UFC 297, Tips and Preview
Strickland vs. Du Plessis
January 21st
Ultimate Fighting fans will be salivating ahead of Sunday’s UFC 297 in Toronto, with Sean Strickland attempting to defend his middleweight title against Dricus Du Plessis.
Strickland, who enters the bout as a $1.70 favourite with Bet Nation, will put his belt on the line for the first time since he caused the upset of 2023 when he dismantled former champion Israel Adesanya in Sydney. Despite going into the fight as the underdog, Strickland floored Adesanya in the opening round and continued to dominate in a similar fashion to his previous two 2023 bouts against Nassourdine Imavov and Abus Magomedov.
The South African challenger has his fair share of support at $1.98 and could be considered value after he most recently finished Robert Whittaker in the second round of UFC 290. The surprise win made it six straight in the UFC for Stillknocks, who had previously taken out Derek Brunson by TKO in April.
Most notably, Du Plessis boasts a +3.16 significant strike differential from his six bouts, which is the biggest in middleweight history.
Two aggressive styles going toe-to-toe to start the year, don’t sleep on the South African at a price.
Suggested Bet:
Du Plessis to win at $1.98
Pennington vs. Bueno Silva
January 21st
Earlier on the card, the post-Amanda Nunes era will get underway when Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva battle for the vacant women’s bantamweight title.
Bueno Silva is the clear market-favourite heading into this clash, with the Brazilian winning three consecutive fights and finishing former champ Holly Holm with a second-round submission. While the Holm fight was ruled a no-contest after Bueno Silva tested positive for ADHD meds, she still showcased her skill at the elite level, and fans have clearly taken notice.
As for Pennington, she will return to the Octagon for the first time in 12 months after taking time off to give birth. She went through a championship fight week as the backup fighter for Nunes’ final bout at UFC 289, but question marks will be asked until she can prove there’s no rust from her year-long break.
It’s Pennington’s second chance at the 135-pound title after going five rounds with Nunes in 2018. She’s certainly the most experienced fighter in the division, but it’s hard to go past the Brazilian, who has finished three consecutive opponents.
