The UFC on Saturday returns to Toronto for the first time since December 2018 with UFC 297 at Scotiabank Arena.
The first numbered event of the year features a title fight doubleheader. In the main event, Sean Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) will attempt to defend the middleweight title against Dricus Du Plessis (20-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC. In the co-headliner, Raquel Pennington (15-8 MMA, 12-5 UFC) and Mayra Bueno Silva (10-2-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) are set to clash for the vacant women’s bantamweight belt.
For more on the numbers behind all four championship competitors, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC 297 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
Sean Strickland
Strickland is one of 13 undisputed middleweight champions in UFC history.
Strickland is 6-2 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in October 2020.
Strickland is one of 17 fighters in history to earn victories in three UFC weight classes. He’s won at light heavyweight, middleweight and welterweight.
Strickland is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn victories at light heavyweight, middleweight and welterweight. Ildemar Alcantara and Trevin Giles also accomplished the feat.
Strickland’s two victories in a 14-day stretch at UFC Fight Night 181 and UFC Fight Night 182 are tied for the third shortest span between non-tournament UFC wins.
Strickland lands 6.08 significant strikes per minute in UFC middleweight competition, the third-best rate in divisional history behind Du Plessis (6.95) and Paulo Costa (6.49).
Strickland defends 65.4 percent of all opponent strike attempts in UFC middleweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Strickland has earned 10 of his 15 UFC victories by decision.
Dricus Du Plessis
Du Plessis can become the first South African champion in UFC history.
Du Plessis’ six-fight UFC winning streak at middleweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Du Plessis has earned 19 of his 20 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished eight of those wins in Round 1.
Du Plessis lands 6.95 significant strikes per minute in UFC middleweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
Raquel Pennington
Pennington competes in her 17th UFC women’s bantamweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Pennington’s total fight time of 3:52:33 in UFC women’s bantamweight competition is most in divisional history.
Pennington’s 11 victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Amanda Nunes (13).
Pennington’s four-fight UFC winning streak at women’s bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Pennington’s nine decision victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are most in divisional history.
Pennington’s two submission victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Ronda Rousey (three).
Pennington is one of six fighters in UFC history to earn a bulldog-choke submission victory. She accomplished the feat against Ashlee-Evans Smith at UFC 181.
Mayra Bueno Silva
Silva’s four-fight UFC unbeaten streak at women’s bantamweight is tied with Pennington for the longest active streak in the division.
Silva’s has earned eight of her 10 career victories by stoppage. That includes four of her five UFC wins.
Silva’s two submission victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Ronda Rousey (three).
Silva earned the first kneebar submission victory in UFC women’s bantamweight history at UFC Fight Night 219.
Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott
Neil Magny (28-11 MMA, 21-10 UFC) competes in his 32nd UFC welterweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Magny has alternated losses and wins over his past six fights. He was defeated in his most recent bout at UFC 292 in August.
Magny is one of nine fighters in UFC history to reach 21 victories with the promotion.
Magny’s 21 victories in UFC welterweight competition are most in divisional history.
Magny’s total fight time of 6:32:34 in UFC welterweight competition is most in divisional history.
Magny’s 14 decision victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Magny has landed 1,356 significant strikes in UFC welterweight competition, the most in divisional history.
Magny is the only fighter in modern UFC history to make five or more octagon appearances in consecutive years. He went 4-1 in 2015 after going 5-0 in 2014.
Magny is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn five victories in a calendar year, as he did in 2014. Kevin Holland (2020) and Roger Huerta (2007) also accomplished the feat.
Chris Curtis vs. Marc-Andre Barriault
Chris Curtis (30-10 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has earned 17 of his 18 career stoppage wins by knockout. That includes three of his four UFC wins.
Curtis has defended 92.3 percent of opponent takedown attempts in UFC competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
Marc-Andre Barriault’s (16-6 MMA, 5-5 UFC) victory at the 4:56 mark of Round 3 at UFC 260 marked the second latest stoppage in UFC middleweight history behind Garreth McLellan (4:58, Round 3) at UFC Fight Night 76.
Arnold Allen vs. Movsar Evloev
Arnold Allen (19-2 MMA, 10-1 UFC) is one of six fighters in UFC history to start 10-0 in the octagon. Anderson Silva, Kamaru Usman, Alexander Volkanovski, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Royce Gracie also accomplished the feat.
Allen is one of 14 fighters in UFC history to earn 10 consecutive UFC victories.
Movsar Evloev’s (17-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) six-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Alexander Volkanovski (11).
Evloev has earned all seven of his UFC victories by decision.
Evloev has completed 34 takedowns in his six UFC appearances.
Evloev has landed two or more takedowns against six of his seven UFC opponents.
Brad Katona vs. Garrett Armfield
Brad Katona (13-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) is the only two-time winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series.
Katona has earned all three of his UFC victories by decision.
Gillian Robertson vs. Polyana Viana
Gillian Robertson (12-8 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is 1-1 since she dropped to the UFC strawweight division in April.
Robertson’s eight victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are third-most in divisional history behind Valentina Shevchenko (nine) and Katlyn Chookagian (nine).
Robertson’s seven stoppage victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Robertson’s seven submission victories in UFC competition are most by any female in company history.
Robertson’s six submission victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Polyana Viana (13-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) has earned all 13 of her career victories by stoppage.
Viana has earned all four of her UFC victories by first-round stoppage.
Viana’s four stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Amanda Lemos (six), Rose Namajunas (five) and Jessica Andrade (five).
Viana’s three submission victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Mackenzie Dern (four).
Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Priscila Cachoeira
Priscila Cachoeira (12-5 MMA, 4-5 UFC) is 4-5 in her past nine fights after starting her career 8-0.
Cachoeira’s 40-second knockout at UFC Fight Night 168 is the fastest stoppage in UFC women’s flyweight history.
Cachoeira’s two knockout victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Shevchenko (four) and Maycee Barber (three).
Cachoeira’s two fight-night bonuses for UFC women’s flyweight bouts are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Molly McCann (three).
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
