Strickland vs. Du Plessis: Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland (the main event of FC 297) confronted each other during the pre-fight press conference before their bout at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, on Saturday.
The current middleweight champion made numerous commitments during the contest that the security team observed as he made his first defense of the title since his shocking victory over the two-time champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in September 2023. e
“I am always critical; I have nothing personal against Dricus,” Strickland told the media. “I shall wage war in opposition to this individual. Dricus, we shall proceed to the utmost extent.
The challenger, Du Plessis, appears to have enjoyed the head-to-head and is assured of dethroning the incumbent middleweight champion. He enters the fight following his TKO victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290.
“This is unlikely to be included in the cards,” Du Plessis continued. “The fight we’re going to have on Saturday will keep you entertained.”
The UFC website notes that both Du Plessis and Strickland prefer to be the aggressor, so this bout should be a high-quality contest to determine who establishes the terms of engagement from the outset.
With nearly equal odds of success for both combatants, the battle atop the octagon could be extremely close.
UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez Everything You Need to Know
At what time does the bout between Strickland and Du Plessis commence?
The preliminary rounds of UFC 297: Strickland vs. Du Plessis commence on Saturday, January 20 at 18:30 ET. Preliminaries are scheduled to commence at 8:00 p.m. ET.
In contrast, the primary event begins at 22:00 ET.
Where can the main event of UFC 297 be viewed in the United States?
Exclusive coverage of the fight between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis will be available on ESPN+ PPV.
Early preliminary combat is available on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass. There will be coverage of the preliminary card on ESPN News and ESPN+.
