’s picking up ground on Strickland. Du Plessis shoots for the takedown and gets it. Strickland hits a switch and gets back up. Strickland is bleeding from his right eyebrow. Good jabs by Strickland. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Du Plessis.
Round 3 – Du Plessis is pressing a lot more here and being more active. Good left by Du Plessis. Du Plessis is constantly backing up Strickland. Jabs by Strickland. Body kick by Du Plessis. Strickland’s output is slowing down. Two minutes left. Big left lands for Du Plessis. Big misses from Du Plessis, but Strickland is not throwing much. Jabs from Strickaland here and there. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Du Plessis.
Round 4 – Big right hand by Du Plessis. He keeps pressing Strickland here. Oh! Big right from Strickland. Another one. Big body kick by Du Plessis. Another right hand from Strickland. Strickland is bleeding from his left eyebrow. Strickland clinches and Du Plessis uses that to take him down. Strickland gets up, but gets pressed against the cage. Strickalnd breaks free. Big right-hand lands for Du Plessis. Another one! Strickland is a bloody mess. Du Plessis shoots for a takedown and gets it. So far it’s Du Plessis’ best round. Strickland gets back up. Du Plessis is outworking Strickland here. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Du Plessis.
Round 5 – Good jabs from Strickland. And a good right hand! Big right for Du Plessis. Du Plessis attempts a takedown, comes up short. Jabs by Strickland. Oh! A couple of hard rights land for Strickland. More jabs by Strickland. Du Plessis shoots and fails again. Good takedown defense by Strickland. Du Plessis with a nice body kick. Final minute. A couple of one, two’s land for Strickland. Strickland ia backing up Du Plessis like crazy here! He’s going all out! The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Strickland. Overall, 48-47, Du Plessis.
Result: Dricus Du Plessis def. Sean Strickland via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) – to win middleweight title
Recap: Dricus Du Plessis beats Sean Strickland in brawl, sends message to Israel Adesanya
Photos: Dricus Du Plessis def. Sean Strickland at UFC 297: Best photos
Records: Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC), Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Marc Goddard
Judging: Derek Cleary, Eric Colon 48-47. Sal D’Amato 47-48.
