UFC 297 Results: Dricus Du Plessis Scores Close Decision Over Sean Strickland
UFC 297 has come to a close, which means Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis has wrapped up.
In the main event of UFC 297, Strickland put the UFC Middleweight Championship at stake against Du Plessis. It was Strickland's first fight since his fascinating performance against Israel Adesanya back in September 2023.
Du Plessis was hoping to capitalize off a big finish over former 185-pound ruler Robert Whittaker by defeating Strickland and capturing UFC gold for the first time.
It was Dricus Du Plessis who ended up getting his way.
Strickland threw out the jab and checked kicks early on in the fight. Du Plessis landed a body kick. A head kick partially landed for DDP. A cut formed on Du Plessis' nose. A push kick was there for Strickland. Dricus shot in and dumped Sean to the mat near the fence. Du Plessis' couldn't control his opponent for long, and the fight returned to the feet. A right hand from Strickland landed near the end of round one.
A right hand from Du Plessis missed early in round two. Sean's defense seemed to pose problems, as DDP was finding a lot of arm punches. He had a spinning backfist for the champion. An inside leg kick connected for Strickland. Du Plessis scored a body punch. DDP landed a left hand, as he was having success closing the distance. He then scored a takedown. A cut formed near the right eye of Strickland. DDP's left eye was swelling considerably.
DDP continued moving forward, eating jabs along the way in round three. With that said, he kept closing the distance. A left hand landed for Du Plessis. Strickland doubled up on the jab. A left hook landed for Strickland at the end of the round.
Du Plessis went for a takedown, and landed an elbow. A cut opened up on Strickland's face and DDP scored a body kick. A right hand connected for Sean. Du Plessis scored a takedown. Blood was dripping from the face of Strickland thanks to a massive right hand. His left eye wasn't looking pretty. DDP scored another takedown. A one-two landed for Strickland near the end of round four.
A right hand landed for Strickland partially in the final frame. Sean appeared to have trouble seeing out of that left eye. Du Plessis marched forward, landing a kick to the body. Strickland fired back, scoring a right hand over the top. Strickland and Du Plessis slugged it out until the final horn, and the fans in attendance gave both men a standing ovation.
When the score totals were read by Bruce Buffer, it was revealed that Dricus Du Plessis earned the split decision win.
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