5 fights to make after UFC 297: Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis
The first pay-per-view of 2024, UFC 297, was a bit of a middling show, but with two new champions crowned, it should have ramifications for some time.
With Dricus du Plessis and Raquel Pennington now holding the UFC middleweight and bantamweight titles, respectively, the promotion’s matchmakers have plenty to think about going forward.
So which fights should Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard look towards coming out of last night’s event? Here are five fights to make after UFC 297: Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis.
#5. UFC middleweight bout: Sean Strickland vs. Robert Whittaker or Paulo Costa
Sean Strickland lost his middleweight title last night, falling to Dricus du Plessis via split decision. Based on the fact that a number of observers, including Dana White, thought Strickland deserved the nod, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the UFC book an immediate rematch.
However, it does feel likely that there’s a bigger fight on the horizon for du Plessis, leaving ‘Tarzan’ as the odd man out of sorts.
With that considered, the only logical fight for the now-former champ is against the winner of the upcoming fight between Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa, which is set to take place next month.
Strickland has already faced the likes of Jared Cannonier, Brendan Allen, and Nassourdine Imavov, and a win over someone like Marvin Vettori wouldn’t do all that much for him.
If he could knock off Whittaker or ‘The Eraser’, though, it’d be hard to overlook him in the conversation when it comes to another title shot.
Either fight would be tricky for him thanks to the striking skill and knockout power of the Australian and the Brazilian, but Strickland’s boxing and toughness would make him impossible to write off.
If the promotion could put this one together for the early part of the summer, then, it’d make a lot of sense.
#4. UFC featherweight bout: Movsar Evloev vs. Josh Emmett
Russian grappling phenom Movsar Evloev picked up his biggest UFC win to date last night, edging past the highly regarded Arnold Allen after three rounds of action. It wasn’t a flawless showing from him, but he did enough to get his hand raised in the end.
Evloev is now 8-0 in the octagon, and it could easily be argued that he deserves a title shot against either Alexander Volkanovski or Ilia Topuria.
However, a combination of his style not always being that exciting and the fact that he hasn’t always been showcased on big events may mean that he has to fight at least once more before that.
Therefore, the best match for him might be Josh Emmett. The former title challenger is coming off a whopping knockout win over Bryce Mitchell last month, and his combination of heavy hands and strong takedown defense could make him a major test for the Russian.
If Evloev could breeze past the veteran, then there would definitely be an argument for a title shot, particularly if Volkanovski, who has beaten most of the other top fighters in the division anyway, is still holding the crown.
#3. UFC welterweight bout: Neil Magny vs. Rinat Fakhretdinov
Neil Magny has long been recognized as one of the UFC’s best gatekeepers at 170 pounds. With over a decade of action under his belt, ‘The Haitian Sensation’ is clearly never going to challenge for the title at welterweight, but he’ll usually beat anyone who isn’t at the elite level in their own right.
That’s exactly what he did last night, when he overcame the challenge of prospect Mike Malott, securing a third-round comeback TKO win in impressive fashion.
Magny remains ranked in the top 15 at 170 pounds, and while his win last night isn’t likely to bump him up from No.13, it will keep him afloat and relevant.
So who should be next for the TUF 16 veteran? He could wait for the winner of the upcoming fight between Kevin Holland and Michael ‘Venom’ Page, but a more intriguing clash could pit him against No.15-ranked Rinat Fakhretdinov.
‘The Gladiator’ holds an impressive record of 21-1-1 and has looked excellent throughout his octagon career. More to the point, he is an expert in one single area – in this case grappling – and facing specialists is something Magny has traditionally struggled with.
If Fakhretdinov could edge past ‘The Haitian Sensation’ then it’d be impossible to overlook him as a genuine title threat, and he’s done enough to warrant that opportunity. Therefore, the matchmakers should look to book this one next.
#2. UFC bantamweight title: Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Pena
While her fight with Mayra Bueno Silva wasn’t always pretty to watch, it was hard not to be pleased for Raquel Pennington last night.
Once written off as little more than a crude brawler, ‘Rocky’ has taken the long route to the top – she’s been on the UFC’s roster for over a decade – but she can now call herself a champion.
Sure, the bantamweight division no longer holds the same stars that it once did when the likes of Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, and Amanda Nunes were competing, but there are still some viable contenders out there.
The most likely challenger for Pennington’s throne, though, is former titleholder Julianna Pena.
‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ hasn’t fought since losing her rematch to Nunes in July 2022, but she’s still ranked at No.2 in the division and is a more viable test for the new champ than say, Ketlen Vieira or Irene Aldana.
If Pennington could knock off the former champ, there would be no more questions around the validity of her own reign. Therefore, this is clearly the fight that makes the most sense to move the division forward.
#1. UFC middleweight title: Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya
It wasn’t his best showing, but Dricus du Plessis reached the top of the mountain at 185 pounds last night by edging out Sean Strickland across five rounds.
‘Stillknocks’ landed enough of his wild haymakers and had enough in his gas tank to just about win a very close fight, and there’s probably justification for an immediate rematch.
However, there’s a far more intriguing bout for the South African, and that would see him face off with his bitterest rival, former middleweight kingpin Israel Adesanya.
The two men famously squared off following du Plessis’ win over Robert Whittaker last year, with heavy racial undertones to their feud. It looked like they were set for a mega-money fight, but fate intervened instead, leading to Strickland unexpectedly dethroning ‘The Last Stylebender’.
Adesanya has since promised to take a lengthy period away from the octagon, but now that du Plessis holds the title, it’s easy to see him going back on that vow.
After all, could he really resist the opportunity to take out the South African and shut him up, particularly if the UFC were to offer him the headline bout on their first trip to Africa, which could come later this year?
The likely answer is no. Put simply, if this fight could be put together, it’d become one of the biggest of the year, if not the biggest. Therefore, Dana White and company should do what it takes to make it happen.