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UFC 297 LIVE: Strickland vs Du Plessis fight updates and results tonight

Re-live updates from the middleweight title fight, as well as a clash for the vacant women’s bantamweight belt

Alex Pattle
Combat Sports Correspondent
Sunday 21 January 2024 05:41 EST
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Dricus Du Plessis took the middleweight title from Sean Strickland at UFC 297 on Saturday, beating the controversial American via split decision.

Strickland won the belt from Israel Adesanya in September, in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, but his first defence was an unsuccessful one.

Du Plessis entered the main event on the back of a surprise TKO of former champion Robert Whittaker last July, and although the South African failed to replicate that explosive performance, he just did enough to emerge victorious.

After five rounds, the judges’ scorecards read 48-47, 47-48, 48-47 in favour of Du Plessis, though the result could easily have gone the other way.

In the co-main event, Raquel Pennington beat Mayra Bueno Silva via unanimous decision to win the vacant women’s bantamweight title. Re-live updates and see all the results from UFC 297 below.

UFC 297 LIVE: Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis

Kieran Jackson21 January 2024 10:41

UFC 297 LIVE: Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis

Here’s our UFC 297 report in full:

Sean Strickland drops middleweight title to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297

South Africa’s Du Plessis won a split decision against the controversial American in Toronto

Kieran Jackson21 January 2024 10:13

UFC 297 LIVE: Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis

Kieran Jackson21 January 2024 09:46

UFC 297 LIVE: Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Kieran Jackson21 January 2024 09:14

UFC 297 LIVE: Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis

Alex Pattle21 January 2024 09:00

UFC 297 LIVE: Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis

Alex Pattle21 January 2024 08:45

UFC 297 LIVE: Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis

Alex Pattle21 January 2024 08:30

UFC 297 LIVE: Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis

Here’s our UFC 297 report in full:

Sean Strickland drops middleweight title to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297

South Africa’s Du Plessis won a split decision against the controversial American in Toronto

Alex Pattle21 January 2024 08:15

UFC 297 LIVE: Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis

Here’s what UFC president Dana White had to say about the scoring of the main event:

Alex Pattle21 January 2024 08:00

UFC 297 LIVE: Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis

Alex Pattle21 January 2024 07:45

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