Dricus Du Plessis defeats Sean Strickland to become new middleweight champion with victory at UFC 297

South African Dricus Du Plessis defeated Sean Strickland to win the UFC middleweight title with a split-decision victory in the main event of UFC 297 in Toronto.

The pair engaged in a bitter war of words prior to the fight and even a brawl in the crowd of UFC 296 but Strickland was very controlled once the bout got underway.

He controlled the first with Du Plessis unable to penetrate his defence while being peppered by jabs in the opening round which left the challenger with a bruised left eye.

Du Plessis (now 21-2) adjusted to this and increasingly landed with power shots with either hand as the rounds went on. A straight right opened a nasty cut above Strickland's left eye. The South African also had six takedowns in all helping him edge the middle rounds.

Going out for the final round, Strickland (who slips to 28-6) appeared circumspect while Du Plessis banged his chest embracing the contest.

However, the champion fought the better in the final round landing his jabs once more with regularity, showing good defence and avoiding two more attempted takedowns, but it proved too little, too late as the South African took the crown.

In the co-main event contesting the UFC bantamweight crown that had been vacated by Amanda Nunes, American Raquel Pennington defeated Mayra Bueno Silva via a unanimous decision to become the new champion.

The American veteran, who previously failed in a challenge to Nunes, came into the bout as an underdog but after a difficult opening took control to take a comfortable 49-46 (twice) and 49-45 win.

Silva won the first round landing numerous calf kicks and having two takedowns, but Pennington's striking got her back into the contest in the second. And, in the next, as they pressed against the Octagon, the Brazilian was visibly tired and it ended with her being pounded on the floor.

The next two rounds saw a similar story with Pennington in control as they were locked at close quarters and her opponent too exhausted to launch sustained counter attacks.

Britain's Arnold Allen came into his bout with Movsar Evloev as the fourth-ranked featherweight but the unbeaten Russian's wrestling game proved crucial as he won a unanimous decision.

Evloev locked in holds in the second half of the first two rounds and in the latter landed a big one-two to leave a nasty cut on the Ipswich man's cheek.

Allen was given a warning for an illegal knee in the third which bloodied Evloev's head, but went on to finish the stronger and ensure he took a round on all three scorecards.

The Russian took two on each though and improves his record to 18-0. Allen's record slips to 18-3.

There was better news for UK UFC in the early prelims where welterweight Sam Patterson made home fighter and favourite Yohan Lainesse tap out.

Elsewhere on the main card, 13th-ranked welterweight Neil Magny stopped rising star Mike Malott with 15 seconds remaining.

The first two and a half rounds were dominated by Malott but Magny turned the tables with two minutes on the clock and after a number of unanswered blows the referee jumped in.

This meant all seven male Canadians were beaten tonight with American middleweight Chris Curtis also beating a home fighter in Marc-Andre Barriault taking the split decision in a hard-fought bout.

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.