The UFC heads to Ontario, Canada this weekend for the first pay-per-view of the year. UFC 297 is headlined by unlikely champion Sean Strickland who faces Dricus Du Plessis. In the co-main Mayra Bueno Silva takes on Raquel Pennington for Amanda Nunes’ vacant women’s Bantamweight belt and Arnold Allen looks to bounce back into the win column against Featherweight contender Movsar Evloev.
We take a look at the best bets on the UFC 297 card below!
UFC 297 Preview & Betting Tips
Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis
Sean Strickland in my opinion is one of the weakest male UFC champs we have seen in the last few years. He marches forward and doesn’t move his head as much as people are led to believe. Dricus Du Plessis is far from the greatest fighter I have ever seen but his striking is going to cause all sorts of issues for Strickland. He caught Rob Whittaker clean and I believe the Australian would make a mockery of Strickland.
Strickland isn’t a finisher and since sorting out his breathing Du Plessis now has a gas tank, making him a dangerous proposition for anyone over five rounds. The South African gets it done and with a vicious finish. If this fight happened prior to Strickland beating Israel Adesanya, I am certain Du Plessis would be an overwhelming favourite, making this betting prospect all the more juicier.
Dricus Du Plessis to win
$2 (3 Units)
Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
I hate this fight personally with no disrespect to either woman but the UFC needs to get the women’s Bantamweight division moving again after Amanda Nunes set down her gloves. Raquel Pennington is a veteran of the sport but has a rather unlikeable grinding style. She is currently riding a five-fight win streak and most of her fights turn into a battle of attrition.
Mayra Bueno Silva on the other hand frequently looks like she is losing fights before throwing up a submission from her back. She used to fight a weight class lower and will be giving up a lot of size to Pennington. The Brazilian will have her chances to finish this fight but I believe Pennington will once more bite down on her mouthpiece and tough it out until Bueno Silva wilts.
Raquel Pennington to win
$1.60 (3 Units)
Charles Jourdain vs. Sean Woodson
Charles Jourdain comes into this weekend’s fight against Sean Woodson on the back of wins over Kron Gracie and Ricardo Ramos in 2023. Woodson is 4-1-1 in the UFC and will have a whopping nine-inch reach advantage in this fight. While Jourdain is more likely to land the killer blow, over three rounds I see Woodson landing more often and getting ahead on the judges’ scorecards. I believe this will be contested almost exclusively on the feet and I believes there Woodson holds a slight advantage. I was shocked to see Woodson open a sizeable underdog as I have him rated around the $1.80 mark and I am keen to take advantage of that.
Sean Woodson to win
$3 (2 Units)
