The first pay-per-view UFC event of 2024 takes place in the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, and headlining the show is Sean Strickland (-140) vs. Dricus du Plessis (+120). Also on the card at UFC 297 is Raquel Pennington (+145) vs. Mayra Bueno Silva (-170) in the co-main event in what promises to be a spectacular show. Here, we look ahead to the event and tell you the best bets to make in our latest UFC betting picks.
A bit like UFC 296, where we had plenty of bad blood between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington before the fight, UFC 297 has also been marred by controversial comments made by Dricus du Plessis in the build-up to his fight with Sean Strickland. Strickland made his feelings clear on what he thought about what Covington said, so without revisiting what du Plessis has said, it’s fair to say Strickland will go into this fight looking to make his point.
Sean Strickland is the defending UFC middleweight champion. This is his first defense of the belt he won when he defeated Israel Adesanya at UFC 293. He’s up against Dricus du Plessis, the No.2 ranked fighter in the middleweight division. The sportsbooks have it down to be a close fight, and if it is anything like the build-up, it should be some contest when the duo meet in Canada.
As well as boasting the Strickland vs. du Plessis fight, the card for UFC 297 is stacked with top-quality matchups. The co-main event between Raquel Pennington (+145) and Mayra Bueno Silva (-170) – a women’s Bantamweight Championship bout for the vacant title – looks equally well matched, as does the men’s middleweight fight between Chris Curtis (-160) and Marc-Andre Barriault (+140).
Also on the card is Neil Magny (+245) vs. Mike Malott (-290) in a welterweight fight and Arnold Allen (+145) vs. Movsar Evloev (-170) in a featherweight contest. More main card betting options are available on our UFC odds table. The odds we have used are from the best UFC betting sites.
| Main Card |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Strickland | -140 | -140 | -140 |
| Dricus du Plessis | +120 | +120 | +120 |
| Raquel Pennington | +145 | +145 | +145 |
| Mayra Bueno Silva | -170 | -170 | -170 |
| Neil Magny | +245 | +245 | +245 |
| Mike Malott | -290 | -290 | -290 |
| Chris Curtis | -160 | -160 | -160 |
| Marc-Andre Barriault | +140 | +140 | +140 |
| Arnold Allen | +145 | +145 | +145 |
| Movsar Evloev | -170 | -170 | -170 |
Sean Strickland (28-5-0) is the defending middleweight champion. Strickland shocked the MMA world with his unanimous decision win over Israel Adesanya at UFC 293, a fight he entered as a huge betting underdog.
The 32-year-old American is on a three-fight winning streak, having defeated Abusupiyan Magomedov (TKO) and Nassourdine Imavov (unanimous decision) in his previous two fights.
Strickland’s 28 wins have come by a combination of 13 decisions, 11 knockouts, and four submissions. His five defeats have come by three decisions and two knockouts.
Dricus du Plessis (20-2-0) is a 29-year-old from South Africa who is unbeaten during his time in the UFC (6-0). In his last fight, he defeated Robert Whittaker in a title eliminator by TKO in the second round. That was in July 2023, on the UFC 290 card.
The win over Whittaker set up du Plessis to fight Israel Adesanya for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 293. But the South African pulled out of the contest with an undisclosed injury, only to be replaced by Strickland.
Du Plessis is not noted for going the distance in his fights. Ten of his 20 wins have come by submission, with nine won by KO. Only once has the South African gone the distance, a fight which he won against Brad Tavares at UFC 276. His two losses came from one submission and one KO.
On the money line, Sean Strickland starts as a warm favorite at odds of -140. The latest UFC Vegas betting odds on Dricus du Plessis have him as the outsider at odds of +120. More betting options will become available in the build-up to the fight.
The old saying is that styles make fights, and this is certainly one of those contests. Sean Strickland has an awesome work rate and wears his opponents down with his relentless striking. As for du Plessis, the South African is the stockier-looking of the two men and possesses the greater knockout threat.
Going in favor of Strickland is his superior work rate, coupled with the fact that du Plessis has never been five rounds in the UFC. If the fight goes the distance, expect Strickland to get the decision.
Going in favor of the challenger is his superior punching power. Five of his eight wins in a row have been by KO or TKO, and according to ESPN stats, du Plessis lands 6.95 significant strikes per minute, compared to Strickland’s 5.82.
Strickland also replies on his chin to get him out of trouble, which could be a dangerous tactic against du Plessis. Obviously, Strickland isn’t looking to get tagged. But his front-foot fighting style means he has to rely on his chin more than most, potentially giving du Plessis the chance to end the contest early.
The statistics tell us all we need to know. Dricus du Plessis can’t let this fight go the distance. Otherwise, he loses. Unless Sean Strickland has come up with a unique game plan, we can see du Plessis picking him off. The South African should get chances to catch Strickland, and if he does, it’s game over. Dricus du Plessis to win by KO/TKO/DQ is our betting pick.
See below the best Las Vegas sportsbooks, where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
