The UFC returned to Toronto tonight for its first pay-per-view event of 2024. The event was headlined by two championship fights but the story of the night was close fights resulting in a whole lot of split decisions and a very exciting night of fights.
Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of the night and break down the three fights we looked at in our UFC 297 preview.
Prelim Highlights
We had an absolute war early on in the night when Serhiy Sidey met Ramon Taveras in the octagon for a rematch. Taveras came missed weight by four lbs. for this contest so there was a bit of an asterisk on this meeting but these two guys put on a show. Sidey looked great early on, mixing things up well and connecting with a few good shots. In the second though, Taveras turned the tide and opened up a cut on his opponent. By the third, Sidey was covered in his own blood but he was also the one bringing the pressure and connecting with his strikes more. In the end though, the blood was enough to sway the judges and Taveras won a questionable split decision.
In one of the most bizarre moments in the octagon in recent memory, Sean Woodson and Charles Jourdain fought to a very close decision. It was a back and forth striking battle until Woodson scored a takedown late in the third. With neither fighter really separating themself form their opponent, it was clear we were heading to a razor thin decision. That’s when things got weird as Bruce Buffer announced the winner to be Woodson but it was Jourdain and his team who celebrated as the hometown crowd cheered for him. Woodson even hung his head and walked away before Daniel Cormier stopped him and informed him he had won the fight. Woodson explained that he didn’t even hear the name that was announced but when he saw Jourdain celebrate he assumed he had lost. Luckily DC was there to inform him of his victory. It was a truly strange moment.
And finally, we had another close decision in the featured prelim of the night between Brad Katona and Garrett Armfield. As Dominick Cruz said on commentary, these two guys mirrored each other perfectly and fought very similarly. They traded strikes back and forth for almost a full three rounds, with neither one really ever gaining a significant advantage. Late in the third, Katona scored a takedown but wasn’t really able to inflict any damage and Armfield made it to the final bell before being awarded another split decision victory.
Main Card Highlights
The main card kicked off with a big featherweight showdown between Arnold Allen and Movsar Evloev, with the winner putting themself in line for a championship opportunity. Allen found some success in the striking game early on but the undefeated Evloev showed once again that his grappling skills are the difference maker. He secured three takedowns in the first round and held on despite Allen’s attempts to roll out. The second round saw more strong grappling and while Allen nearly locked up a choke in the third. Evloev impressive escaped with a roll of his own and the fight went the distance. It was a fairly clear decision victory for Evloev who said after the fight he believes he is next in line for a featherweight title fight. And he might just be right about that.
A middleweight showdown between Chris Curtis and Marc-Andre Barriault proved to be largely uneventful in the early going, with both guys seeming content with an extended feeling out process. Curtis is known to be a counter striker and Barriault appeared to want to make Curtis fire first, resulting in a stalemate for the first round of this fight. In the second though, Curtis opened up a bit and brought some pressure but still couldn’t truly separate himself enough to be going into the third with any level of confidence. In the final round, both fighter were clearly exhausted and emptied their tanks looking for a finish. It was an entertaining final round, even if it was mostly sloppy punches being traded back and forth. Curtis took the split decision in what ended up being a fairly impressive performance, even if it’s not one you’ll see in his highlight reels in the future.
Neil Magny def. Mike Malott
This was a classic showdown of up-and-coming prospect vs gatekeeper. Malott had not lost in the octagon and won all of his fights by knockout or submission. Magny is a mainstay in the welterweight rankings, turning away those unworthy of climbing to the top. Early on, it was Malott who proved to be the stronger of the two. He clearly came in with a gameplan of using leg kicks to slow Magny down, but he also mixed in his grappling and put his opponent in some bad positions. A seasoned veteran, Magny remained calm and survived but found himself way behind on the scorecards in the third round. Malott scored another takedown but Magny returned the favor and got one of his own. Working again the clock, Magney eventually got to a dominant position and started dropping strikes. Malott suddenly looked exhausted and completely buckled under the pressure of Magny, who scored a TKO victory with just 12 second left. Had Malott made it to the final bell, he almost certainly would have won a decision. Instead, it’s another big victory for Magny.
My pick: Malott via decision
Result: Magny via 3rd round knockout
Raquel Pennington def. Mayra Bueno Silva
With the vacated women’s bantamweight championship on the line, Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva stepped into the octagon for the co-main event. It was a great stylistic matchup between a submission specialist and a scrappy striker with a lot of heart. Bueno Silva worked her grappling game early and often, taking Pennington’s back late in the first. It looked several times like Bueno Silva would end the fight with a submission but Pennington defended well again and again. Eventually, the tide turned and Pennington started to get the better of all of the exchanges as Bueno Silva began to fade. The cardio comparison was clearly an advantage for Pennington and she outlasted Bueno Silva. Pennington even locked in a choke of her own late in the fifth but wasn’t able to put her away, much to the dismay of the fans. It was a very strong championship performance for Pennington, even if it wasn’t the most entertaining fight. A bout with Julianna Pena seems to be next for Pennington and that should be a fun title fight.
My pick: Bueno Silva via 3rd round submission
Result: Pennington via decision
Dricus Du Plessis def. Sean Strickland
The Toronto crowd was very much in the corner of the champion Sean Strickland ahead of this main event showdown with Dricus Du Plessis. It was a very close, back-and-forth fight with Strickland likely taking the first round behind a strong jab. But as the fight went on, Du Plessis started to find his range more and more as he continuously pressured the champ and backed him up. Du Plessis was also able to mix in a few takedowns, an element that was never a part of Strickland’s game. Both guys appeared to be a bit fatigued by the fifth round, but by then Du Plessis had turned half of the crowd to chant his name. It was like a movie, with the audience backing both fighters for putting on such an exciting show. Both fighters were battered and bloody and still in the closing minute they stood in the pocket and threw punches looking for the finish. After going the distance, Bruce Buffer announced a split decision win for the new champion Dricus Du Plessis. After the fight, the new champ said he wants a fight with the old champ, Israel Adesanya.
My pick: Du Plessis via 3rd round knockout
Result: Du Plessis via decision
The UFC will return to ESPN+ on Saturday, February 3rd for UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov. Be sure to check back for a preview of the event.