The UFC’s first pay-per-view of the year is likely to prove to be far from the most memorable, but UFC 297 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto did prove significant with two new champions crowned.
In the main event, Dricus Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) edged Sean Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) by split decision in the Fight of the Night to claim the middleweight championship. In the co-headliner, Raquel Pennington (16-8 MMA, 13-5 UFC) outlasted Mayra Bueno Silva (10-3-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) for a unanimous decision for the vacant women’s bantamweight title.
