Dricus du Plessis
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 02: Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa reacts during his middleweight bout against Brad Tavares during UFC 276 at T-Mobile Arena on July 02, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Carmen Mandato / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Home » Dricus du Plessis: Stats, facts, fight time for UFC title bout

Dricus du Plessis: Stats, facts, fight time for UFC title bout

Ahead of Dricus du Plessis’ UFC title fight this weekend, here is a recap of all the key details, stats and facts for fans to take note of.

By Craig Lewis
17-01-24 14:33
in Featured
Dricus du Plessis
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 02: Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa reacts during his middleweight bout against Brad Tavares during UFC 276 at T-Mobile Arena on July 02, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Carmen Mandato / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

South African superstar Dricus du Plessis will look to claim Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight gold when he faces Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 297, set for the Scotiabank Arena in Ontario, Canada, on Sunday morning (SA time).

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WATCH: Springboks rally around Dricus du Plessis

DRICUS DU PLESSIS STATS AND FACTS

  • Du Plessis (20-2), meanwhile, is unbeaten in the UFC since his series debut in October 2020
  • He has racked up six successive UFC wins to become the top contender in the division
  • Du Plessis earned his shot at the UFC middleweight title by defeating Australian Robert Whittaker in a second-round TKO in July
  • Du Plessis is aiming to become the first South African mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter to hold a title belt at the prestigious UFC level.
  • The 29-year-old from Pretoria is on an eight-fight winning streak, with the two other victories outside the UFC having been achieved at EFC Africa in Pretoria and KSW 50 in London
  • Du Plessis goes by the nickname ‘Stillknocks.’ The nickname stems from the drug Stilnox, which is another name for the sleeping pill commonly known as Ambien in the United States.
  • The middleweight championship will not be the only title on the line at UFC 297, with Raquel Pennington (15-8) and Mayra Bueno Silva (10-2-1, 1 NC) battling it out for the vacant women’s bantamweight belt.

WHAT TIME WILL THE BOUT TAKE PLACE?

The fight will headline the card on Saturday, 20 January, with the clash set to get under way around 10pm at the venue. However, due to the seven hour time difference between Canada and South Africa, viewers in Mzansi will only watch the bout after 5am on Sunday, 21 January.

ALSO READ: Dricus Du Plessis gets his title shot in January 2024

UFC 297 – 21 January

03:00 to 05:00 – Prelims

05:00 to 09:00 – Main Bouts

Channel

SuperSport Variety 4 (209)

UFC 297 – MAIN CARD

– Main event: Middleweight championship: Sean Strickland v Dricus du Plessis

– Co-main: Women’s bantamweight championship: Raquel Pennington v Mayra Bueno Silva

– Welterweight: Neil Magny v Mike Malott

– Middleweight: Chris Curtis v Marc-Andre Barriault

– Featherweight: Arnold Allen v Movsar Evloev

ALSO READ: Dricus du Plessis promises to keep the judges out of proceedings in Toronto

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