The Ultimate Fight Championship (UFC) is kicking off its 2024 slate with its first numbered pay-per-view (PPV) card this weekend in UFC 297. Being held at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, the card features two championship bouts, including a long-overdue unification of the women’s bantamweight title, which has been vacant since the retirement of Amanda Nunes. Headlining the card is Middleweight champion Sean Strickland, who is making his first title defense against Australia’s Dricus Du Plessis. The pair have had their fair share of disagreements in the months leading up to the bout, including an all-out brawl at UFC 296. With the bad blood spilling over into fight night, this article will preview and predict the main card of UFC 297. 

#4 Arnold Allen (19-2 Overall; 11-1 UFC) v #9 Movsar Evloev (17-0 Overalll; 7-0 UFC)

Kicking off the first main card of the new year is an exciting bout at Featherweight with tremendous title implications. Undefeated in his seventeen professional fights, #9 ranked Movsar Evloev is looking to make a statement in the biggest fight of his career, but draws a difficult opponent in the #4 ranked Arnold Allen. Both fighters are looking to be more active in 2024, with each only having one fight last calendar year. 

The last time we saw Evloev in the octagon was at UFC 288 against Diego Lopes, who stepped in to replace the injured Bryce Mitchell on short notice. The two put on a show, being awarded fight of the night as Eveloev would survive the onslaught of submission attempts by Lopes and utilize his wrestling to get the victory. 

Fighting less than a month prior, Allen came up short on the scorecards in his second consecutive headlining spot in April, losing to former Featherweight champion Max Holloway via decision. Having only won the last round on all three judges' scorecards, the loss was his first in nearly a decade for the English native and proved that he belonged amongst the elite at 145 lb. 

Looking ahead to this weekend, there is no question that the winner of this bout will be in line for a title eliminator fight at the very least. The biggest question surrounding this fight is how Allen will deal with the wrestling of Evloev, who has scored a takedown in all but one of his UFC fights. Allen, who is a seasoned wrestler himself, prefers to keep the fight standing, where he can utilize his technical striking from Southpaw to pick apart his opponents at a distance. Allen’s path to victory involves keeping consistent pressure on Evloev, utilizing an onslaught of leg kicks to wear down Evloev. If Evloev wants to get his hand raised on Saturday night, he is gonna have to gain the respect of Allen on the feet to set up the wrestling, where he can work from the top position. 

Official Prediction: Allen via Decision

#14 Chris Curtis (30-10-1 Overall; 4-2-1 UFC) v Marc-Andre Barriault (16-6-1 Overall; 5-5-1 UFC)

Destined to deliver for fight fans, two staples of the Middleweight division are set to clash in the second fight of the card. Coming off of an unfortunate no-contest with Nassourdine Imavov, the “Action Man” is looking to get back to his winning ways against former TKO champion Marc-Andre Barriault, who is coming off of an undefeated 2023 campaign. 

Last year was not kind to Chris Curtis, who lost his first fight of the year against Kelvin Gastelum as the featured prelim for UFC 287. Winning Fight of the Night, the bout ended in a razor-close decision, with Curtis being on the losing end despite getting better as the fight progressed. His second fight of the year would be another featured prelim opportunity, this time against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 289. This bout would end unexpectedly, with the two clashing heads late in the second round, rendering Curtis unable to continue. 

This was quite the opposite for Canada’s Barriault, who won both his fights in 2023. Starting with an undercard bout on UFC 285, the “Power Bar'' dismantled veteran Julian Marquez, forcing the official to stop the fight after unloading uppercuts late in the second round. Barriault would face a tougher task against Eryk Anders on the main card of UFC 289 in a fight that would be awarded Fight of the Night. After scoring a knockdown and threatening a finish in the opening round, Anders would rally, pressuring Barriault by shooting one shy of a dozen takedowns. Barriault would display impressive wrestling defense, stuffing all but one of the shots, and got the nod by the judges thanks to a strong third round. 

Stylistically, this fight favors Curtis, who is at his best when utilizing his boxing and exchanging in the pocket. Similarly, Barriault tends to also utilize pressure, pushing his opponents through an onslaught of strikes both at distance and in the clinch. With Curtis being defensively sound and being the more powerful of the two, Barriault may have to switch up his approach, using more kicks and movement in the octagon to keep Curtis at bay and point fight to a decision victory. 

Official Prediction: Curtis via Round 2 KO/TKO

#13 Neil Magny (28-11 Overall; 21-10 UFC) v UR Mike Malott (10-1-1 Overall; 3-0 UFC)

The classic “Gatekeeper” versus “Rising Star” matchup is booked for the halfway point of the main card.

Slated to make his 32nd walk to the UFC octagon on Saturday, the always-game Neil Magny is looking to start the new year off after a lackluster 2023 campaign. Magny found himself on last year’s opening card at UFC 283, losing via arm-triangle against Gilbert Burns. The UFC veteran would bounce back against Phil Rowe, utilizing clinch strikes to get the split decision nod. The “Haitian Sensation” would make a quick turnaround to fight up-and-comer Ian Garry less than two months later at UFC 292. The risk would not pay off, with Magny losing a clear decision after barely making it to the scorecards. 

One of the most talented fighters to emerge from Dana White’s Contender Series, Mike Malott is looking to remain undefeated in his fourth fight in the organization. Malott had his best year as a professional in 2023, winning both bouts via submission. The Canadian began his strangling streak in February, taking down and submitting Yohan Lainesse in the first round via arm triangle. The man they call “Proper” would continue his dominance against Adam Fugitt at UFC 289, displaying his well-rounded skill set through body kicks, takedowns, and the eventual guillotine choke finish in front of his hometown crowd in Vancouver. 

Kicks, particularly to the leg, are gonna be where Malott will likely look to attack first, with Magny’s inability to deal with them being on full display in his last fight against Garry. That isn’t the Canadian’s only option, however, as he has a plethora of tools that have him equipped for wherever this fight will go. If Magny wants to get back into the win column, he is going to have to make this fight ugly, smothering Malott with grappling and clinch exchanges that have become a staple of his game. 

Official Prediction: Malott via Round 2 Submission

#2 Raquel Pennington (15-9 Overall; 12-5 UFC) v #3 Mayra Bueno Silva (10-2-1 Overall; 6-2-1 UFC)

It has been seven months since the UFC Bantamweight championship had a home, with Amanda Nunes retirement in June after her victory against Irene Aldana being the last championship bout in the division. That will change this Saturday night when the octagon doors close behind veterans Raquel “Rocky” Pennington and Mayra “Sheetara” Bueno Silva. 

Holding the record for most bouts in the division’s history with 16, Raquel Pennington has been in the organization for over a decade, making her debut in the Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale in 2013. These last few years have been some of the best of her career, winning her last five fights. Her only fight in the previous year came on another Strickland headlined card in January, where she defeated Ketlen Vieira via split decision. This result was not as decisive nor as exciting as you would hope from a title challenger, who only won the second round on all three scorecards. 

Riding a winning streak of her own, Mayra Bueno Silva saw her latest victory overturned after failing a drug test before her fight with Holly Holm. Citing ADHD medication as the culprit, Bueno Silva saw her four-fight win streak, which included three straight submission finishes, shrink to three with the fight ruled a no contest. Regardless, the Brazilian found a submission finish in her only other bout of 2023 as well, finding an impressive kneebar against Lina Lansberg in February. 

Outside of octagon time, one advantage that Pennington holds this weekend is championship experience, as she went four rounds with Amanda Nunes before getting finished in the middle of the fifth in 2018. A dangerous submission specialist, Bueno Silva has yet to be tested past three rounds, although she holds the strength and grappling advantage. The longer the fight goes will dictate who comes out on top, Pennington’s ability to pressure with solid boxing fundamentals and control the pace of the fight being her most likely path to victory.  

Official Prediction: AND NEW! Bueno Silva via Round 2 Submission

C Sean Strickland (28-5 Overall; 15-5 UFC) v #2 Dricus Du Plessis (20-2 Overall; 6-0 UFC)

Animosity and bad blood are nothing new to the sport of mixed martial arts, particularly when it comes to high-stakes fights like the one headlining UFC 297. The beef between Strickland and Du Plessis goes back to December during the UFC 2024 Season Press Conference, where Du Plessis made comments regarding the abuse Strickland faced from his father. This boiled over into the stands at UFC 296, as Strickland jumped a few rows back to attack his future opponent, landing a few blows before the two were separated. Although the hostility between the two has been seemingly squashed behind closed doors, there is no denying that tensions are still high in the main event. 

When Sean Strickland headlined the first fight night of the year in 2023 against Nassourdine Imavov, there were no championship expectations for the American. Coming off of back-to-back losses to close out 2022, Strickland seemed destined to remain in the middle of the pack at Middleweight. That quickly changed, starting with his clear decision victory against Imavov where he dominated on the feet. Strickland would headline a second fight night in July against another highly touted prospect Abus Magomedov. Pressuring Magomedov from the opening bell, Strickland would land a flurry of punches that would put him the Russian away late in the second round. The impressive start to the year would be enough to warrant Strickland a title shot against Israel Adesanya, who had just regained his belt from rival Alex Pereira. A huge underdog, Strickland would do the impossible at UFC 293, scoring a knockdown in the opening round and out-striking the man who is widely regarded as one of the best kickboxers in the UFC. Shocking the MMA world, Strickland would be crowned champion, the 14th in the promotion’s history. 

Although not nearly as big of an underdog, Dricus Du Plessis had his best year as a professional as well. His run would start with a fight against former UFC title challenger Derek Brunson (who recently signed with the PFL) at UFC 285. Amidst a ton of grappling exchanges in the first round, Du Plessis would take over in round 2, catching Brunson with a straight before laying vicious ground and pound right before the horn sounded. “Stillknocks” would go on to face his stiffest competition to date in former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 290. Coming in as a sizeable underdog, Du Plessis went toe to toe with “The Reaper,” rocking the Australian with a right hand in the second round that would eventually lead to the finishing combination. Immediately proceeding the fight, the South African would face off against than-champion Adesanya, indicating he was next in line for the title. Leave it up to Strickland to change those plans.

Both harness unique styles that make this bout rather difficult to predict. As shown in his fight with Adesanya, Strickland’s Philly Shell guard and ability to pressure using the jab makes it difficult for any opponent to get their range and attack. Awkward in his own right, Du Plessis switch stance style, movement, and timing make him a threat, especially considering his prowess as a grappler. Yet to see a fourth round in his career, the cardio of Du Plessis will be a big factor in this fight, as Strickland has some of the best in the sport. I expect Du Plessis to start strong in the early rounds, but wane as the fight progresses, leading to a finish for the Middleweight champion.

Official Prediction: AND STILL! Strickland via Round 4 KO/TKO