A war was promised in the UFC 297 headliner and a war is exactly what was provided. Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis battled it out for 25 minutes, rightfully earning themselves a fight of the night bonus in the process.
There was a lot of talk leading into the event, with many factors being questioned by fans. Some pondered whether ‘Stillknocks’ could keep the pace in the latter rounds, while others commented on the then champion’s ability to withstand the power coming from his opponent. That and more was certainly answered by the middleweight warriors.
Following the razor-close matchup, Sean Strickland released a statement on social media. He believes he should have been given the nod from the judges and made his thoughts public with a brief rant.
“I didn’t take the coward’s way out and tell the doctor I couldn’t see and got a no contest,” Strickland said after coming up short against Du Plessis. “The only reason why you took a round from me is because I couldn’t see.”
“I won that fight, the world knows I won that fight… The belt they gave you will never make you a champion, enjoy.”
Strickland also spoke of the damage he received from an unintentional headbutt and shared an image of his eye in the aftermath. He later thanked his fans for helping him deal with the clear disappointment of his loss.
That is one brutal cut over the eye of the Champion Strickland #UFC297 pic.twitter.com/Anrt9rnKO3
— Frankie Taddeo (@RespectedMoney) January 21, 2024
“They had to stitch through muscle to get it closed. Thank you to everyone, your support has really kept my head up high through all this, grateful forever.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sean Strickland (@stricklandmma)
The damage he sustained was likely a huge factor in the outcome of the close split-decision clash. Strickland’s vision was at a disadvantage and the visuals looked disturbing as seen in the posts below.
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A post shared by ESPN MMA (@espnmma)
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A post shared by ESPN MMA (@espnmma)
Related: Joe Rogan reacts to Sean Strickland losing to Dricus Du Plessis
Despite the relationship between the two appearing to be good after their fight, it now looks to have soured once again.
Sean Strickland’s social media post understandably didn’t sit too well with Dricus Du Plessis, who saw his chance to fire shots at the former champion.
Strickland recently made an appearance on a podcast with Theo Von and got emotional due to his childhood trauma. The situation is a touchy subject for the 32-year-old but that didn’t stop Du Plessis from using it to rile him up for a second time.
Dricus du Plessis | Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images
UFC 297 went down this past Saturday in Toronto and let’s just be honest: It was not the best fight card we’ve ever seen. That being said, some things did happen. Two new champions were crowned, one new contender emerged, and the great Canadian had one of the most impressive implosions in recent memory. So let’s talk about all the fallout from UFC 297.
Dricus du Plessis
Does the hot potato state of the middleweight division right now remind u of the LHW division before Jones got the belt and does that mean we are on the cusp of a MW fighter bound to have a Jones like run ? Khamzat feels like Rashad/Machida back then and Bo feels like Jon.
— Wang De Lei (@NonProSportsFan) January 21, 2024
For the fourth time in 14 months, we have a new UFC middleweight champion. On Saturday, Dricus du Plessis took a split decision win over Sean Strickland to claim the title, and there’s a lot to unpack here.
For starters, some people are claiming robbery. Those people are morons. This was not a robbery, it was simply a very close fight. If you believe Strickland won, that’s reasonable. But to believe that Strickland won beyond a shadow of a doubt is obvious Stan stuff, and given how not particularly interesting Strickland is in the cage, it probably means you have ulterior motives.
But to get back to the question at hand, is DDP the man to bring stability back to 185? If I had to guess, I’d say no. But I wouldn’t bet against him either.
Du Plessis will likely be underestimated by many for most of his career because the way he fights isn’t always pretty. The man is not exactly a technician on the feet (though he sort of is one on the mat), and at times he can look downright ugly. But underneath all that is a fighter who pretty clearly has a good understanding of his strengths and weaknesses, and who studies his opponents extremely well. At any given time in a fight, DDP is usually making the right choice, even if the mechanics aren’t pristine. Pair that with his brute physicality and that makes him an extremely tough out for anyone at 185. He’s sort of like Yoel Romero, if you swapped out some of Romero’s athleticism points in favor of volume. That’s one dangerous man.
That being said, because he has limitations, every opponent will have a shot at beating him if they come with a good game plan, can adapt on the fly, and can bear up to the offense he’ll put out. Or, in the case of one dude we shall talk about in a moment, simply out-physical him.
UFC 300
Which of the three is the best option to headline UFC 300? DDP vs. Izzy, DDP vs. Strickland 2, DDP vs. Perreira?
— Main Card Minute (@MainCardMinute) January 21, 2024
After UFC 297, the conversation quickly turned to UFC 300 as rumors have been flying around that the winner of the 297 main event would, hopefully, make a quick turnaround to headline 300. In his post-fight presser, du Plessis seemed open to the idea, and now it’s just a question of if it will happen. If it doesn’t, UFC 300 is in need of some help atop it, but there are other options available.
If I’m ranking the three choices presented, DDP vs. Alex Pereira is clearly last. No more champ-champ fights. Defend titles. Stop this nonsense. I never want champ-champ fights, ever.
Along those same lines, DDP vs. Strickland 2 is also not interesting. It was a good fight and a close fight, but it was not a robbery. I have long said that immediate rematches should only happen in the case of clear robbery or trilogy bouts (and even that I’m a bit unsure of). Strickland needs to go beat someone to get back in line. Losing has consequences.
That leaves us with DDP vs. Israel Adesanya, which I have been saying for weeks is the most likely outcome. Izzy is a major star and there is long-standing heat between the two of them. Would the fight theoretically be better in Africa? Sure, but it’s time. Strike while the iron is hot.
There is still a dark horse candidate to headline UFC 300 though, and it would be the biggest fight of them all, from an interest drawing standpoint. If for some reason DDP is unable to turnaround in three months, Adesanya vs. Pereira 3 (or 5, depending on how you view it) for the light heavyweight title would draw the most attention. Personally, I’d kind of hate it because light heavyweight has other contenders, but that is still in play.
Suspension
Assuming DDP is suspended for at least 30 days, how does it make sense for him to turn around in just 2 months to fight Israel / Khamzat for UFC 300. Just not realistic after all the damaged he took for this fight.
— Hcharcoal (@celcharcas) January 21, 2024
I think you may be confused how suspensions work. He’s not suspended from training. There is no enforcement mechanism to do that. He’ll be suspended from competition. But DDP can, and probably will, be back in the gym next week. That gives him 11 weeks of prep time for Adesanya. Now, that’s still probably not ideal situation for DDP, however, he’s also probably been preparing for Adesanya for years already. That’s how it goes when you’re the champion, everyone is planning to take a shot at you eventually.
Now, if DDP suffered an injury of some kind that we don’t know about yet, then yeah, he’s for sure out of 300. But facial swelling doesn’t mean broken bones, so I still think it’s most likely that he will make that turnaround. And if not, International Fight Week is also certainly an option for that fight.
Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya
Have your feelings changed about the DDP-Adesanya matchup stylistically after seeing what we just saw? Who does Strickland fight next if they don’t book an immediate rematch? Will Raquel vs. Julianna eat into melatonin’s market share as the world’s most effective sleeping aid?
— Russell Westbrook (@beer_cheese6900) January 21, 2024
Not really. I’ve always thought that a fight between Adesanya and du Plessis would be compelling because the way du Plessis fights, Izzy won’t be able to do his super-boring counter calf-kicker thing. Adesanya wants to throw countershots and DDP will give him ample opportunity. That means Izzy has a real shot at winning, but also, I think 20 years of fist-fighting is catching up to him and that makes DDP the favorite in my book.
As for Strickland, because how close the fight was, I think he could sit out and wait and get a shot at the winner of DDP vs. Izzy. But we all know Strickland isn’t going to do that. He’ll get itchy knuckles before long and, I suspect, we’ll get Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev in a title eliminator.
As for the final question, we’ll come to that in a bit.
Is it me or is the women’s 135 division just terrible? You look at the top contenders / possible matchups and nothing seems exciting. Plus they’ve all been around forever. No new blood.
— Daniel Pompilio (@elpompilio) January 21, 2024
No, it’s not just you.
In the co-main event of UFC 297, Raquel Pennington finally won UFC gold, taking home a clear-cut decision over Mayra Bueno Silva, in a fight she largely dominated. Congratulations to her, she deserves the win and it’s nice to see a long-standing fighter finally break through. But holy jeebus this division is dire right now.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for what Pennington has been able to accomplish in her career, but I don’t think there’s a person alive who would argue that she’s compelling television. This is Pennington’s eleventh year in the UFC, she has 18 fights in the promotion, and one bonus to her name. Ten of her 13 UFC wins are decisions and three of those are splits! She is simply not a fun fighter to watch. That’s the new champion. Ouch.
Adding onto that, not counting herself, Pennington has already fought seven of the top-10 bantamweights in the UFC’s rankings. If Pennington beats Julianna Peña, then she’s almost guaranteed a rematch for her next fight. And it won’t be a rematch of a good fight.
And worst of all, there are no reinforcements coming. Of the top-15, one of them is under 30 years old. What once was the marquee division of women’s MMA has completely collapsed in the final few years and I honestly don’t know how it gets back on track.
Amanda Nunes is not coming
Despite the fact that she has no wins over anyone currently in the UFC, is Pena next in line for Pennington or does Nunes come back? Maybe Pena’s supposed heel turn could be what W135 needs right now.
— Zak Kitzler (@KitzlerZak) January 22, 2024
Amanda Nunes is not coming. There is no reason for her to come back. She got out at the perfect time. She’s the GOAT of WMMA, she has plenty of money, and she’s seems to be living a great life. Also, she and Pennington are on good terms. Absolutely no chance she returns.
Julianna Peña is getting the next title shot. Does she deserve it? I don’t know. She did beat Amanda that one time, so that’s cool. But also, she hasn’t beaten anyone else. But whatever, she talks and that’s enough in this barren wasteland of a weight class.
Maybe Valentina Shevchenko will just decide she doesn’t care about fighting Grasso and will jump back up to 135. At least that would be something, if only for a little bit.
Movsar Evloev, contender
After beating Allen how close is evloev to a title shot?
— Alexander Shea (@AlexanderShea12) January 21, 2024
Movsar Evloev will fight for a title in his next bout, that’s how close he is.
Evloev is now 18-0 in his career and he finally has a win over a top-five opponent. That was the final thing missing from his title shot résumé. Given how featherweight currently sits, he’s the only viable option for next up. The question is simply when will it happen?
If Ilia Topuria pulls off the upset against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298, then Volk will almost certainly get an immediate rematch. If that happens, Evloev will have to wait, but probably still gets a title shot before the end of the year, especially given that Max Holloway is now tied up at lightweight. But if Volk wins, then he’ll need another contender, and Evloev is next man up. He could be fighting for the belt by the summer.
Also, it’s so stupid that title eliminator bouts are three rounds. That fight deserved another 10 minutes, but this sport is very, very silly.
Neil Magny
What is your view on fighters like Neil Magny, who are long-serving and have a high number of total wins but have never competed for a belt being included in the UFC Hall of Fame when their career comes to an end?
— Samuel Tromans (@SamuelJTromans) January 21, 2024
In the featured fight at UFC 297, Neil Magny scored a ridiculous last-minute comeback win over Canada’s Mike Malott, who had dominated the entire fight until simply imploding in the final 90 seconds. It was real veteran savvy from Magny and just added to his already record number of wins in the UFC’s welterweight division. And this is a great question about what exactly those wins mean.
I do not believe Neil Magny is a Hall of Famer. I do believe Jim Miller is a Hall of Famer. The case for the Hall of Fame in both instances relies on similar arguments, but in Magny’s case, he’s missing a certain ineffable quality that gets him over the line.
Think about it: Would you call Neil Magny a “legend” of MMA? No. I don’t think anyone would. For one reason or another he simply has not connected with fans in that way. He’s just a dude who has clocked in and done an admirable job for a decade. Yes, he owns a number of divisional records, and yes, his longevity is worth celebrating, but is he on that tier? I don’t think so.
Personally, I view Magny as someone like Martin Kampmann: A damn good fighter who is worth remembering, but not worth enshrining. That’s tough for Magny but them’s the breaks. Literally until Saturday night, Raquel Pennington was in the exact same boat. Now, though extreme good fortune, Pennington is a champion and thus, that enhances her case for the Hall. But without something like that, without a signature Grand Moment or a deep-seated connection with the fan base, Magny is probably never getting in.
Thanks for reading, and thank you for everyone who sent in Tweets (Xs?)! Do you have any burning questions about things at least somewhat related to combat sports? Then you’re in luck, because you can send your Tweets to me, @JedKMeshew, and I will answer my favorite ones! Doesn’t matter if they’re topical or insane, just so long as they are good. Thanks again and see y’all next week.
After missing weight for the UFC 297 event last weekend in Toronto, clocking in at 127.5 pounds for his flyweight affair against Jimmy Flick, the fighter nicknamed “X” went on to lose by submission on the ESPN+ “Prelims” portion of the “Strickland vs. Du Plessis” fight card.
“Retired,” the Canadian wrote on Sunday in his Instagram stories.
The 33 year-old Gordon (14-8) made his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 169 back in summer 2020, losing by submission to Amir Albazi. “X” would go on to register a 2-5 record under the UFC banner, getting finished in all five losses.
Whether or not his retirement sticks remains to be seen.
For complete UFC 297 results and play-by-play action click here. For more UFC 297 news and notes including video highlights, recaps, reactions, and more, check out our comprehensive “Strickland vs. Du Plessis” news archive by clicking here.
The upcoming PFL vs. Bellator card has already taken a hit.
Current PFL welterweight champion Magomed Magomedkerimov has been forced out of his fight against Bellator champion Jason Jackson due to undisclosed reasons. In his place, former PFL champion Ray Cooper III now faces Jackson on the card that takes place on Feb. 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The new matchup is expected to happen at a 182-pound catchweight. Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Monday following an initial report from MMA Junkie.
Cooper accepts the fight as a two-time PFL champion after winning welterweight gold in 2019 and again in 2021. He split a pair of fights with Magomedkerimov, losing via submission in their first encounter and then earning a brutal knockout in a rematch two years later.
Most recently, Cooper dropped a unanimous decision to UFC veteran Derek Brunson at the 2023 PFL Championship card this past November. Overall, Cooper has gone 3-2 in his last five fights, including wins over Brett Cooper and Rory MacDonald.
As for Jackson, he’ll compete for the first time since his shocking upset over former Bellator champion Yaroslav Amosov this past November. The third-round knockout ended Amosov’s undefeated run, and Jackson celebrated his first championship since joining the Bellator roster in 2019.
Overall, Jackson has rattled off seven wins in a row, and he’ll look to make it eight when he faces Cooper on the PFL vs. Bellator card in February.
With UFC 297 emanating from his hometown of Toronto, Canada, it’s no surprise that the Grammy Award winner dropped another massive bet on the night’s biggest fight. Via his social media channels, Drake revealed that he threw down $ 700k on defending champion Sean Strickland to leave The Great White North with his title intact.
Drake bet $ 700K on Sean Strickland to beat Dricus Du Plessis tonight
(via @Drake) pic.twitter.com/feg4Un8OID
— br_betting (@br_betting) January 20, 2024
After 25 entertaining minutes of action, Dricus Du Plessis was announced as the winner via split decision, marking another massive loss for Drake. Of course, it hasn’t been all bad for the singer/songwriter. ‘Drizzy’ made a whopping $ 1.38 million after wagering $ 1 million on Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis to defeat Ryan Garcia last year. He also scored over $ 2.7 million in winnings after betting that Adesanya would not only avenge his UFC 281 loss to Pereira but that he would get it done by knockout in their UFC 287 rematch.
However, he lost $ 500k betting on Israel Adesanya to KO Sean Strickland during their UFC 293 clash in September. Still, by our calculations, Drake is playing with house money.
As for the new UFC middleweight world champion, Dricus Du Plessis has a plethora of options for his first title defense. The likeliest scenario has him squaring off with Israel Adesanya following the pair’s heated face-to-face encounter inside the Octagon in July. Khamzat Chimaev is another possibility, but UFC CEO Dana White seemingly ruled out the notion of an immediate rematch between ‘DDP’ and Strickland even though he felt Strickland did enough to walk away the winner on Saturday night.
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