Current:Home > InvestDricus Du Plessis outpoints Sean Strickland at UFC 297 to win the undisputed middleweight belt -Edge Finance Strategies
Dricus Du Plessis outpoints Sean Strickland at UFC 297 to win the undisputed middleweight belt
View
Date:2025-04-13 11:26:51
TORONTO (AP) — The hostility brewing between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis finally hit its boiling point at UFC 297 on Saturday night.
The two battled through five rounds, taking the bout to the distance, but in the end it was Du Plessis taking Strickland’s middleweight belt after bloodying the former champ over his left eye and winning a split decision.
Judges Derek Cleary and Eric Colon scored the bout 48-47 in favor of Du Plessis, while Sal D’Amato had it 48-47 for Strickland.
“This is history!” Du Plessis (21-2) screamed in honor of his homeland. “South Africa ... we can probably hear them from outside. That country is amazing.”
It was December when Du Plessis referenced Strickland’s abusive relationship with his father. Strickland let it be known that would not be tolerated, and violent recourse would result.
At UFC 296 in December, Strickland jumped over a row of seats and threw punches at Du Plessis — which both said was nowhere near a publicity stunt.
Nothing about the fight was nowhere near a stunt, as the two traded blows, both delivering severe blows, especially in the latter rounds.
Despite the tension leading up to fight night, Du Plessis gave Strickland (28-6) his just due afterward.
“Every time he hits you with that jab it feels like someone hit you with a rock. You are one heck of a man, thank you for bringing out the best of me tonight,” Du Plessis said. “The first three rounds were give and take, but the last two, I was desperate rounds four and five.”
To which Strickland later replied: “I called it from day one — it was going to be a war.”
At FanDuel, the fight closed a pick’em with both priced at -108, which means a bettor would have to lay $108 to win $100.
Raquel Pennington (16-9-0) beat Mayra Bueno Silva (10-3-1) by unanimous decision to claim the vacant women’s bantamweight championship in the co-main event. Pennington was listed as the underdog in the match.
Neil Magny (29-12-0) stopped Mike Malott (10-2-1) at the 4:45 mark of the third round of their welterweight match.
Chris Curtis (31-10-0) took a split decision over Marc-Andre Barriault (16-7-0) in their middleweight bout. Curtis took two scores of 30-27 Curtis, while Barriault won 29-28 on a third scorecard.
In the first match on the undercard, Movsar Evloev remained undefeated (17-0-0) with a unanimous decision over Arnold Allen (19-3-0). All three judges scored it 29-28. Evloev, who owns the second-longest active winning streak in the UFC featherweight division (7), ran his overall UFC win streak to eight straight.
veryGood! (81918)
Related
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- As Oil Demand Rebounds, Nations Will Need to Make Big Changes to Meet Paris Goals, Report Says
- ESPYS 2023: See the Complete List of Nominees
- Senators talk about upping online safety for kids. This year they could do something
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- 14 Gifts For the Never Have I Ever Fan In Your Life
- Does Another Plastics Plant in Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’ Make Sense? A New Report Says No
- A Chinese Chemical Company Captures and Reuses 6,000 Tons of a Super-Polluting Greenhouse Gas
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- An energy crunch forces a Hungarian ballet company to move to a car factory
Ranking
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Amazon Shoppers Love This Very Cute & Comfortable Ruffled Top for the Summer
- Senators talk about upping online safety for kids. This year they could do something
- DeSantis' campaign is brutally honest about trailing Trump in presidential race, donors say
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- California’s Strict New Law Preventing Cruelty to Farm Animals Triggers Protests From Big U.S. Meat Producers
- Russia is Turning Ever Given’s Plight into a Marketing Tool for Arctic Shipping. But It May Be a Hard Sell
- Hilaria Baldwin Admits She's Sometimes Alec Baldwin's Mommy
Recommendation
Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
Is the economy headed for recession or a soft landing?
New York and New England Need More Clean Energy. Is Hydropower From Canada the Best Way to Get it?
Extreme Heat Risks May Be Widely Underestimated and Sometimes Left Out of Major Climate Reports
Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
What Germany Can Teach the US About Quitting Coal
Dawn Goodwin and 300 Environmental Groups Consider the new Line 3 Pipeline a Danger to All Forms of Life
DeSantis' campaign is brutally honest about trailing Trump in presidential race, donors say