A look at the UFC schedule for the current year indicates that it’s going to be an enthralling one. It also states that Dana White and Co. will kick off their 2024 PPV list with UFC 297. Several fans have already witnessed a small glimpse of the bad blood between the UFC 297 main eventers at UFC 296. This is why most of them are restless to witness the no-holds-barred action now. But there are several other barnburners on the card as well, apart from the main event. So, let’s take a look at the fight card, timeline, and other specifications of the eagerly awaited first UFC PPV of the year, UFC 297.
UFC 297 main event: Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis
Although Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland never had any beef previously, the UFC 2024 season press conference turned things sour between the two. It was Strickland who started taking personal jibes at the South African. But ‘Stillknocks’ made some deriding remarks about Strickland’s late father, which the latter found too much to take. The UFC 296 showcased a violent scuffle between the two while they visited the T-Mobile Arena to enjoy the event.
The full incident between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis at #UFC296 tonight.
Bring on #UFC297 in January! pic.twitter.com/HQt0Uj1jiv
— UFC (@ufc) December 17, 2023
The excitement that the fans have for this fight is quite understandable looking at such a chaotic buildup. But a look at their past fights will say that both ‘Tarzan’ and ‘Stillknocks’ will be high on confidence while taking the UFC 297 cage for their clash. The almost evenly matched skills of the two are also expected to make the bout an exhilarating one.
UFC 297 co-main event: Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
The UFC bantamweight title didn’t have a keeper since the noted Amanda Nunes vacated it after her victory at UFC 289. But, a fighter from her own country has vowed to bring the championship back to Brazil. Nunes’s countrymate, Mayra Bueno Silva, won her previous fight against the noted Holly Holm via a superb ninja choke. But her win was overturned to a ‘No Contest’ due to a drug test failure following the fight. However, Dana White and Co. had seen enough to grant her a shot at the UFC Bantamweight gold.
But she will have to go through the noted American bantamweight, Raquel Pennington, to secure her dream. A look at Pennington’s previous fights will reveal that she is on a five-fight win streak as well. But she will be making her return to the octagon after a one-year-long hiatus which might affect her performance. Both are pretty evenly matched up when it comes to skills. However, Silva’s superb ground game may prove to be a turning point as well.
But there are several other fights on the UFC 297 card that can prove to be ultimate bangers. Here’s a list of all the fights lined up for UFC 297:
Main Card
- Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis TITLE FIGHT
- Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva TITLE FIGHT
- Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott
- Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic
- Arnold Allen vs. Movsar Evloev
Prelims and Early Prelims
- Brad Katona vs. Garrett Armfield
- Chris Curtis vs. Marc-Andre Barriault
- Charles Jourdain vs. Sean Woodson
- Gillian Robertson vs. Polyana Viana
- Malcolm Gordon vs. Jimmy Flick
- Serhiy Sidey vs. Ramon Taveras
- Yohan Lainesse vs. Sam Patterson
- Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Priscila Cachoeira
It’s also pertinent to note that Dana White and Co. have scheduled the event for 20 January 2023. But the event won’t have the noted UFC color commentator, Joe Rogan, on the commentary table as the event will be hosted inside the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada. The event will kick off with the early prelims scheduled for 6 pm ET while the prelims will begin at 8pm ET. Fans will be able to enjoy the live action on ESPN and ESPN+.
