The latest UFC 297 odds are headlined by two title fights scheduled for the first PPV of 2024. This 12-fight card will take place at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Saturday, January 20th.
In the co-main event, Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva will go head-to-head for the vacant women’s bantamweight strap. Then, Dricus Du Plessis will challenge Sean Strickland in Strickland’s first attempt to defend his middleweight championship.
Continue reading to see the latest UFC odds for this exciting card from the top UFC betting sites. I will break down each fight on the main card and give you my UFC 297 predictions.
UFC 297 Odds
The following MMA betting odds are for the UFC 297 main card and courtesy of Bovada:
| Favorite | Underdog | Prediction |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Malott (-270) | Neil Magny (+212) | Mike Malott (-270) |
| Movsar Evloev (-165) | Arnold Allen (+137) | Arnold Allen (+137) |
| Mayra Bueno Silva (-165) | Raquel Pennington (+135) | Mayra Bueno Silva (-165) |
| (c)Sean Strickland (-125) | Dricus Du Plessis (+105) | Sean Strickland (c) (-125) |
The main card for UFC 297 only includes four fights, as two of the previously scheduled fights had to be canceled. Former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz was supposed to take on Aleksandar Rakic. However, Blachowicz was forced to withdraw due to a shoulder injury.
Former light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes was also supposed to be in action against Carlos Ulberg. Unfortunately, Ulberg was also forced to withdraw due to injury.
Where to Bet on UFC 297
UFC 297 is the first PPV and second event of the year for the UFC. As a result, bookmakers are pulling out all the stops for this highly-anticipated event.
The sportsbook that I recommend using for betting on UFC 297 is Bovada. It has dozens of betting markets for every fight on this exciting card. This online sportsbook also has great sports betting bonuses, as well as props and parlay builders that give you more control over your UFC betting ticket.
UFC 297 Predictions
The following UFC 297 predictions are for the Main Card. For the full UFC 297 card predictions, check the table below.
Mike Malott (-350) vs. Neil Magny (+212)
The UFC 297 main card starts with a welterweight fight between Mike Malott and Neil Magny. Malott (10-1-1) is listed as a -350 favorite heading into this fight.
Magny (28-11) is entering his 32nd UFC fight and will have the clear experience advantage. However, the UFC veteran has struggled as of late. Magny is just 2-3 in his last five fights and has been submitted twice during that stretch.
Malott is 3-0 in the UFC and has finished six straight opponents. Four of his last six wins have come via submission. I think Malott’s submission skills will be the difference-maker in this fight and will help him move to 4-0 in the octagon.
Movsar Evloev (-165) vs. Arnold Allen (+160)
Arnold Allen (19-2) and Movsar Evloev (17-0) are also scheduled to square off at this event. The undefeated Evloev is a slight favorite in the latest UFC 297 odds. However, I think that Allen (+160) can put the first blemish on Evloev’s record.
Evloev has earned just seven of his 17 career wins by finishing his opponent. The other 10 have come via judges’ decision, nine of which were unanimous. Letting a guy like Allen hang around could prove to be Evloev’s undoing.
Allen has 11 total finishes in his career, including four in the first round. He is also coming off his first UFC loss at the hands of Max Holloway last April. The loss ended a 12-fight winning streak for Allen.
I think that loss will add extra motivation for Allen, and he will come out aggressive in this fight. Both of his career losses have come via decision, too, so he will have plenty of motivation to keep this fight out of the judges’ hands.
Mayra Bueno Silva (-168) vs. Raquel Pennington (+135)
The co-main event will be the women’s bantamweight title, which has been vacant since Amanda Nunes retired last June. Mayra Bueno Silva (-168) is the slight favorite over Raquel Pennington (+141) in this fight.
Pennington (15-8) has won five consecutive fights heading into this co-main event. Her last loss came at the hands of Holly Holm at UFC 246.
Bueno Silva (10-2-1) is 3-0, 1 NC in her last four fights and has submitted two opponents during that stretch. She has seven submission wins in her career, including six in the first round. Her two losses in her career both came via unanimous decision.
I think Bueno Silva’s submission skills give her a clear advantage in this fight. It is a question of when, not if, her grappling skills will come into play. I believe Bueno Silva should be able to submit Pennington and become the new bantamweight champion.
(c) Sean Strickland (-140) vs. Dricus Du Plessis (+105)
There is also a title fight scheduled for the main event of UFC 297. Middleweight champion Sean Strickland (-140) is a slight favorite hedging into his first title defense. The challenger, Dricus Du Plessis, is listed at +113 in the latest MMA odds at Bovada.
Strickland (28-5) and Du Plessis (20-2) were both in the crowd for UFC 296. The two came to blows and had to be separated by security.
Du Plessis has won eight straight fights heading into this championship bout. He has finished seven of his opponents during that streak and is undefeated so far in the UFC. Du Plessis has 19 finishes in his career, including nine KOs and 10 submission wins.
Strickland is riding a three-fight win streak that includes his decision win over Israel Adesanya to win the middleweight belt. He has 11 KO wins and will need to lean on his striking to have a chance at retaining his belt. I would not be surprised if De Plessis wins, but I am sticking with Strickland for this fight.
Best UFC 297 Bets
There are tons of exciting ways to bet on the upcoming UFC 297 card. Here are a few of the bets that I highly recommend for this event:
Arnold Allen vs. Movsar Evloev Under 2.5 Rounds (+255)
Bovada has the over/under for Allen vs. Evloev listed at 2.5 rounds. As I mentioned above, I think Allen will do everything he can to avoid a decision in this fight.
The under in this Total Rounds wager is listed at +255, and it is the side I would bet on. An aggressive Allen could overwhelm Evloev early on in this fight. It could also cost Allen and leave him open to a well-timed counter from Evloev, either way the under would hit.
Mike Malott Defeats Neil Magny (-350)
Malott has been a force since he joined the UFC in 2022. He earned his contract with an impressive first-round guillotine submission on Dana White’s Contender Series. A win over the 13th-ranked Magny should put Malott in the Top 15.
There is no denying Malott’s hot start to his UFC career. Magny will be a good test for the up-and-coming welterweight. However, there is a reason why Malott’s odds have shortened from -370 to -350 in the last week.
Magny’s recent slide is another reason why I am siding with Malott in this fight. Magny is just 4-4 in his last eight fights. Two of those wins easily could have been losses as they came via split decisions.
Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis Does Not Go the Distance (-260)
Bovada has the main event middleweight title fight between Strickland and Du Plessis listed at +190 to go the distance. Since this is a championship fight, this bout is scheduled for five, five-minute rounds.
There is plenty of motivation for both fighters heading into this fight. This bout could be over inside of three rounds, let alone five. I would take the “no” option for this bet, which is currently available at -260.
The over/under is listed at 1.5 rounds, which is low for a five-round fight. Even if the over hits on the total rounds bet, this fight could still end well before the judges are needed.
UFC 297 Full Card
Before the four-fight main card, there are eight exciting prelim fights scheduled for UFC 297. Here is the full UFC 297 card, with the latest UFC odds and our predictions for each fight:
| Favorite | Underdog | Prediction |
|---|---|---|
| Jasmine Jasudavicius (-400) | Priscila Cachoeira (+315) | Jasmine Jasudavicius (-400) |
| Charles Jourdain (-170) | Sean Woodson (+151) | Sean Woodson (+151) |
| Yohan Lainesse (-145) | Sam Patterson (+120) | Yohan Lainesse (-145) |
| Malcolm Gordon (-140) | Jimmy Flick (+115) | Malcolm Gordon (-140) |
| Chris Curtis (-174) | Marc-Andre Barriault (+145) | Marc-Andre Barriault (+145) |
| Serhiy Sidey (-175) | Ramon Taveras (+147) | Serhiy Sidey (-175) |
| Gillian Robertson (-240) | Polyana Viana (+190) | Polyana Viana (+190) |
| Brad Katona (-180) | Garrett Armfield (+153) | Brad Katona (-180) |
| Mike Malott (-270) | Neil Magny (+212) | Mike Malott (-270) |
| Movsar Evloev (-165) | Arnold Allen (+137) | Arnold Allen (+137) |
| Mayra Bueno Silva (-165) | Raquel Pennington (+135) | Mayra Bueno Silva (-165) |
| Sean Strickland (c) (-125) | Dricus Du Plessis (+105) | Sean Strickland (c) (-125) |
What Are Your UFC 297 Predictions?
The first PPV of the year for UFC fans is UFC 297, which is scheduled for Saturday, January 20th, at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Check out the list above to see the latest UFC 297 odds and predictions. Then, head over to Bovada to place all of your wagers for this upcoming MMA event.
