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UFC 297

UFC 297: Strickland vs. du Plessis was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 20, 2024, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Background

The event marked the promotion's seventh visit to Toronto and first since UFC 231 in December 2018.

A UFC Middleweight Championship bout between current champion Sean Strickland and former KSW Welterweight Champion Dricus du Plessis headlined the event.

A UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship bout for the vacant title between former title challenger Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva took place at the event. The title was vacated when former champion Amanda Nunes announced her retirement immediately after defending her title at UFC 289.

A UFC Featherweight Championship bout between current champion Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria was expected to take place at this event. However, Volkanovski was instead pulled to face Islam Makhachev for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 294. As a result, this fight was pushed back one month to headline UFC 298.

A light heavyweight rematch between former KSW and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Błachowicz and Aleksandar Rakić was expected to take place at the event. The pairing previously met at UFC on ESPN: Błachowicz vs. Rakić where Blachowicz won the fight after Rakić was rendered unable to continue due to a knee injury. However, Błachowicz withdrew due to a shoulder injury and the bout was scrapped.

A light heavyweight bout between former title challenger Dominick Reyes and Carlos Ulberg was scheduled for this event. However, in late December 2023, it was announced that match was off due to an injury sustained by Ulberg. They were rescheduled for UFC Fight Night: Brady vs. Luque two months later.

At the weigh-ins, Ramon Taveras and Malcolm Gordon missed weight. Taveras weighed in at 139.75 pounds, three and three quarters pounds over the bantamweight non-title fight limit. Gordon weighed in at 127.5 pounds, one and a half pounds over the flyweight non-title fight limit. Both bouts proceeded at catchweight with Taveras forfeiting 30% and Gordon 20% of their purses, which went to their opponents Serhiy Sidey and Jimmy Flick respectively.

Prior to the event, UFC president Dana White announced that the event had set new records for the highest grossing arena gate in UFC history and Canada.

During the event's broadcast, former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar was announced as the next "modern wing" UFC Hall of Fame inductee during June's International Fight Week festivities in Las Vegas.