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

Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou face off before Saudi Arabia bout

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

• Dricus Du Plessis wins split decision to take middleweight title from Sean Strickland
• Raquel Pennington beats Mayra Bueno Silva for vacant women’s bantamweight title
• Neil Magny produces stunning comeback with 15 seconds left
• Chris Curtis heaps more misery on Canadian fans in Toronto
• Britain’s Arnold Allen comes up short against Movsar Evloev
• Plus full prelim results from UFC 297 at the Scotiabank Arena

[21 January 2024 05:01 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Raquel Pennington vs Mayra Bueno Silva

Time for the co-main event!

Former title challenger Raquel Pennington faces Mayra Bueno Silva for the vacant women’s bantamweight belt.

Fighting icon Amanda Nunes relinquished the title last summer, when she retired from MMA.

[21 January 2024 04:55 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Neil Magny vs Mike Malott

Neil Magny def. Mike Malott via third-round TKO (ground strikes, 4:45).

Unbelievable. Honestly. Magny did almost nothing for 14 minutes, then suddenly turned the tide completely in the final minute or so.

[21 January 2024 04:53 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Neil Magny vs Mike Malott

Round three

Malott isn’t able to advance the position or do much damage from Magny’s guard.

A scramble eventually seems Magny stand, and he’s able to get his own takedown!

He dumps down Malott and rains down some punches, and Malott tries a leg lock.

Magny ends up mounting him, flattening him out and landing hard punches! Thirty seconds left!

No defence from Malott! Surely Magny isn’t going to do this...

HE DOES! HE GETS THE TKO! In the final 15 seconds, almost out of NOWHERE!

What just happened?!

[21 January 2024 04:50 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Neil Magny vs Mike Malott

Round three

Malott with a takedown early in the final round! He briefly tries a guillotine but gives up, and Magny stands against the cage.

Malott gets a single-leg and eventually dumps Magny to the mat. Malott straight into Magny’s full guard.

[21 January 2024 04:47 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Neil Magny vs Mike Malott

Round two

Magny scrambles and is able to stand, but Malott soon gets a body lock and takes down Magny against the cage! A heavy landing for the veteran.

Again Malott is in half-guard. He writhes free and stands, before diving into side mount, then mount!

Good elbows from above to end the round.

[21 January 2024 04:43 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Neil Magny vs Mike Malott

Round two

Malott’s corner is confident that he’s hurt the lead leg of Magny.

Big one-two from Malott! Magny comes forward with a trio of straight punches but misses.

Decent push kick to the body by Magny. Hard body kick by Malott, who then lands a takedown and is straight into half-guard.

[21 January 2024 04:39 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Neil Magny vs Mike Malott

Round one

Malott presses forward early. Hard outside low kick from him. Now Magny comes forward. Malott misses with a Superman punch and a high kick.

“F*** you, Magny,” is the chant from the crowd...

Malott closes range, and Magny gets a body lock, but he’s unable to do much with it.

The fighters separate, and Malott kicks low again. And again, hard!

[21 January 2024 04:32 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Neil Magny vs Mike Malott

Great reaction for Malott! Canadian men are 0-6 on this card, can he buck that trend?

[21 January 2024 04:23 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Neil Magny vs Mike Malott

Next up, we head to the welterweight division, where veteran Neil Magny fights Canada’s Mike Malott.

[21 January 2024 04:22 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Chris Curtis vs Marc-Andre Barriault

Chris Curtis def. Marc-Andre Barriault via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27).

I’d have gone the other way. Those 30-27s are surprising, for sure...