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 03:38 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Arnold Allen vs Movsar Evloev

Round three

Allen loads up on a left hand but misses. A front kick just about lands for Evloev.

Great combination for Allen! He ends it with a low kick, but he stung Evloev upstairs! Very quick.

Allen leans off the centre line and misses with a counter uppercut. Decent jab by Evloev.

Allen defends a double-leg and goes for a guillotine. Instead he holds Evloev and lands a few hard knees, but Evloev is leaning down and sporadically touching the mat, meaning the shots are just about illegal.

The action is paused, and Allen gets a warning. Now we’re back under way.

[21 January 2024 03:33 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Arnold Allen vs Movsar Evloev

Round two

Jumping knee lands for Evloev! Allen takes it well and keeps pressing forward.

Allen sidesteps a deep cross from Evloev and fires off his own cross, aiming at the body.

OH! Evloev hurts Allen with a jab and a hook! Allen stumbls to his knees then pops back up, but he’s been badly cut around his left eye!

Allen is looking a bit off now...

This incoming, final round may be the decider. Allen’s coach Firas Zahabi believes he needs a finish, though.

[21 January 2024 03:31 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Arnold Allen vs Movsar Evloev

Round two

Evloev is 1/9 on takedowns, officially. You could argue he should’ve been credited with a couple more late in the round.

Jab and southpaw cross to the body by Allen. Another failed takedown attempt for Evloev, who sees a head kick blocked again. Allen fires back with one of his own, but it doesn’t quite land clean.

Another blocked head kick for Evloev. In fact, Allen catches it and shoves the Russian away. Another single-leg attempt by Evloev, and he’s able to get Allen down.

Allen stands and lands some nice back elbows, as Evloev hangs on from behind! Evloev still hanging on, as Allen stands against the fence.

After some grappling there, the pair move into the open.

[21 January 2024 03:27 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Arnold Allen vs Movsar Evloev

Round one

Evloev with some nice jabs at last, and a couple of right hooks. Now he sees a head kick blocked.

“Allen” is the chant from the Toronto crowd. More good jabs from the Briton. Again Evloev shoots for a takedown, but he’s stopped at the source.

He goes again, but Allen sprawls then rolls... but Evloev eventually grabs ahold of Allen’s back!

Once more Allen rolls, but Evloev maintains his grip. Allen is now standing against the fence.

Evloev drags Allen down a couple of times, but that’s likely still Allen’s round as a result of his superior striking output.

[21 January 2024 03:24 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Arnold Allen vs Movsar Evloev

Round one

Great atmosphere in Toronto, which is staging its first UFC event in a while.

Allen stands southpaw, Evloev is orthodox. Allen presses forward early. Good, long right hook by him.

Now a decent counter left by the Briton, beating Evloev to the punch. Slick jab for Allen, too, and a body shot.

Allen is very light on his feet as he hops in with another body jab. Here’s the first takedown attempt by Evloev, a single-leg, and he gets Allen to the fence.

Allen did very well to stay on his feet there. And he wriggles free against the fence!

[21 January 2024 03:15 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Arnold Allen vs Movsar Evloev

We kick off with Arnold Allen vs Movsar Evloev at featherweight.

England’s “Almighty” Allen (19-2) is looking to bounce back from his first loss in a long time – a decision defeat by ex-champion Max Holloway last April – while Evloev is unbeaten at a startling 17-0.

A lot has been made of the Russian’s takedown success and Allen’s impressive takedown defence; which will win out tonight?

There’s a good reaction for fourth-ranked Allen, who spends a lot of time training in Canada. Evloev is ranked ninth, so could leap up the rankings with a win here.

Okay, this one could be intriguing... Here we go!

[21 January 2024 03:06 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Strickland vs Du Plessis

And here’s how the main card looks, working backwards from the from main event:

Sean Strickland (C) vs Dricus Du Plessis (middleweight title)

Raquel Pennington vs Mayra Bueno Silva (vacant women’s bantamweight title)

Neil Magny vs Mike Malott (welterweight)

Chris Curtis vs Marc-Andre Barriault (middleweight)

Arnold Allen vs Movsar Evloev (featherweight)

[21 January 2024 03:03 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Strickland vs Du Plessis

Here are the results so far tonight:

Garrett Armfield def. Brad Katona via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Sean Woodson def. Charles Jourdain via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Ramon Taveras def. Serhiy Sidey via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Gillian Robertson def. Polyana Viana via second-round TKO (3:12)

Sam Patterson def. Yohan Lainesse via first-round submission (rear naked choke, 2:03)

Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Priscila Cachoeira via third-round submission (anaconda choke, 4:21)

Jimmy Flick def. Malcolm Gordon via second-round submission (arm triangle, 1:17)

[21 January 2024 02:53 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Strickland vs Du Plessis

The main card is just minutes away! Don’t go anywhere; we’ll give you a round-up of all the prelim results in a few moments, before we dive into our live fight updates from the main card!

Sean Strickland (left) and UFC middleweight title challenger Dricus Du Plessis (AP)

[21 January 2024 02:40 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 297 LIVE: Strickland vs Du Plessis

Outside of the UFC, there was more big news as the PFL and Bellator announced a champions vs champions card, which is due to take place in Saudi Arabia next month: