So far this year, fight fans have witnessed numerous events that have created some historic moments. And now, as the year comes to a close, UFC President Dana White has revealed the main events for the first three pay-per-view events of next year: UFC 297, 289, and 299. The first main event will be Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis. Let’s dive in and see the details of the first card of next year and see who might be featured in it, from Henry Cejudo to others.
UFC 297: Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis Might Feature Henry Cejudo And More
UFC President Dana White announced on Monday that Sean Strickland, the middleweight champion, is set to defend his title against Dricus Du Plessis on January 20. Strickland (28-5) will make his first title defense after defeating Israel Adesanya in September. The main event of UFC 297 in Toronto will be the 185-pound championship match.
Alexander Volkanovski vs Ilia Topuria were initially reported for the main event in Toronto. However, the promotion decided to move their fight to a pay-per-view event in February, securing the middleweight championship match for UFC 297.
Apart from that, reports suggest that Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo might face each other in January. Merab boasts an impressive nine-fight winning streak, while Cejudo, who made a return earlier this year, suffered a loss to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 and is now aiming to make a career comeback.
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Furthermore, Arnold Allen and Movsar Evloev are scheduled to have a fight on the same card. It’s worth noting that Cub Swanson was offered a bout but had to decline due to an injury. And recently, Ariel Helwani also reported Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic might be on the same card. Although the official event card hasn’t been confirmed yet, based on reports, these are three fights that appear to be set for the Sean Strickland vs. Du Plessis card.
UFC 297 Reported Updated Card
- Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis- UFC Middleweight Title
- Henry Cejudo vs Merab Dvalishvili
- Arnold Allen vs Movsar Evloev
- Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic
Editors pick
