UFC 297 card: Strickland vs Du Plessis and all fights this weekend

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Two titles will be on the line at UFC 297 this weekend, as the middleweight belt is defended after a new women’s bantamweight champion is crowned.

In the main event, Sean Strickland defends the middleweight gold for the first time, having won it from Israel Adesanya in a seismic upset in September. The controversial American goes up against South Africa’s Du Plessis, one month after the pair brawled in the crowd at UFC 296.

In the co-main event, Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva will vie for the vacant women’s bantamweight title, after Amanda Nunes relinquished the belt while retiring from MMA last year.

American Pennington is riding a five-fight win streak, while Silva won three in a row before her submission victory over Holly Holm was overturned – a ruling that came after the Brazilian tested positive for a substance found in Ritalin. Bueno Silva argued that the substance had come from her ADHD medication.

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When is UFC 297 and what time does it start?

UFC 297 will take place on Saturday 20 January at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.

The early prelims are set to begin at 11.30pm GMT (4.30pm PT, 6.30pm CT, 7.30pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am GMT on Sunday 21 January (6pm PT, 8pm CT, 9pm ET on Saturday). The main card will then begin at 3am GMT on Sunday (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Saturday).

How can I watch it?

The card will air live on TNT Sports in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider.

Odds

Strickland – 4/6

Du Plessis – 5/4

Via Bet365.

Full card (subject to change)

Main card

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)

Dominick Reyes vs Carlos Ulberg (light-heavyweight)

Arnold Allen vs Movsar Evloev (featherweight)

Prelims

Chris Curtis vs Marc-Andre Barriault (middleweight)

Brad Katona vs Garrett Armfield (bantamweight)

Charles Jourdain vs Sean Woodson (featherweight)

Serhiy Sidey vs Ramon Taveras (bantamweight)

Gillian Robertson vs Polyana Viana (women’s strawweight)

Early prelims

Yohan Lainesse vs Sam Patterson (welterweight)

Jasmine Jasudavicius vs Priscila Cachoeira (women’s flyweight)

Malcolm Gordon vs Jimmy Flick (flyweight)