The sparks have already been flying for UFC297, nothing creates interest in a championship fight like the bad blood that will be on full display this weekend, when unlikely champion Sean Strickland makes his first defense of his newly acquired belt against the dark horse of the division in South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis.
The tensions between the fighters started at the pre-fight press conference when Strickland felt that Du Plessis had crossed the line in trash-talking, but the boiling point came later when the fighters brawled in the crowd, much to the dismay of fans. This will be Strickland’s first defense of his middleweight belt, having dethroned the once-dominant Israel Adesandaya back in September, but the surging Du Plessis may have the upper hand now, having clearly unsettled Strickland with his comments, all while riding the wave of an impressive 6 fight win streak in the UFC.
Quick Facts
- Sean Strickland is a slight favorite (-130)
- Dricus Du Plessis underdog (+110)
- Du Plessis 6 fight win streak has been against notable opponents
**Odds Provided by BetMGM NY as of 17th January 2024
UFC297 Fight Preview
UFC297 Info
- 📅Date: January 20th 2024
- 🌏Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Canada
- ⏲️Start time: 10 pm ET/7 pm PT (Main card)
- 📺How to watch: ESPN+ PPV
- 🥊Full Fight Info – Official UFC297 Website
UFC297 Main Fight Card
The rest of the main fight card has numerous interesting matchups, with Neil Magny acting as the gatekeeper for the impressive Mike Mallot, and the tenacious Arnold Allen facing another huge fight this time vs. Mosvar Evloev. Chris Curtis and Marc-Andre Barriault look like fireworks in the making, this is possibly the toughest fight to call given how hard these guys hit.
Below you will find our 5 pick parlays from our 3 in-house UFC experts, and this time around there are quite a few disagreements in the picks meaning very tough fights to call!
Best Sportsbooks for UFC297
If you are looking to make a bet on the main card of UFC297 then the 5 sportsbooks listed below are our top recommendations.
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