Press Conference
Dana White Talks UFC 297, Sean Strickland, Dricus Du Plessis & More
UFC CEO Dana White Fielded Questions From The Media Following UFC 297: Strickland vs Du Plessis
It was a record-breaking night in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as nearly 19,000 people watched UFC 297: Strickland vs Du Plessis at Scotiabank Arena.
After the event, UFC CEO Dana White spoke with the media, leading off his press conference with the news that UFC 297 set the mark for the highest grossing event in Scotiabank Arena history.
UFC 297 REWIND: Final Results | Official Scorecards | Bonus Winners
He then jumped right into the drama surrounding the UFC middleweight title fight between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis. The fight was a close one, ending in a split decision victory for Du Plessis. White agreed that the fight was neck-and-neck and believed that the fight came down to the final round.
“I had it two to two going into the last round and I thought Strickland won the last round,” White told the media. “Guys who were sitting at the same table had it the other way. It’s one of those tight fights.”
Dana White Press Conference | UFC 297
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Dana White Press Conference | UFC 297
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White said that they weren’t thinking about an immediate rematch between Du Plessis and Strickland, but he’s confident that they’ll meet in the Octagon again at some point. Even though he lost the fight, White thinks that Strickland has a developed into a star and he’s sure that he’ll be back.
MORE UFC 297: Photo Gallery | Pennington Post-Fight Interview | Gillian Robertson Octagon Interview
Du Plessis wasn’t the only new champion to be crowned at UFC 297, as Raquel Pennington defeated Mayra Bueno Silva to claim the vacant UFC women’s bantamweight title.
White believes that Pennington likely could have finished the fight with a different approach but was still impressed that she won in dominant fashion.
“She won and I’m happy for her. She’s been at this a long time,” White said. “She’s had a lot of ups and downs and stuck it out. She’s a world champion now.”
Pennington has been straight forward about wanting to face former bantamweight champion Julianna Peña in her next fight. White told the media that a fight between the two is possible and they’ll eventually fight.
White spoke on some other fights form the card, including the wild finish to the Neil Magny and Mike Malott fight. The UFC boss said that the fight reminded people how good Magny is, and that despite being in the UFC for so long, he still has a ton of heart and isn’t going to be a walk in the park for anyone.
He also believes that Malott is very young in his career and still has the potential to be a welterweight contender in the future.
“Tonight was a big test for him, and I knew that coming in,” White said of Malott. “He looked incredible until the last minute of the fight and unfortunately that’s how it turned out for him. But he’ll learn from this, he’ll grow from this, and we’ll see where he goes. But this doesn’t mean he can’t be a star in Canada.”
Dricus Du Plessis Post-Fight Press Conference | UFC 297
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Dricus Du Plessis Post-Fight Press Conference | UFC 297
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One of the fighters that White was most impressed with from UFC 297 was Jasmine Jasudavicius, who was forced to move up a weight class due to her opponent missing weight. Jasudavicius proceeded to set the new record in significant strike differential for a women’s bantamweight bout en-route to a third-round submission win. It was about as perfect of a performance as you’ll ever see.
White loved the Toronto crowd, and he assured the media that the UFC will be returning to Canada again very soon.
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There are some massive events coming up on the UFC calendar that White is excited to see play out. With events like UFC 298, UFC 299, UFC 300, Mexico City, Saudi Arabia, International Fight Week, and Noche UFC at the Sphere all coming up in 2024, White says that it’s possible to add more exciting fight locations throughout the year.
Quick Hits From White’s Presser
- With UFC 300 just under three months away, White told the media members in attendance that the main event for the milestone card would be announced soon.
- White believes that Du Plessis can “absolutely” be the guy that brings the UFC to South Africa.
- There is no update on a fight date for Conor McGregor at this time.
UFC 297: Strickland vs Du Plessis took place live from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on January 20, 2024. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
