January 20, 2024
UFC 297 Title Fight – Du Plessis Defeats Strickland
On January 20, 2024 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Dricus Du Plessis defeated Sean Strickland by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) to win the UFC middleweight title. The fight served as the sanctioned, in-cage continuation of a public rivalry that began days earlier [7][2].
Quick Facts
What Happened
The UFC 297 main event took place on January 20, 2024 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, pitting then-champion Sean Strickland against challenger Dricus Du Plessis [7]. After five rounds, the judges scored the bout 48-47, 47-48, 48-47, resulting in a split decision victory for Du Plessis and a title change that awarded him the UFC middleweight championship [7]. In post-fight remarks Du Plessis said, 'January 20th is the start of a new era,' framing the win as a career milestone [7]. The event followed a public sequence of pre-fight provocation (Dec. 15 press conference) and a crowd altercation (Dec. 16) that had intensified media attention and emotional narratives surrounding the matchup [6][3]. Coaches and corners prepared with awareness of the personal history between the fighters; Strickland’s head coach Eric Nicksick discussed conversations to keep Strickland from fighting emotionally, demonstrating the psychological impact the earlier incidents had on fight preparation [9].
What They Said
“Dricus Du Plessis defeats Sean Strickland by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47).”
“January 20th is the start of a new era.”
“From a coach’s side, I told him, 'I don’t want you to fight this fight emotionally because I think that favors Dricus and takes us out of our game plan.' He said, 'No, you’re right,' and that was really it.”
Why It Matters
The Jan. 20 title fight converted the interpersonal dispute into an official competitive outcome: Du Plessis’ split-decision win is recorded on official scorecards and changed the division’s championship status [7]. Given the provocation and crowd brawl that preceded the bout, the fight's result carried both sporting consequences (title change) and narrative consequences—Du Plessis’ victory was framed as vindication by some observers and as the competitive resolution of a feud that began with a very personal press-conference remark [6][3][7].
What Happened Next
Following the title change at UFC 297, Du Plessis assumed the middleweight championship and publicly characterized the moment as the beginning of a new phase in his career—'January 20th is the start of a new era'—in post-fight comments [7]. The fight did not end public discussion about the prior press conference and crowd incident; both fighters continued to be associated with the events of December 15–16 in media narratives. The rivalry later produced a rematch at UFC 312 on Feb. 8, 2025, where Du Plessis again prevailed and retained the title [8].