SUMMARY
- Sean Strickland has failed to defend his middleweight title against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297.
- Dricus du Plessis won the bout via a split-decision in fornt of the sold-out Scotiabank Arena in Canada.
UFC 297 is officially in the books and the fans have a new undisputed middleweight champion! In the main event of the much-anticipated PPV, Sean Strickland tried to defend his title against the rising South African contender Dricus du Plessis. Although the fighters gave their best for all 25 minutes, it was Dricus who made the most of his maiden title shot and got the win.
NEW CHAMP ALERT 🚨#UFC297 | @DricusDuPlessis pic.twitter.com/qExDirZg61
— UFC (@ufc) January 21, 2024
After the 5 close rounds, “Stillknocks” won the bout via a split decision. Judges Derek Clearly and Eric Colon scored the bout in favor of the challenger, 47-48. But Sal D’Amato scored the fight 48-47 for the then-champion Strickland. Colon and Clearly had identical scorecards as they gave rounds 2,3, and 4 to du Plessis and rounds 1 and 5 to the former champion.
#UFC297 Official Scorecard: Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis 👇
— UFC News (@UFCNews) January 21, 2024
All Scorecards ➡️: https://t.co/Dgf6RIXYJN pic.twitter.com/RdzXOrtCV6
However, D’Amato gave rounds 1, 3, and 5 to Strickland. While the bout certainly delivered on the entertainment quotient, some of the fans are wondering whether the right fighter ultimately won the contest or not. Let’s check out the stats and see whether the judges got the verdict correct or not.
Was Sean Strickland robbed against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297?
Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis certainly entertained the sold-out Scotiabank Arena in Ontario, Canada. In total, both fighters landed 323 total shots combined. While Strickland managed 180 total shots, Dricus managed 140. Interestingly, 173 out of Strickland’s total strikes were counted as significant strikes. The South African landed 137 total significant strikes in his triumphant effort.
In round 1, Strickland landed 34 significant strikes as opposed to du Plessis’ 18. In rounds 2 and 3, the former champ landed 22 and 31 significant strikes respectively while Dricus managed 26 and 29 respectively. In the championship rounds, Strickland once again had the upper hand as he managed 33 and 53 shots respectively in rounds 4 and 5.
FINAL. ROUND. IS. NOW. 🚨
— UFC (@ufc) January 21, 2024
[ Watch NOW on @ESPNPlus PPV | #UFC297 ] pic.twitter.com/nYTPaVN5OL
In the same period, du Plessis managed 29 and 35 significant strikes respectively. On paper, it was the controversial American fighter who dominated the bout. However, the newly crowned 30-year-old champion’s strikes did the most amount of damage. By the end of the bout, Strickland was busted open from his face and it was visible that du Plessis had put him through severe punishment.
In terms of grappling, Dricus also secured 6 takedowns out of an attempted 11 and controlled the bout for 2:08 minutes on the mat. Unlike striking, Strickland failed to outclass his opponent on the ground as he managed 0 takedowns and did not even register a single second of ground control.
Dricus has called out Israel Adesanya at UFC 297
Dricus du Plessis has had quite the journey to the Octagon. From struggling in the regional scenes to remaining undefeated in the UFC, du Plessis deserves a lot of credit for his hard work and dedication to the sport. Since making his UFC debut against Markus Perez in October 2020, Dricus has fought inside the Octagon 7 times and has come out victorious each time.
He has notable wins over the likes of Darren Till, Derek Brunson, Robert Whittaker, and now Sean Strickland. With an MMA record of 21-2 and the UFC Middleweight title under his belt, Dricus has conquered the sport. However, one notable absence from his resume is Israel Adesanya. Adesanya and du Plessis have a bitter past and the latter used his UFC 297 win to set the stage for an eventual showdown.
Calling out Izzy, the champ added, “There was another guy who tried to take my shine. He lost his shine (and) now I have your shine. He didn’t get into the cage tonight but Israel Adesanya, get your a** back in the UFC so that we can settle the score.”
Not just Adesanya, it looked like du Plessis may have his eyes set on the Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira as well. However, as the man himself mentioned, fighting Pereira may be too far-fetched at the moment. So as of now, it looks like fans can brace themselves for a showdown between Adesanya and du Plessis in the months to come. What are your thoughts on the potential match-up? Let us know in the comments down below.