SUMMARY
- The first PPV of 2024, UFC 297, is upon us.
- Find out the walkout songs used by Sean Strickland, Dricus Du Plessis, Neil Magny, and Mayra Bueno Silva among other fighters on the card.
UFC 297 is scheduled to take place on January 20, 2024, at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada. This will be the seventh UFC event in Toronto and the first since UFC 231 in December 2018. The UFC 297 headliner will be Sean Strickland’s first title defense. UFC Middleweight Champion Strickland will defend his title against Dricus du Plessis.
Another title fight on the card is for the vacant UFC Women’s Bantamweight title between Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva. Other fights on the main card include a welterweight bout between Neil Magny and Mike Malott, a middleweight bout between Chris Curtis and Marc-André Barriault, and a featherweight bout between Arnold Allen and Movsar Evloev.
UFC 297 Fight week 🏆 🇨🇦
MAIN CARD
Sean Strickland (C) vs. Dricus Du Pleases middleweight title bout
Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva women’s bantamweight title bout (vacant)Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott
Chris Curtis vs. Marc-Andre Barriault
Arnold Allen vs. Movsar… pic.twitter.com/RlKltp6WdY— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) January 14, 2024
After the successful completion of UFC Vegas 84, the first UFC event of 2024, fans are excited for the first UFC PPV of 2024, UFC 297. Let’s take a look at the walkout songs the fighters at UFC 297 are expected to use.
Which songs have Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis walked out to before?
Sean Strickland defeated Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 to win the middleweight title. Strickland surprisingly dominated Adesanya to pick up the unanimous decision win. The American is set for his title defense against the South African fighter Du Plessis.
Strickland loves being an American. He has regularly shown that about himself by reusing a patriotic song for his walkout. He has walked out to the famous 1863 song ‘When Johnny Comes Marching Home’ by Patrick Gilmore on several occasions including UFC 276, UFC Fight Night 217, UFC Fight Night 200, and UFC 293. ‘When Johnny Comes Marching Home’ is a song about the American Civil War. Strickland is expected to use the same song at UFC 297.
Just like his opponent, Du Plessis has also stayed loyal to one walkout song. In his last four fights at UFC 276, UFC 282, UFC 285, and UFC 290, the South African has used the same song – ‘Live it up’ by Airbourne. He won all of those fights and would be expecting to win by using the same song at UFC 297.
Which songs have Neil Magny, Mayra Bueno Silva, and other UFC 297 fighters walked out to before?
35-year-old Pennington has been at the UFC for almost a decade. She has fought in the bantamweight and the featherweight division. Her last bantamweight title shot was at UFC 224 against Amanda Nunes. She lost via TKO in the fifth round. As of now, Pennington is on a five-match win streak. She has used ‘The Bravest’ by Sir Rosevelt as her walkout song at UFC Fight 199, UFC Fight Night 217, UFC 273, and even UFC 246.
On the other hand, Silva has been at the UFC for the past five years. This is her first UFC title shot and the first time she will be part of a UFC PPV. She used ‘Diferenciado’ by MC Neguinho do Kaxeta at UFC Fight Night 219 against Lina Länsberg. Earlier, she used ‘O Hino’ by Fernandinho at UFC Fight Night 195 against Manon Fiorot.
Mike Mallot and Neil Magny have also stayed loyal to their previous walkout songs. Mallot used ‘Fat Lip’ by Sum 41 at UFC 289, UFC Fight Night 220, and UFC 273. On the other hand, Magny used ‘No Regrets’ by Lecrae at UFC 292, UFC 283, and UFC 250.