5 best finishes from the stars of UFC 297
This weekend sees UFC 297 go down from Toronto, and despite a slight lack of fanfare, it promises to be a great show.
Part of what’s likely to make UFC 297 an excellent event to watch is the presence of some highly exciting fighters, both in the headline bouts and on the undercard. Whether these fighters deliver the goods again this weekend remains to be seen, but judging by their previous, it’s likely they will.
Here are five of the best finishes from the stars of UFC 297.
#5. Arnold Allen vs. Dan Hooker – UFC Fight Night 204
At the start of 2022, Arnold Allen was riding an eight-fight win streak dating back to his 2015 octagon debut and had broken into the top 15 at 145 pounds.
However, ‘Almighty’ still didn’t have too much fanfare around him, largely because he hadn’t finished the majority of his opponents.
That changed when he travelled home to the UK for the first time since 2019 to face former lightweight contender Dan Hooker. ‘The Hangman’ was promising to inject some new life into the featherweight division, but Allen absolutely made sure that didn’t happen by finishing him in violent fashion.
Showing faster hands than anyone had previously given him credit for, ‘Almighty’ hurt Hooker with a big shot early on and then unloaded on him. Swarming with rapid-fire punches and elbows, Allen attacked with serious ferocity, leaving ‘The Hangman’ essentially out on his feet and forcing a stoppage.
The fight lasted just over half a round, and once it was all said and done, nobody could ignore ‘Almighty’ again.
#4. Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Holly Holm – UFC on ESPN 49
This weekend will see Brazilian Mayra Bueno Silva challenge for the vacant bantamweight title, and while she doesn’t have the most extensive record, she is an excellent finisher.
‘Sheetara’ holds a total of five submission wins in the octagon, including her victory on Dana White’s Contender Series. However, it’s a win that was later overturned due to a controversial positive drug test that really stands out.
That finish saw her dispatch former bantamweight titleholder Holly Holm in the summer of 2023, becoming only the second woman to submit ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ during her lengthy UFC career.
After a back-and-forth first round, Holm ate a right hook that led her to attempt a clinch. Rather than engage her there, though, Silva quickly looped her arm under the kickboxer’s chin, and then swiftly locked up a modified guillotine choke.
‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ just didn’t have the chance to defend until it was too late, and with Silva leaning over her to apply more pressure, Holm was forced to tap out.
The fact that the win was later turned into a No Contest due to a positive test for some ADHD meds honestly didn’t matter. Based on this, it isn’t a surprise to see her fighting for the title this weekend.
#3. Raquel Pennington vs. Ashlee Evans-Smith – UFC 181
The other half of the fight for the vacant bantamweight title this weekend, Raquel Pennington, has been with the UFC for a surprisingly long time now, dating all the way back to 2013.
Over that time, ‘Rocky’ has not really been a consummate finisher per say, with just three of her 12 octagon wins ending before the final buzzer.
However, in 2014 she delivered one of the most memorable – and nasty-looking – submissions in female MMA history when she took on debutant Ashlee Evans-Smith.
The fight was a scramble-heavy one, with both women landing takedowns at points. However, with the clock ticking away in the opening round, Evans-Smith found herself grounded again.
‘Rebel Girl’ looked to scramble free, but made the error of leaving her neck wide open – and Pennington capitalized.
‘Rocky’ locked up a horribly tight bulldog choke, squeezing the life out of her foe until she passed out with one second remaining in the round. Evans-Smith was left face-down, bleeding from her nose, in a truly scary visual.
It’s not likely that Pennington will ever repeat this finish – the bulldog choke is one of the rarest submissions to see in the UFC – and so this remains easily her standout finish in the octagon.
#2. Sean Strickland vs. Abus Magomedov – UFC on ESPN 48
Current UFC middleweight kingpin Sean Strickland is another fighter who isn’t really known for his finishing ability. Since moving to 185 pounds in 2020, in fact, he’s finished just two opponents, and it’s arguable that his most memorable moment saw him knock down Israel Adesanya in their title bout.
However, last year did see him pick up an impressive TKO win in the final bout before he fought for the title. That win came in a UFC Fight Night headliner on ESPN against Abus Magomedov.
Given that Magomedov had just one fight inside the octagon prior to this bout, fair questions were being asked about his suitability to headline an event. Sure enough, ‘Tarzan’ didn’t need too long to prove that theory correct.
After a solid first round for the Chechen-German fighter, Strickland began to find his range, connecting with clean punches and showing off his impressive boxing skills.
With Magomedov swiftly beginning to tire, Strickland then opened up, sensing the finish was there. Not letting up, he continued to pour on with heavy combinations, and eventually shoved his foe over before finishing him off with a barrage of punches.
The win was a highly impressive one for ‘Tarzan’, and while it wouldn’t normally have set up a title shot, in this instance that was the case – and of course, he has since capitalized hugely.
#1. Dricus du Plessis vs. Robert Whittaker – UFC 290
Unlike Sean Strickland, who he’ll challenge for the middleweight title this weekend, it’s fair to say that Dricus du Plessis is about as deadly a finisher as you’ll find.
Since making his octagon debut in 2020, ‘Stillknocks’ has beaten six opponents in a row, with only one – Brad Tavares – going the distance with the South African.
While his stoppages of Darren Till and Derek Brunson were strong, though, it’s his KO win over former titleholder Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 that really stands out.
Given that only Israel Adesanya had ever beaten ‘The Reaper’ at 185 pounds, few fans were really giving du Plessis a chance of winning.
However, du Plessis’ awkward style gave him some early success against the Australian in the first round. When the stanza ended with him slicing the former champ open with an elbow, it was clear that ‘Stillknocks’ wasn’t out of his depth at all.
Nobody could’ve imagined what would happen next, though. Du Plessis caught Whittaker with a rocket of a right hand in the second round, dropping him. When he wobbled back to his feet, the South African swarmed with a follow-up combination to put him away for good.
It was truly remarkable to see Whittaker blitzed in this fashion, and after this win, there was no doubt that du Plessis deserved a title shot. If he can produce a similar performance this weekend, then he could well walk away with the title.