Following a recent back-and-forth at a press conference, things are now personal between Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis. They face off for Strickland UFC middleweight title on January 20. The fight in Canada airs on ESPN+ PPV in the U.S.
Strickland made his pro debut in 2008. A King of the Cage middleweight champion, the 32-year-old joined the UFC in 2014 and is 14-5 in the octagon. He went 3-0 in 2023, beating Nassourdine Imavov and Abusupiyan Magomedov before outclassing Israel Adesanya in September to win the middleweight title.
Du Plessis is the 2012 W.A.K.O. Cadet World Championships winner in kickboxing. The South African turned pro in 2013 and joined the UFC in 2020. Du Plessis is 6-0 in the octagon, with his last contest being a TKO win against former champion Robert Whittaker in July. Only one of his wins with the company has gone the distance.
A controversial trash-talker, Strickland is an open book. Du Plessis used his past, specifically his abusive childhood, to get into his head. That resulted in Strickland attacking du Plessis in the audience at UFC 296. Some things are off-limits according to Strickland and he's ready to defend his title and pride on fight night.
WATCH: UFC 297: Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis, exclusively on ESPN+
“There’s some things that are off limits,” Strickland said on Theo Von’s This Past Weekend podcast via MMA Fighting. “You don’t really talk about a man’s wife, you don’t talk about a man’s kids, and you don’t about a kid being abused. These things are all off limits. Once he crossed that… I tried to f------ ignore it. I was boiling. Whenever Dricus goes on there and jokes about that s---, dude, you have no idea. I’ll f------ kill you, you have no idea."
The co-main event will see Raquel Pennington fight Mayra Bueno Silva for the vacant UFC bantamweight title. Pennington turned pro in 2012 and is 12-5 in the octagon. She failed to capture the bantamweight belt against Amanda Nunes in 2018 and is currently on a five-fight win streak. Silva turned pro in 2015 and is 6-2-1 with one no-contest in the octagon. She was on a three-fight win streak when she beat Holly Holm in July, a fight that got overturned after testing positive for ADHD medication.
The Sporting News will provide all you need to know about this event, from channel, time, and card.
How to watch UFC 297: Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis
UFC 297 will air exclusively on pay-per-view. Here are the various ways you can watch the event in your country.
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Saturday, January 20 | ESPN+, ESPN PPV |
| Canada | Saturday, January 20 | BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
| United Kingdom | Sunday, January 21 | TNT Sports, TNT Sports Box Office |
| Australia | Sunday, January 21 | Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis PPV price: How much does UFC 297 cost?
In the U.S., the UFC 297 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 297 is $79.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $134.98 for the UFC 297 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.
In the UK, the main card is on TNT Sports Box Office and will cost £19.99.
WATCH: UFC 297: Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis, exclusively on ESPN+
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $10.99/mo |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $109.99/yr |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $14.99/mo |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $24.99/mo |
| UFC PPV Standalone | $79.99 each |
| UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) | $134.98, then $109.99/year |
| UFC PPV & The Disney Bundle | $79.99, then $14.99/mo |
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
What time is UFC 297: Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis today?
The early prelims start at 6 p.m. ET, with the prelims at 8 p.m. ET. The main card is at 10 p.m. ET. Strickland and du Plessis should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
| Region | Date | Early Prelims Start Time | Prelims Start Time | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
| USA and Canada (ET) | Saturday, January 20 | 6 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. ET | 12:15 a.m. ET |
| USA and Canada (PT) | Saturday, January 20 | 3 p.m. PT | 5 p.m. PT | 7 p.m. PT | 9:15 p.m. PT |
| UK and Ireland | Sunday, January 21 | 11 p.m. GMT | 1 a.m. GMT | 3 a.m. GMT | 5:15 a.m. GMT |
| Australia | Sunday, January 21 | 10 a.m. AEDT | 12 p.m. AEDT | 2 p.m. AEDT | 4:15 p.m. AEDT |
MORE: Ranked: The 25 best MMA fighters under the age of 25
UFC 297 full card
Main card
- Sean Strickland (c) vs. Dricus du Plessis for the UFC middleweight title
- Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva for the UFC bantamweight title
- Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott; Welterweights
- Chris Curtis vs. Marc-Andre Barriault; Middleweights
- Arnold Allen vs. Movsar Evloev; Featherweights
Prelims
- Brad Katona vs. Garrett Armfield; Bantamweights
- Charles Jourdain vs. Sean Woodson; Featherweights
- Serhiy Sidey vs. Ramon Taveras; Bantamweights
- Gillian Robertson vs. Polyana Viana; Strawweights
Early Prelims
- Yohan Lainesse vs. Sam Patterson; Welterweights
- Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Priscila Cachoeira; Flyweights
- Malcolm Gordon vs. Jimmy Flick; Flyweights
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