UFC 297 Odds, Prediction: Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis

After winning the middleweight championship as a heavy underdog, Strickland comes into his first title defence as a slim -130 favourite to win on the MMA odds, while Du Plessis is a +110 underdog.

Sean Strickland UFC 297 Odds

Strickland has put together a 28-5 record since his professional MMA debut in 2008. He fought and won three times in 2023, but his unanimous decision victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in September was obviously the most memorable. The impressive aspect is that Strickland didn’t win narrowly or catch Adesanya with a lucky shot, he dominated the former champ from the start, knocking him down in the opening round. The win was considered a major upset and it earned Strickland his second straight Performance of the Night bonus.

Currently ranked No. 8 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings, Strickland is also a former King of the Cage middleweight champion. The 32-year-old California native made his UFC debut in 2014 and he has faced some of the biggest names in the promotion, including former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman as well as current light heavyweight champion and former middleweight champion Alex Pereira. Strickland is riding a three-fight win streak and has won seven of his last nine.

“Tarzan” is known as an aggressive attacker. He put that on full display last time out, never really allowing Adesanya into the fight. Strickland is one of the better boxers in the division, although he has a tendency to keep his guards low, which can leave him exposed at times. He has a 76-inch reach and averages 5.82 significant strikes landed per minute with 41 per cent accuracy.

Strickland has fought a lot over the last six years, so there’s some concern over wear-and-tear and whether time is starting to catch up to him. He’s only earned one knockout win in his last eight fights and it would be a very risky move to go the distance against an opponent like Du Plessis.

Dricus du Plessis UFC 297 Odds

Du Plessis is 20-2 since his professional MMA debut in 2013. The 30-year-old South African, who is seen as a rising star in the UFC, last fought in July. He defeated former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker via second-round knockout in a title eliminator fight. The win was arguably the biggest upset of the year after the Strickland-Adesanya fight.

Du Plessis is a former EFC middleweight and welterweight champion as well as a former KSW welterweight champion. He’s riding a seven-fight win streak overall while going a perfect 6-0 in the Octagon since his UFC debut in October 2020. In addition to the Whittaker win, Du Plessis made a name for himself after a third-round submission victory over Darren Till and a second-round TKO win against Derek Brunson.

Like Strickland, “Stillknocks” is also known as an aggressive attacker, so it will be interesting to see how this fight plays out. Du Plessis possesses impressive knockout power, with four of his six UFC wins coming by KO/TKO. He equals Strickland with a 76-inch reach, but averages more significant strikes landed per minute with 6.95 and he has better accuracy at 55 per cent.

Cardio has been an issue for Du Plessis, but he underwent surgery in April 2023 to fix a breathing impairment in his nose that was reportedly limiting him to just eight per cent oxygen intake through his nostrils. He’s only fought once since then so it’s tough to say if the cardio issue is behind him, although it’s a moot point if he scores an early knockout.

UFC 297 Prediction: Strickland vs. Du Plessis

Don’t expect this fight to go the distance. Du Plessis wins by KO/TKO or DQ (+200)