UFC 297 Predictions: Does Sean Strickland Thwart Dricus Du Plessis In Toronto?

It's time for UFC 297 predictions!

Well, it's that time of the month where the MMA Knockout staff predicts main card fights for UFC 297.

In the main event Sean Strickland will put the UFC middleweight gold at stake against Dricus Du Plessis. There will also be a title fight in the co-main event, as Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva will collide for the vacant UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship.

Fight fans will also be treated to a doozy of a main card opener, as Arnold Allen meets the undefeated Movsar Evloev.

Enough with the formalities, let's jump into the picks:

Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis

(via Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Fernando Quiles Jr: Who wins out in a battle of cardio vs. power? Strickland has been to deep waters with his most recent win being a dominant unanimous decision over Israel Adesanya. Du Plessis has shown  that despite his awkward standup game, he has the punching power to finish his opponents. Something tells me that Philly Shell defense of Strickland will force DDP to go for takedowns. On the ground, Dricus is capable of pulling off submissions. Ultimately, I see Strickland staying on his feet and popping Dricus enough to finish him late in the fight (Pick: Strickland)

Mathew Riddle: I think Du Plessis has the advantage in the early going with his power and underrated submission offense, but if Strickland can endure this and set his own pace, he could easily win an ugly decision. Du Plessis has shown some pretty hideous cardio in his fights and we can't say for sure whether it's been fixed since the Whittaker fight was so short. What we do know is that Strickland is durable, fit, and possesses the striking to nullify even elite kickboxers (shockingly). I pick Strickland by UD or late TKO. (Pick: Strickland)

Drew Beaupré: I know he claims he’s taking some some time off, but my suspicion is that the UFC brass would like to see this fight end quickly so the winner can potentially take on Israel Adesanya at UFC 300. Du Plessis could easily reignite his feud with “The Last Stylebender” and is certainly the more likely of these two men to win via knockout, but I’m going to side with Strickland to outland “Stillknocks” over the course of five rounds if he can avoid eating too many big shots. (Pick: Strickland)

Zain Bando: This fight has been brewing for quite some time. From the brawl at UFC 296 to the utmost respect shown by Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis throughout the week, this fight has all the makings of an all-time classic. But, quite frankly, Du Plessis is on a mission of destiny, and as long as he can avoid a bull rush from Strickland, he should be able to catch Strickland with something and get a late third-round or fourth-round TKO. (Pick: Du Plessis)

Consensus: 3-1, Sean Strickland

Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva

(via UFC Embedded)

Fernando Quiles Jr: Pennington is one tough customer having only been finished twice in her pro MMA career against Cat Zingano and future UFC Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes. It's hard to put Pennington away, even for a submission specialist such as Silva. I think Pennington will try to make this one ugly on the feet with some fighting in the clinch, but I don't think she'll be giving Silva much pause. I think the strength advantage of Silva helps lead her to a unanimous decision win and her first UFC title (Pick: Silva)

Mathew Riddle: Contrary to what people are saying, I think this is going to be quite a scrappy fight. That said, I don't think Pennington is that impressive, she enters a lot of exchanges with her chin and midsection wide open - it's just that a lot of her opponents lacked the power to punish the bad habits. Silva can definitely crack, and if she can stand her ground against Pennington's blitzes I can definitely see her gaining the advantage. Her Chute Boxe finishing instinct is also a plus. (Pick: Silva)

Drew Beaupré: Bueno Silva has scored some impressive finishes in her last few bouts, while Pennington has quietly put together a five-fight win streak following her second loss to Holly Holm. It’s tempting to just “MMA Math” this matchup and take Bueno Silva after her own performance against Holm, but even if she probably won’t be a long-reigning champion I’ll pick “Rocky” to finally claim UFC gold after more than ten years with the promotion. (Pick: Pennington)

Zain Bando: Raquel Pennington is finally getting her big break to become a world champion, while MBS’ legacy could be stained because of a no-contest against Holly Holm (although it was a submission win). Nonetheless, Pennington is a more well-rounded fighter and should use her wrestling to control the distance and win every round late, enough for a unanimous decision win. (Pick: Pennington)

Consensus: 2-2, tied

Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott

(via UFC broadcast)

Fernando Quiles Jr: Is it time for another "Ya'll Must've Forgot" moment for Magny? While he hasn't been able to string together wins consistently as of late, he's fought the likes of Ian Garry, Gilbert Burns, and Shavkat Rakhmonov. Malott is on the rise and has solid standup and submission skills. Still, Malott's level of competition can't compare to Magny's. Sometimes, athleticism and skill wins out, while other times it's the experience that gets it done. I'll take the latter here. (Pick: Magny)

Mathew Riddle: I think Malott looks great, but I can't understate enough how big of a jump in competition Magny really is. Malott is two fights deep in the UFC and both of his opponents were sub-par. Magny has looked terrible recently but he has the benefit of the doubt since he's fought elite opposition. I won't give Malott the status of hype train unless he defeats Magny this weekend. (Pick: Magny)

Drew Beaupré: This is a pretty clear crossroads fight for both men, with Malott looking to jump into the welterweight rankings while Magny tries to avoid losing back-to-back fights for the first time since 2013. We’ve seen “The Haitian Sensation” suffer two submission losses over his last few fights, and that’s a concern considering Malott is coming off a pair of submission victories last year. “Proper” has a perfect finishing rate in his wins, but unless Magny is about to embark on a precipitous decline I’ll take the UFC veteran to frustrate Malott and earn a decision victory. (Pick: Magny)

Zain Bando: Mike Malott will keep the Canadian momentum going and earn the biggest win of his career. I expect him to outbox Magny and earn a TKO or decision win. (Pick: Malott)

Consensus: 3-1, Neil Magny

Chris Curtis vs. Marc-André Barriault

(via UFC broadcast)

Fernando Quiles Jr: Following a disappointing No Contest against Nassourdine Imavov, Curtis hopes to put on a show at UFC 297 and leave with his first win since late 2022. When Curtis meets Barriault, he should be the better striker of the two. I see Curtis landing the cleaner strikes and forcing his opponent, who is lauded for his cardio, to shoot in for takedowns. I think Curtis will keep the fight on the feet and score the win. (Pick: Curtis)

Mathew Riddle: Curtis has looked pretty lackluster in his last few fights since he's willing to give up a lot of time to search for the perfect counter shot. I can't help but think that he IS elite but can't piece it all together. That said, I don't think Barriault is a favorable matchup. "Powerbar" has unlimited cardio and relentless grappling, which is what Curtis doesn't want from a fight. (Pick: Barriault)

Drew Beaupré: Competing on another PPV main card in his native Canada, Barriault has a huge chance to try and steal Curtis’ spot in the middleweight rankings with this matchup. “The Action Man” is coming off a difficult year where both his fights were marred by controversial head clashes, and if he and Barriault keep things on the feet I expect that Curtis will get back into the win column as the more technical striker. (Pick: Curtis)

Zain Bando: In a potential FOTN contender, this fight should be in all-out slugfest. Expect Curtis to look for the finish early and often and pick up another huge win to start 2024 off the right way. (Pick: Curtis)

Consensus: 3-1, Chris Curtis

Arnold Allen vs. Movsar Evloev

(via UFC broadcast)

Fernando Quiles Jr: The UFC 297 card has gotten a lot of flak, but this main card opener is a potential banger in the making. It's clear that Movsar will look for takedowns, while Allen will try to keep things standing and use his edge in cardio to push him to the finish line. I think in a five-round fight, cardio may be a bigger issue for Movsar. Within three rounds, however, I think Movsar's grappling helps him stay unbeaten. (Pick: Evloev)

Mathew Riddle: This is another one I think comes down to cardio. Movsar is definitely elite, but his cardio leaves a lot to be desired. Cardio is something Allen excels at, and he showed he can hang with the best in the sport when he fought Max Holloway the other year. "Almighty" was critical of his performance despite growing his stock considerably, which leads me to believe he'll be looking for a shutout victory in this one. (Pick: Allen)

Drew Beaupré: Possibly the most well-matched fight on the entire card, Evloev is looking to extend his unbeaten record against a fighter that’s coming off his first UFC loss. Allen was soundly beaten by Holloway in his last fight and there’s obviously a significant asterisk to his win over Kattar, but given that “Almighty” has faced the stiffer competition in the UFC I’ll pick him to upset Evloev and kick off the UFC 297 main card with what should be an entertaining scrap. (Pick: Allen)

Zain Bando: Arnold Allen is still a force to look out for at 145. This is a big step up in competition for Movsar Evloev, and if he can catch Allen coming in with a counter, it could get interesting. But Allen’s technical base and footwork should be enough to get the win Saturday night. (Pick: Allen)

Consensus: 3-1, Arnold Allen

MMA Knockout Staff 2024 Records

• Fernando Quiles Jr: 0-0
• Mathew Riddle: 0-0
• Drew Beaupré: 0-0
• Zain Bando: 0-0

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