UFC 297: Strickland vs Du Plessis Results

Gordon came out like a man possessed in the first, but spent a portion of the round stuck defending a triangle choke, and after stinging Flick in the second, the Canadian got a little over-excited and paid the price. Flick hit a quick reactive single leg, transitioned to the back, and then expertly locked up the arm-triangle choke, sinking in the finish to get himself back into the win column.

The Dana White’s Contender Series alum picked up his first UFC victory since returning to action last year, moving to 2-2 inside the Octagon in the process.

The Niagara Top Team representative absolutely dominated Priscila Cachoeira, posting consecutive lopsided rounds to begin the contest before finally finding the finish late in the third round. This was one-way traffic from the outset and an incredible homecoming performance for the St. Catharines, Ontario native.

Jasudavicius is now 3-1 in her last four fights, and moves to 2-0 in the Octagon while fighting in her home country. After a strong effort in defeat last time out, this was a massive effort to get back into the win column on Saturday for the affable Canadian.

The Team Crossfire product used a front headlock position to drag Yohan Lainesse to the canvas, and from there, the Brit dominated. He swiftly worked around to the back, laced his arm under the neck, and squeezed out the rear-naked choke finish.

Patterson relocated to the 170-pound weight class following a knockout loss in his debut at lightweight, and it looks like the right move. He's still got tremendous size and length for the division, and if he can tighten up his defensive mechanics, he could be a fun addition to the welterweight lineup going forward.

While Viana was clearly the superior striker, Robertson did well to time her level-changes and grappling attacks, putting the Brazilian on the canvas in both the first and the second. She searched for multiple submissions in the opening stanza, but couldn’t connect, and in the second, Robertson opted instead to pound out the finish.

Robertson has been one of the most active fighters since landing in the UFC, and moved to 10-6 overall across two divisions with the win. She’s only lost to quality competition and is still only 28 years old, so it will be interesting to see how she continues to progress now that she’s fully settled into life in the 115-pound weight class.

Taveras got the better of things in the first six minutes and change, hurting Sidey late in the first and busting him up early in the second. But the Burlington, Ontario native showed incredible resolve, pressing forward despite his body being tinted red by his blood to draw level in the second before the duo went shot-for-shot over the final five minutes.

For the first time in the night, the judges were called upon to sort things out, and when the scorecards were totalled, it was Taveras that came out on the happy side of the split decision verdict. This was an outstanding battle between these debuting bantamweights who should be counted on for more fights like this going forward.

Woodson used every bit of his reach advantage, keeping the French-Canadian on the end of his long range weapons for the majority of first two rounds, moving well defensively and remaining upright whenever Jourdain looked for a takedown. Jourdain had more success in the third, pressuring forward, landing better than he had throughout the fight, and constantly trying to find a way to shift the momentum, including diving on a guillotine choke at the end of the fight.

When the tens and nines were added up, Woodson came out ahead, registering his second consecutive win and extending his unbeaten streak to five. He’s now 5-1-1 inside the Octagon, and his size and smooth boxing make him a difficult puzzle to solve in the 145-pound weight class.

Each of the first two rounds were fought primarily in space, with the speed and varied targeting of Armfield giving him an advantage though Katona stayed right in the pocket and had some success of his own. In the third, the Canadian got Armfield to the canvas momentarily, controlling things in the clinch once he scrambled back to his feet. Katona went back to the takedown with two minutes remaining in the round, only for Armfield to work back to his feet again and survive the late pressure from the Manitoba native.

For the third consecutive fight, the judges were called upon to determine the victor, and for the first time in the evening, they were unanimous in how they saw things, awarding Armfield the decision victory. The Marathon MMA representative is now 2-0 at bantamweight in the UFC and moved to 10-3 overall with the victory.

The 29-year-old Evloev showcased the various aspects of his game on Saturday, mixing his trademark relentless wrestling with continually improving striking. In addition to attacking takedowns and returning Allen to the mat multiple times, Evloev stung the Brit with a sharp jab late in the second round that put him in the driver’s seat. Allen had moments in the third, but wasn’t able to find the finish he needed.

Evloev moved to 18-0 overall and 8-0 inside the Octagon with the victory, and should climb into the Top 5 when the rankings reset next week. This was the key win that had been missing from the Russian’s resume thus far, and should position him for a marquee assignment next time out.

For what seemed like the first time in his UFC career, Barriault didn’t look to push a torrid pace, wary of Curtis’ counter-striking ability. As a result, the tandem thirty-somethings spent all three rounds trading lefts and rights, with sporadic kicks, knees, and elbows mixed in on both sides. This was one of those fights where both men went the speed limit for much of the fight before stepping on the gas down the stretch, cranking up the output through the horn.

When the scorecards were collected, tallied, and reviewed, the judges were again split, with Curtis coming away with a pair of 30-27 scores and the decision win. After a frustrating 2023, “The Action Man” gets things moving in the right direction again to begin 2024.

Mike Malott dominated the first two rounds of the UFC 297 featured bout, chopping at Magny’s lead leg in the first before showcasing his strong grappling skills in the second. But the Canadian faded hard in the third and the veteran capitalized, working to mount and unleashing a torrent of punches that forced referee Kevin MacDonald to step in and stop the fight.

Magny has long been the Top 15 entrance exam in the welterweight division, and he showed why again here. He adds another win to his record total in the division, and shows that he still has plenty left in the tank in 2024.

The Brazilian came out sharp to start the contest, landing in tight and getting to Pennington’s back, where she threatened with a rear-naked choke. But as the fight progressed, the veteran’s superior conditioning became the deciding factor, as Pennington maintained her output and Bueno Silva faded, salting things away by controlling the final five minutes.

This was a vintage Pennington performance — all sandpaper and clinch work, with some crisp boxing and excellent cardio — and it brought about the biggest win of her career. After coming up short in her first bid to claim UFC gold, “Rocky” made the most of her second opportunity.

That’s now six straight for the new champion, who was understandably at a loss for words after the victory.

Strickland began the fight managing the range well, working behind his jab and steady output, but as the fight progressed, Du Plessis started finding his range and landing heavier shots, mixing in the occasional takedown just to keep the champion off balance. Strickland continued to stick the jab and offer overhand rights, landing the higher volume on the final frame, however the challenge was able to weather the attacks and finish the fight trading wide swings with Strickland in the center of the Octagon.

The judges were tasked with determining the final verdict and when their scorecards were tabulated, Du Plessis became the first athlete from South African to claim UFC gold. Now 7-0 in the Octagon and less than a week removed from his 30th birthday, it’s going to be interesting to see what is to come for “Stillknocks” as he sits atop the middleweight throne.