The Octagon made its return to Toronto for UFC 297, featuring a twelve-bout fight card headlined by Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis.
The much-anticipated middleweight title fight unfolded as an epic back-and-forth affair. Sean Strickland dominated the opening round, inflicting damage on the left eye of the challenger with a barrage of jabs.
However, Dricus Du Plessis shifted the momentum in rounds two and three, utilizing his pace and forward pressure to gain a slight advantage over the American. Following a highly productive fourth round, many fans and analysts believed the fight was either 3-1 for Du Plessis or tied at 2-2 entering the fifth and final round. Despite ‘Tarzan’ appearing to outperform the South African in Round 5, it was insufficient to retain the middleweight championship.
UFC 297’s co-main event featured a women’s bantamweight title fight, with Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva competing for the vacant 135lbs title. The contest unfolded as a hard-fought back-and-forth battle.
Silva showcased strength in the opening round, but ‘Rocky’ mounted a strong comeback in round two, seemingly leveling the scorecards. As the fight progressed, Silva visibly fatigued, and Pennington dominated the final ten minutes, coming close to securing a submission finish towards the end of round five.
Post-event, UFC officials revealed at the press conference that four fighters would receive performance bonuses.
The Fight of the Night bonus went to middleweight fighters Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland, each earning $50k for their thrilling encounter in the UFC 297 main event. Ultimately, ‘DDP’ secured the victory via a split decision.
Jasmine Jasudavicius received the Performance of the Night bonus and an extra $50k for her third-round submission victory over Priscila Cachoeira.
Gillian Robertson also earned the Performance of the Night bonus and an additional $50k for her second-round TKO victory over Polyana Viana.
Share your thoughts on the performance bonuses awarded by Dana White and the UFC following UFC 297 in Toronto in the comment section, PENN Nation!
