In what should be an excellent showcase, the UFC returns to Canada for its first big event of 2024 with UFC 297 live from the Scotiabank Arena. Kicking off your UFC 297 betting rundown, the main event of this card features the UFC Middleweight Championship on the line as current champion Sean Strickland takes on former KSW Welterweight Champion Dricus du Plessis. The former is coming off a spectacular upset win over Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 while Du Plessis has a fantastic overall MMA record of 20-2. In the other top bout of the evening, Raquel Pennington takes on Mayra Bueno Silva for the vacant UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship. This title was vacated when former champion Amanda Nunes announced her retirement immediately after defending her title at UFC 289.
For this article, SBS will be going over what to look for from each fighter, a predicted winner in each matchup, and also more notes about UFC 297 betting.
| UFC 297 Main Event Bouts | The Pick |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland (c) | Strickland | -125 | -125 | -125 |
| Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva | Bueno Silva | -155 | -155 | -155 |
Fighter Spotlight: Sean Strickland
Ranked as the No. 7 overall fighter in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings, Strickland is soaring high after his sensational win over Adesanya. He is a former King of the Cage Middleweight Champion and has put together an impressive MMA record of 28-5 and is coming off back-to-back Performance of the Night outings. In his title win, the California native was able to score a unanimous victory over the imposing “Stylebender.” Per various outlets, Strickland is distinguished for his defensive striking which is evident in the UFC’s official Significant Strike Defense statistic. This is where he boasts a 65.4% defense rate which, when last measured, was the highest among active fighters in the middleweight division. Moreover, Strickland has been known to apply his wrestling defensively to great effect, registering a high takedown defense statistic in securing the top position.
Fighter Spotlight: Dricus du Plessis
In addition to being a former KSW Welterweight Champion, Du Plessis is a two-time EFC Middleweight and former EFC Welterweight Champion. Since making his UFC debut back in October 2020, he has been on a tear in the promotion, scoring six consecutive wins and notching an undefeated record of 6-0 in the promotion. His most recent victory came at UFC 290 in a spectacular second-round TKO of Robert Whittaker. This bout was a UFC Middleweight Championship eliminator and was a fantastic match that scored Du Plessis Performance of the Night honors. A dangerous combatant, he has accrued nine knockouts and 10 submission wins in his career and poses a strong threat to Strickland.
Prediction: A toss-up battle, take the champion Strickland to retain here in what should be a great battle.
Fighter Spotlight: Raquel Pennington
Recognized as the No. 2 fighter in the UFC women’s bantamweight rankings, Pennington is aiming for her first-ever UFC Championship in this title bout against Bueno Silva. She last challenged for the title back at UFC 224 in May 2018 in a losing effort against Nunes (TKO, punches). Now that the Brazilian is retired, this could be the Coloradoan’s best chance to become a UFC title holder. With an overall record of 15-8, she holds multiple UFC records, including the most bouts in UFC Women’s Bantamweight division history, the most significant strikes landed in the division (922), and also most decision wins in the division (nine). Since losing to Holly Holm at UFC 246, she has strung together five consecutive wins en route to this championship showdown with Bueno Silva.
Fighter Spotlight: Mayra Bueno Silva
At 32 years of age, Bueno Silva has accrued a mark of 10-2 in her MMA career and has been a tough combatant as of late, scoring three consecutive wins before her no-contest outing against Holly Holm last July. While this matchup was noted as a Performance of the Night showing for Bueno Silva, it was later overturned after she tested positive ritalinic acid. Regardless, this would have been four wins in a row for the Brazilian, with three of those bouts being Performance of the Night/Fight of the Night showcases. With seven submission wins in her career, she is deadly when she gets on the ground.
Prediction: Another great contest, take Bueno Silva to win here given her more consistent track record and slight age advantage.
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About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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