The UFC is returning to Canada for their first pay-per-view event of 2024, and the promotion has officially unveiled a 13-bout lineup, topped by a pair of championship bouts.
UFC 297 will see the promotion head to the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, with eight Canadians set for action on the card.
The main event will see the middleweight title on the line, as defending champion Sean Strickland puts his title on the line for the first time as he faces South African contender Dricus Du Plessis, while the women’s bantamweight title will find a new home as 135-pound contenders Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva do battle for the title recently vacated by the retiring Amanda Nunes.
Also on deck is a pivotal clash in the featherweight division, as ranked contenders Arnold Allen and Movsar Evloev face off, while light heavyweight powerhouses Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic go toe to toe in an all-European battle at 205 pounds.
The fight card will also feature a host of Canadian fighters, with welterweight Mike Malott set to face longtime ranked contender Neil Magny at 170 pounds, while Brad Katona makes his return to the UFC after winning The Ultimate Fighter, as he takes on Garrett Armfield.
Other Canadians on the card include middleweight Marc-Andre Barriault, featherweight Charles Jourdain, welterweight Yohan Lainesse, bantaweight Malcolm Gordon, strawweight finisher Gillian Robertson, and bantamweight Serhiy Sidey.
UFC 297: Confirmed fights
- Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis – for middleweight title
- Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva – for vacant bantamweight title
- Arnold Allen vs. Movsar Evloev
- Chris Curtis vs. Marc-Andre Barriault
- Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic
- Brad Katona vs. Garrett Armfield
- Gillian Robertson vs. Polyana Viana
- Serhiy Sidey vs. Ramon Taveras
- Malcolm Gordon vs. Jimmy Flick
- Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott
- Yohan Lainesse vs. Sam Patterson
- Charles Jourdain vs. Sean Woodson
- Dominick Reyes vs. Carlos Ulberg