Tag: Ufc Middleweight Title

Two new champions crowned at UFC 297

Posted on by Bryan Rose

New middleweight and women’s bantamweight champions were crowned at UFC 297.

In the main event of Saturday’s card, Dricus du Plessis defeated champion Sean Strickland by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) to become the new UFC middleweight champion in what ended up being a close contest. With the win, du Plessis became the first UFC champion from South Africa. The match was also awarded Fight of the Night.

After the fight, du Plessis called out former champion Israel Adesanya. Strickland, meanwhile, thanked Canada in his post-fight interview.

Strickland had been champion for 132 days, losing the title on his first defense. He defeated Adesanya at UFC 293 on September 10 of last year.

In the co-main event, Raquel Pennington defeated Mayra Bueno Silva by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-45) to win the UFC women’s bantamweight championship for the first time. In her post fight interview, Pennington said she had climbed up mountains to get here and for anyone that has people telling them they can’t chase their dreams, keep believing.

The women’s bantamweight title had become vacant when Amanda Nunes vacated both the women’s bantamweight and featherweight titles back in June of last year. 

Sean Strickland wins middleweight title at UFC 293

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Sean Strickland is the new UFC middleweight champion.

Strickland defeated Israel Adesanya by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) to win the middleweight championship for the first time. Adesanya had been champion for 155 days, defeating Alex Pereira at UFC 287 back in April of this year. 

After the decision was read, Strickland said he never thought in a million years that he would ever be here. He called Adesanya a “bad mother*****r”, saying that Adesanya beat a majority of his friends. He said the people of Australia motivated him, and their yelling fueled him.

Adesanya has been part of the middleweight title scene dating back to 2019, when he became the undisputed champion. He had held the title up until Pereira defeated him at UFC 281 on November 12 of last year, being knocked out in the fifth round of that fight. The only other loss in Adesanya’s career was a loss to Jan Blachowicz in March of 2021 for the UFC light heavyweight title, preventing him from becoming a double champion.