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UFC 297 Predictions: Strickland vs Du Plessis Preliminary Card and Prelims Picks & Odds
Written by: Devon Platana
Last Updated:
Read Time: 7 minutes
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It’s fight week and this time the best MMA fighters on the planet are heading north for UFC 297, airing live from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Saturday, Jan. 20. The majority of MMA enthusiasts are likely looking forward to the main card festivities, however, there are a ton of betting opportunities when it comes to the earlier fights, too.
Champ Sean Strickland and challenger Dricus Du Plessis both look SHREDDED at weigh-ins for Saturday's #UFC297 main event.
They put in the work for this one. ? pic.twitter.com/TVXHbQUXL4
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) January 19, 2024
As usual, the Betting News gang is here to help you make the most of your UFC betting experience, so let’s dive into my predictions and picks for this weekend’s preliminary and early prelims fights in Toronto.
UFC 297 Predictions: Strickland vs. Du Plessis Preliminary Card Odds & Picks
The UFC 297 preliminary card and early prelims odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of Friday, Jan. 19 at 11:30 a.m.
Brad Katona vs. Garrett Armfield Prediction — Bantamweight
- Brad Katona (-212)
- Garrett Armfield (+182)
After a brief UFC stint about five years ago, Brad Katona (13-2) made his return in style back in August, defeating Cody Gibson (via unanimous decision) to win The Ultimate Fighter 31 Bantamweight tournament. He’s now going up against Garrett Armfield (9-3), who’s coming off a first-round TKO win over Toshiomi Kazama.
As solid as Armfield can be at times, I’m sticking with Katona. The odds-on favorite has the benefit of fighting in his home country and owns a promising 4-1 record under the UFC umbrella. He’s also won five consecutive fights ahead of UFC 297, giving him a lot more momentum than Armfield, who hasn’t really proven himself at MMA’s highest level.
Considering how four of his last five victories came by going the distance, I won’t be surprised if Katona wins this one by points, too.
Katona vs. Armfield Pick: Katona via Points (+115)
Get 50% up to $1,000 on this pick over on BetOnline
Charles Jourdain vs. Sean Woodson Prediction — Featherweight
Canada’s Charles Jourdain (right) returns home for the first time since 2019 at UFC 297.
- Charles Jourdain (-214)
- Sean Woodson (+184)
Charles Jourdain (15-6-1) is another Canadian who’ll be in action this weekend after picking up wins over Kron Gracie and Ricardo Ramos in his last two fights. Standing in his way of more success is Sean Woodson (10-1-1), who boasts a solid 5-1-1 record since debuting back in 2019.
Even though Jourdain has the home crowd’s support, I’m not sure if it’ll be enough. Woodson certainly has the physical advantage, standing five inches taller with a whopping nine-inch reach edge. He also has the takedown defense (83%) to keep himself on his feet, which could frustrate Jourdain the longer this fight goes on. I’m not saying that an upset is guaranteed, but the odds might be a bit too generous in Jourdain’s favor for my liking.
In what should be an even matchup, go with a neutral approach by backing the fight to go the distance. Not only have both fighters gone the distance in four of their last six fights, but their respective average fight time is close to the 12-minute mark, suggesting a lengthier bout is likely in the cards.
Jourdain vs. Woodson Pick: Fight to Go the Distance — Yes (-130)
Serhiy Sidey vs. Ramon Taveras Prediction — Catchweight (139.75 lbs)
- Serhiy Sidey (-175)
- Ramon Taveras (+150)
Canada’s Serhiy Sidey (10-1) is set to make his UFC debut following a near-flawless start to his MMA career. Meanwhile, Ramon Taveras (9-2) will also have his first-ever PPV matchup after TKO’ing Cortavious Romious on Dana White’s Contender Series 2023.
Regardless of who emerges victorious from this bout, I’m sure it’ll be a hard-hitting contest. On top of these two fighters having 15 KO/TKO victories between them across 22 combined fights, Taveras averages a whopping 7.20 significant strikes per minute while Sidey lands a respectable 4.52.
With these fighters knowing how to dish out damage, I won’t be surprised if this fight doesn’t even make it out of Round 1. After all, three of Sidey’s last six fights ended in the first round — including two of the last three — while seven of Taveras’ 10 previous outings ended in the opening frame.
Sidey vs. Taveras Pick: Under 1.5 Rounds (-110)
Get 50% up to $1,000 on this pick over on BetOnline
Gillian Robertson vs. Polyana Viana Prediction — Women’s Strawweight
#UFC297 weigh-in results: Gillian Robertson (@savage_ufc) – (115.75)
Full coverage: https://t.co/GSrsW97Daa pic.twitter.com/WrlzByZuCh
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) January 19, 2024
- Gillian Robertson (-304)
- Polyana Viana (+254)
Gillian Robertson (12-8) sure could use some positivity after fighting to a 3-4 record in her last seven fights. The good news for her is that Polyana Viana (13-6) has also struggled to produce results, losing five of her last eight outings ahead of the UFC 297 prelims action.
While neither woman has the striking advantage of the other, Robertson is the better grappler, averaging 2.46 takedowns per minute with 41% accuracy compared to Viana’s marks of 0.93 and 33%. Robertson is also 7-4 in her last 11 fights as the favorite, whereas Viana has dropped two of her last three outings as the underdog.
As for the best bet, I’m taking Robertson to win via submission. She owns nine submission victories to her name, picking up three in her last five fights, while Viana just suffered a second-round submission loss in her latest outing.
Robertson vs. Viana Pick: Robertson via Submission (+140)
More UFC 297 Predictions & Best Bets
- UFC 297 Primer: Opening Odds, Schedule, How to Watch, & More
- Strickland vs. Du Plessis Main Event Predictions & Best Bets
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UFC 297 Predictions: Strickland vs. Du Plessis Early Prelims Odds & Picks
Yohan Lainesse vs. Sam Patterson Prediction — Welterweight
- Yohan Lainesse (-140)
- Sam Patterson (+120)
Yohan Lainesse (9-2) and Sam Patterson (10-2-1) have a lot to prove when they collide for this prelims bout. Canada’s Lainesse has dropped two of three fights since making his UFC debut while Patterson is coming off a first-round knockout loss to Yanal Ashmoz at UFC 286.
In a fight that could easily go either way, I’m taking Patterson to pull off the upset. Even though the 27-year-old Englishman lost his last bout, he had gone 10 straight fights without a loss before that. As for Lainesse, he hasn’t really looked at home at the UFC level, having been finished twice in three outings.
Instead of overcomplicating things, I’ll keep it simple: back Patterson to upset the hometown hero in what should be a thrilling welterweight clash.
Laineese vs. Patterson Pick: Patterson ML (+120)
Get 50% up to $1,000 on this pick over on BetOnline
Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Priscila Cachoeira Prediction — Women’s Flyweight
- Jasmine Jasudavicius (-370)
- Priscila Cachoeira (+295)
Jasmine Jasudavicius (9-3) is the clear-cut favorite in this women’s flyweight bout after going 5-2 in her last seven fights. Having said that, Priscila Cachoeira (12-5) isn’t exactly an easy opponent, as proven by a 4-2 record in her last six contests.
Jasudavicius tends to excel against opponents with a weaker grappling ability, which is exactly what she has in this fight. The 34-year-old Canadian averages 2.17 takedowns per 15 minutes and knows how to wear her opponents down on the mat, whereas Cachoeira was taken down three times before submitting to Miranda Maverick in her latest outing.
With the value that a submission victory bet brings, I’m willing to get risky by taking Jasudavicius to win this one by submission.
Jasudavicius vs. Cachoeira Pick: Jasudavicius via Submission (+400)
Malcolm Gordon vs. Jimmy Flick Prediction — Catchweight (127.5 lbs)
- Malcolm Gordon (-206)
- Jimmy Flick (+176)
Success hasn’t been on Malcolm Gordon’s (14-7) side lately, highlighted by a 2-4 record in his last six fights. Even then, he’s still the favorite against Jimmy Flick, who’s suffered back-to-back TKO losses to Charles Johnson and Alessandro Costa.
Truthfully, I’d avoid betting on this volatile fight. Neither fight can be trusted at the moment. Gordon has been finished four times in his six previous outings while Flick hasn’t even made it to the midway point of Round 2 in his latest two fights. The situation is just too unpredictable for me to choose one fighter over the other.
However, if you’re dead-set on getting in on the action, take the Under on the 1.5-round total. Ten of Gordon’s last 13 fights failed to make it beyond Round 1 while four of Flick’s last six contests ended in the opening frame.
Gordon vs. Flick Pick: Under 1.5 Total Rounds (-125)
UFC 297 Preview FAQ
When is UFC 297?
- UFC 297 will take place on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024.
Where is UFC 297?
- UFC 297 will take place at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON.
What time does UFC 297 start?
- Early Prelims Start: 6:30
- Preliminary Card Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Main Card Start Time: 10 p.m. ET
How can I watch UFC 297?
- Early prelims: ESPN+
- Preliminary card: ESPN+, ESPNDP
- Main card: ESPN+, pay-per-view
How can I bet on UFC 297?
- All of the top online sports betting sites will have UFC 297 odds, but here are some of the sites we recommend most for MMA betting enthusiasts.
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Devon is a Master of Journalism graduate who joined the sports betting world in 2020. His favorite leagues to cover are the NHL, NBA and NFL, and has a soft spot for fantasy football specifically. Outside of sports, he enjoys the finer things in life like pasta, live music and getting even more tattoos.
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