UFC 297: Strickland vs Du Plessis Card, Odds, Start Time, Betting Trends, & How to Watch

This UFC 298 preview is brought to you by Bovada. Bovada is a market leader in sports betting, offering various options from the UFC to boxing and everything in between.

UFC Vegas 84 kicked off the 2024 calendar in a big way, but’s already time to turn attention to the first pay-per-view of the year: UFC 297. The upcoming MMA extravaganza goes on Saturday, Jan. 20 as some of the world’s best fighters invade Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

South African sensation @DricusDuPlessis takes us back to his UFC debut.

Now, he's headlining #UFC297 next week! 🇿🇦

Watch more on Dricus on @UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/RFmwkKqmtm

— UFC (@ufc) January 11, 2024

With a night filled with MMA action and opportunities to win big around the corner, Betting News is here to get your fight week started. Let’s dive into this UFC 297 preview, which features the opening odds and betting trends for Saturday’s main and prelim cards.

UFC 297 Preview: Main Card Odds & Trends

UFC 297 odds are courtesy of Bovada as of 10:31 a.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 20.

UFC 297 Main Event: Sean Strickland (c) vs. Dricus du Plessis — UFC Middleweight Championship

Strickland vs. Du Plessis Odds

• Sean Strickland (-109)
• Dricus du Plessis (-106)

Strickland vs. Du Plessis Round Total

• Over 2.5 Rounds (-120)
• Under 2.5 Rounds (-110)

Strickland vs. Du Plessis Betting Trends

• Strickland defeated Israel Adesanya via unanimous decision to win the middleweight title in his last fight (Sept. 10, 2023).
• Du Plessis has won eight straight fights ahead of UFC 297.
• Six of Strickland’s last eight fights went the distance.
• Du Plessis has only gone the distance once in 22 career fights.
• Strickland is 11-3 in his last 14 fights as the favorite.
• Du Plessis won his only outing as the underdog.

UFC 297 Co-Main Event: Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva — Women’s Bantamweight

Pennington vs. Silva Odds

• Raquel Pennington (+132)
• Mayra Bueno Silva (-155)

Pennington vs. Silva Round Total

• Over 3.5 Rounds (-175)
• Under 3.5 Rounds (+135)

Pennington vs. Silva Betting Trends

• Pennington is 5-0 in her last five fights.
• Silva is 3-1-1 with a no-contest in her last six fights.
• Pennington is 5-5 in her last 10 fights as the underdog.
• Silva is 3-1-1 in her last five fights as the favorite.
• Pennington has an average fight time of 14:09.
• Silva has an average fight time of 8:31.
• This fight is for the vacant UFC Women’s Bantamweight title.

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Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott — Welterweight

Magny vs. Malott Odds

• Neil Magny (+290)
• Mike Malott (-375)

Magny vs. Malott Round Total

• Over 1.5 Rounds (-130)
• Under 1.5 Rounds (+100)

Magny vs. Malott Betting Trends

• Magny is 2-3 in his last five fights ahead of UFC 297.
• Mallott has won six straight fights and is 3-0 since joining the UFC.
• Eight of Magny’s last 11 fights went the distance.
• All but one of Malott’s 12 career bouts featured a finish.
• Magny owns a 39.3% finish rate.
• Malott owns a 100% finish rate.

Chris Curtis vs. Marc-André Barriault — Middleweight

UFC 297 Fight week 🏆 🇨🇦

MAIN CARD
Sean Strickland (C) vs. Dricus Du Pleases middleweight title bout
Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva women’s bantamweight title bout (vacant)

Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott
Chris Curtis vs. Marc-Andre Barriault
Arnold Allen vs. Movsar… pic.twitter.com/RlKltp6WdY

— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) January 14, 2024

Curtis vs. Barriault Odds

• Chris Curtis (-180)
• Marc-André Barriault (+150)

Curtis vs. Barriault Round Total

• Over 2.5 Rounds (-155)
• Under 2.5 Rounds (+120)

Curtis vs. Barriault Betting Trends

• Curtis is 1-2 with a no-contest in his last four fights.
• Barriault boasts a 5-2 record in his last seven outings.
• Curtis is 3-1 with a no-contest in fights outside of the United States.
• Barrilault is 12-3 in fights taking place inside of Canada.
• Curtis is 1-1 in two career fights as the favorite.
• Barriault is 0-3 in his last three bouts as the underdog.

Arnold Allen vs. Movsar Evloev — Featherweight

Allen vs. Evloev Odds

• Arnold Allen (+155)
• Mike Malott (-185)

Allen vs. Evloev Round Total

• Over 2.5 Rounds (-385)
• Under 2.5 Rounds (+265)

Allen vs. Evloev Betting Trends

• Allen is 10-1 since joining the UFC in 2015.
• Evloev boasts a perfect 17-0 career record ahead of this fight.
• Seven of Allen’s last 10 fights reached the round limit.
• Evloev has gone the distance in each of his last seven fights.
• Allen owns an average fight time of 13:22.
• Evloev owns an average fight time of 15:00.

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UFC 297 Preview: Preliminary Card Odds & Trends

Brad Katona vs. Garrett Armfield — Bantamweight

Katona vs. Armfield Odds

• Brad Katona (-215)
• Garrett Armfield (+175)

Katona vs. Armfield Round Total

• Over 2.5 Rounds (-190)
• Under 2.5 Rounds (+145)

Katona vs. Armfield Betting Trends

• Katona is 5-0 in his last five fights.
• Armfield is 4-1 in his last five fights.
• Katona went the distance in nine of his last 10 outings.
• Eight of Armfield’s last nine fights featured a finish.
• Katona is 7-2 when fighting in Canada.
• Armfield won his UFC international debut, TKO’ing Toshiomi Kazama in August 2023.

Charles Jourdain vs. Sean Woodson — Featherweight

Jourdain vs. Woodson Odds

• Charles Jourdain (-210)
• Sean Woodson (+170)

Jourdain vs. Woodson Round Total

• Over 2.5 Rounds (-155)
• Under 2.5 Rounds (+120)

Jourdain vs. Woodson Betting Trends

• Jourdain is 5-3-1 in his last nine fights.
• Woodson is 3-1-1 in his last five fights.
• Jourdain owns an 86.7% finish rate.
• Woodson owns a 40.0% finish rate.
• Jourdain is 5-2-1 in his last eight fights as the favorite.
• Woodson has never fought as the underdog in the UFC.

Serhiy Sidey vs. Ramon Taveras — Bantamweight

Canadian bantamweight Serhiy Sidey set for UFC debut in his backyardhttps://t.co/0R1v0KQLNC

— CP24 (@CP24) January 16, 2024

Sidey vs. Taveras Odds

• Serhiy Sidey (-180)
• Ramon Taveras (+150)

Sidey vs. Taveras Round Total

• Over 1.5 Rounds (-125)
• Under 1.5 Rounds (-105)

Sidey vs. Taveras Betting Trends

• Sidey makes his debut at UFC 297 following a 10-1 start to his career.
• Taveras, 9-2, is also debuting this weekend.
• Sidey has finished four of his last five opponents.
• Armfield owns an 88.9% finish rate.
• Sidey has an average fight time of 2:26.
• Taveras has an average fight time of 1:28.

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Gillian Robertson vs. Polyana Viana — Women’s Strawweight

Robertson vs. Viana Odds

• Gillian Robertson (-300)
• Polyana Viana (+240)

Robertson vs. Viana Round Total

• Over 2.5 Rounds (+120)
• Under 2.5 Rounds (-155)

Robertson vs. Viana Betting Trends

• Robertson is 3-4 in her last seven fights.
• Viana has lost five of her last eight outings.
• Robertson has submitted three of her last five opponents.
• Viana also has three finishes in her last five fights.
• Robertson is 7-4 in her 11 previous bouts as the favorite.
• Viana is 2-2 in her last four fights as the underdog.

UFC 297 Preview: Early Prelims Odds & Trends

Yohan Lainesse vs. Sam Patterson  — Welterweight

Lainesse vs. Patterson Odds

• Yohan Lainesse (-145)
• Sam Patterson (+120)

Lainesse vs. Patterson Round Total

• Over 1.5 Rounds (+115)
• Under 1.5 Rounds (-150)

Lainesse vs. Patterson Betting Trends

• Lainesse has lost two of three fights since joining the UFC.
• Patterson lost via first-round KO to Yanel Ashmoz in his debut at UFC 286.
• Lainesse owns a 66.7% finish rate.
• Patterson owns a 90.0% finish rate.
• Four of Lainesse’s last five fights featured a finish.
• Each of Patterson’s last four fights ended with a finish.

Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Priscila Cachoeira — Women’s Flyweight

Jasudavicius vs. Cachoeira Odds

• Jasmine Jasudavicius (-400)
• Priscila Cachoeira (+300)

Jasudavicius vs. Cachoeira Round Total

• Over 2.5 Rounds (-155)
• Under 2.5 Rounds (+120)

Jasudavicius vs. Cachoeira Betting Trends

• Jasudavicius is 3-2 since joining the UFC in 2022.
• Cachoeira is 4-5 in her last nine fights.
• Each of Jasudavicius’ last eight fights went the distance.
• Five of Cachoeira’s last six fights featured a finish.
• Jasudavicius has an average fight time of 15:00.
• Cachoeira has an average fight time of 9:15.

Malcolm Gordon vs. Jimmy Flick — Flyweight

Gordon vs. Flick Odds

• Malcolm Gordon (-195)
• Jimmy Flick (+160)

Gordon vs. Flick Round Total

• Over 1.5 Rounds (-105)
• Under 1.5 Rounds (-125)

Gordon vs. Flick Betting Trends

• Gordon is 2-4 in his last six fights.
• Flick is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his career.
• Gordon has been finished four times in his last six outings.
• Flick has been TKO’d in two straight outings, having not won since December 2020.
• Gordon has never fought as the favorite in the UFC.
• Flick is 0-2 in his last two outings as the underdog.

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UFC 297 Preview FAQ

When is UFC 297?

• UFC 297 will take place on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024.

Where is UFC 297?

• UFC 297 will take place at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON.

What time does UFC 297 start?

• Early Prelims Start: 6:30
• Preliminary Card Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
• Main Card Start Time: 10 p.m. ET

How can I watch UFC 297?

• Early prelims: ESPN+
• Preliminary card: ESPN+, ESPNDP
• Main card: ESPN+, pay-per-view

How can I bet on UFC 297?

• All of the top online sports betting sites will have UFC 297 odds, but here are some of the sites we recommend most for MMA betting enthusiasts.