TORONTO — On the eve of their UFC 297 middleweight championship main event, tension between champion Sean Strickland and challenger Dricus Du Plessis remains simmering where previously it had boiled over completely.
The pre-fight hype for this anticipated 185-pound title fight and the UFC’s return to Canada ramped up in mid-December after Strickland attacked Du Plessis in the stands during UFC 296 in Las Vegas as both sat cage side watching the final UFC event of 2023.
“Anyone who thinks that was fake or staged, I wasn’t informed of that,” Du Plessis joked earlier this week.
The incident stemmed from some nasty verbal exchanges between the fighters at a press conference that week, the most pointed comments revolving around Strickland’s abusive childhood he had previously discussed publicly.
It was a focused topic of conversation as the athletes arrived in Toronto this week. Du Plessis even expressed some concerns Strickland could sabotage the fight with another unprofessional and impulsive, not to mention illegal, action.
The champion began the week talking openly on a podcast about making a threat to Du Plessis in a direct message following the UFC 296 incident. Du Plessis elaborated on that DM from December where Strickland warned that if his family or abusive childhood was mentioned again before UFC 297: “I’ll kill you and ruin your life and mine way before we step into the cage.”
The heat between the two competitors cooled ever so slightly as the week progressed and not merely due to the frigid January weather.
Strickland and Du Plessis had a cordial encounter at the fighter hotel early Wednesday, seemingly suggesting the brief tussle at T-Mobile Arena and the cutting remarks are water under the bridge. It was evident at a wild press conference Thursday when Strickland asked the noisy Toronto fans to stop booing his opponent.
“This man’s a warrior,” Strickland said of Du Plessis. “We’re going to fight hard for you guys. Applaud him and encourage him because we want a war.”
Strickland made several fashion statements throughout the week, including wearing T-shirts that read “A Woman in Every Kitchen…A Gun in Every Hand” and “Make Canada Great Again.”
His wardrobe Friday at Scotiabank Arena during the ceremonial weigh-ins was subdued. No additional statements necessary. The champ, who has said multiple times this week that he’s willing to die in the cage, has done all the talking he needs to prior to the fight.
Strickland simply pumped up the fans and pledged he and Du Plessis would go to war headlining the first UFC event in Toronto since 2018.
“I’m just surprised that Canada they (expletive) let me have a microphone,” Strickland shouted at the boisterous spectators. “For you guys! To (expletive) war! For you guys! Let’s go (expletive) Canada.”
Save for a handful of opinionated rants that went viral and rubbed many people the wrong way, Strickland has maintained his composure relatively well during fight week and the Canadian fans have embraced the brash American with open arms.
The 32-year-old from California made weight Friday without issue and is officially set for his first title defence since upsetting former champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in September and turning the middleweight division on its head. The Xtreme Couture product who has thrived under trainer Eric Nicksick took his time strolling up to the stage Friday and paused for several seconds with a smirk as he stared down Du Plessis.
Strickland’s South African opponent, shredded like a comic book superhero, had been playing up to the booing crowd moments prior. Du Plessis stepped on the scale an even 184 pounds, one pound under championship weight. At one point Du Plessis marched towards Strickland on the stage to hurry the staredown, but UFC president Dana White and security were around to ensure nothing escalated.
“I ain’t got no predictions,” Du Plessis told UFC announcer Jon Anik through a sea of boos before coldly adding: “But like they say, be careful what you wish for. He asked for death, your wish has been granted my friend.”
Although not garnering nearly as much attention as the middleweight headliners, co-main event competitors Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva have shown plenty of vitriol towards one another this week.
They will fight for the vacant women’s bantamweight title Amanda Nunes left up for grabs after retiring from the sport last summer at UFC 289 in Vancouver.
This is just the second women’s 135-pound championship fight that has not featured either Nunes or Ronda Rousey — the other was when Miesha Tate beat Holly Holm.
The stoic Pennington didn’t have anything to add on Friday, conducting herself with the quiet confidence of a veteran looking to make good on her second chance at UFC gold.
Bueno Silva, meanwhile, is hoping to take over from her Brazilian compatriot and carve out a legacy in the sport the way Nunes did.
“I love this place. I love this country,” Bueno Silva yelled to the fans in her broken English. “Tomorrow, I promise I will give a war for everybody.”
The biggest pop from the crowd Friday prior to Strickland’s arrival went to hometown hero Mike Malott.
Scotiabank Arena sounded as if the Toronto Maple Leafs had just scored a goal and chants of “Mikey! Mikey!” rang out when the rising welterweight star stepped on stage to square off with opponent Neil Magny.
The Waterdown, Ont., native has embraced his role as the new unofficial face of mixed martial arts in Canada. Malott is the biggest betting favourite on the main card and can move into the top 15 at 170 pounds with a victory.
The atmosphere all week in Toronto has been spirited, to say the least. A rabid local UFC fan base has gone more than five years without a live event rolling into town and the pent-up energy and enthusiasm was palpable at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins just 24 hours before the preliminary action is set to begin.
Prior to the weigh-ins, former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, plus Canadian MMA legends Mark Hominick and Sam Stout, participated in a Q&A with fans and media in attendance. Hominick and Stout both singled out Malott when asked about the current crop of high-level mixed martial artists coming out of Canada.
With nine Canadians on tap to compete at UFC 297, the atmosphere on fight night could end up having some “home vs. away” vibes just like Friday’s weigh-ins.
Brazil’s Priscila Cachoeira egged on the booing crowd before they went wild for Jasmine Jasudavicius.
Yohan Lainesse didn’t want his stare down with England’s Sam Patterson to end and “White Lion” let out a roar and a “let’s go!” that fired up the hundreds of fans in attendance.
Ramon Taveras held his finger to his mouth to tell the crowd to shush before Serhiy Sidey was welcomed and cheered on while donning a dual Ukrainian-Canadian flag to honour his heritage.
Garrett Armfield screamed in Brad Katona’s face as the two-time Ultimate Fighter winner calmly grinned back.
England’s Arnold Allen, who trains out of Tristar Gym in Quebec, got a reception like an honourary Canadian ahead of his massive featherweight bout with undefeated Russian Movsar Evloev.
Not all fighters had a clean weight cut Friday morning.
Flyweight Malcolm Gordon and bantamweight Ramon Taveras both missed weight and will be fined a percentage of their purses. Gordon missed by 1.5 pounds and will forfeit 20 per cent of his earnings to opponent Jimmy Flick, while Taveras will forfeit 30 per cent to Sidey for missing the mark by nearly four pounds.
UFC 297 is the organization’s first event in Toronto since UFC 231 and seventh since UFC 129. Dana White announced Thursday the event is expected to be a sellout crowd of more than 18,000 fans and the card set a new Scotiabank Arena gate record for a UFC event, previously held by UFC 140.
Official weigh-in results for UFC 297 from earlier in the day:
MAIN CARD
• Sean Strickland (184.75) vs Dricus Du Plessis (184)
• Raquel Pennington (134.8) vs Mayra Bueno Silva (135)
• Neil Magny (170.75) vs Mike Malott (170.5)
• Chris Curtis (185.5) vs Marc-Andre Barriault (184.5)
• Arnold Allen (145.5) vs Movsar Evloev (145.75)
PRELIMINARY CARD
• Brad Katona (136) vs Garrett Armfield (135.25)
• Charles Jourdain (145.5) vs Sean Woodson (145.5)
• Serhiy Sidey (135) vs Ramon Taveras (139.75)*
• Gillian Robertson (115.75) vs Polyana Viana (115.75)
• Yohan Lainesse (170.75) vs Sam Patterson (169.5)
• Jasmine Jasudavicius (133) vs Priscila Cachoeira (133.5)
• Malcolm Gordon (127.5)* vs Jimmy Flick (126)