The scales have spoken, and the middleweight throne awaits its claimant. In a tense Toronto atmosphere, Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis both met the middleweight limit at Friday’s official UFC 297 weigh-in, setting the stage for a potential barnburner in the main event.
Champ Sean Strickland and challenger Dricus Du Plessis both look SHREDDED at weigh-ins for Saturday’s #UFC297 main event.
They put in the work for this one. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/TVXHbQUXL4
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) January 19, 2024
Strickland, the brash American known for his audacious persona and relentless pressure, tipped the scales at a rock-solid 185 pounds. Du Plessis, the South African striker with a sting in his hands, mirrored Strickland’s mark, leaving nothing but fighting spirit to settle their score.
However, the scales weren’t kind to everyone. Preliminary card fighters Ramon Taveras and Malcolm Gordon both missed weight, throwing their respective bouts into jeopardy. Taveras, slated to take on Serhiy Sidey, tipped the scales at 139.75 pounds, a whopping 3.75 pounds over the bantamweight limit. Gordon, scheduled to meet Jimmy Flick, came in at 127.5 pounds, 2.5 pounds above the lightweight mark.
Both Taveras and Gordon face financial penalties for their transgressions, with Taveras forfeiting 30% of his purse and Gordon coughing up 20%. More importantly, their mishaps cast a shadow over their upcoming fights, injecting an unwelcome dose of uncertainty into an already unpredictable night.
UFC 297 Weigh-In Results
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
- Champ Sean Strickland (184.75) vs. Dricus Du Plessis (184) – for middleweight title
- Raquel Pennington (134.8) vs. Mayra Bueno Silva (135) – for vacant women’s bantamweight title
- Neil Magny (170.75) vs. Mike Malott (170.5)
- Marc-Andre Barriault (184.5) vs. Chris Curtis (185.25)
- Arnold Allen (145.5) vs. Movsar Evloev (145.75)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)
- Garrett Armfield (135.25) vs. Brad Katona (136)
- Charles Jourdain (145.5) vs. Sean Woodson (145.5)
- Serhiy Sidey (135) vs. Ramon Taveras (139.75)
- Gillian Robertson (115.75) vs. Polyana Viana (115.75)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET)
- Yohan Lainesse (170.75) vs. Sam Patterson (169.5)
- Priscila Cachoeira (133.5) vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (133) – moved to bantamweight after initial flyweight contract weight
- Jimmy Flick (126) vs. Malcolm Gordon (127.5)
With the weigh-in drama settled, all eyes turn to the octagon. Will Strickland’s relentless pressure overwhelm Du Plessis’s precise striking? Can Pennington’s wrestling neutralize Silva’s explosiveness? And will weight-gate mishaps derail any potential pre-fight fireworks?
The answers await inside the Scotiabank Arena, where Toronto is set to witness a night of championship coronations, calculated vendettas, and, perhaps, a few unexpected twists. Buckle up, fight fans, because UFC 297 promises to be a wild ride.
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