UFC 297 Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis full fight card details: Start time, venue, how to watch and more

UFC 297 officially kicks off the 2024 pay-per-view schedule for the MMA leader, who will look to build momentum as they approach their milestone event this coming April.

The event is scheduled to take place this Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada. It will mark the promotion's first event in Toronto since 2018 when they hosted UFC 231 at the same venue.

With UFC 297 taking place in North America, fans won't have to make any adjustments to their viewing habits. The early prelims kick off on ESPN+ at 6:30 pm ET / 3:30 pm PT, followed by the prelims on ESPN+ at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT, and finally the main card on pay-per-view.

After their animosity reached a breaking point during last month's season press conference, Dricus du Plessis and reigning middleweight champion Sean Strickland will have an opportunity to settle the score in the main event. They had a heated exchange during that press conference, which led them to fight in the crowd the following night at UFC 296.

The event will see the promotion usher in a new era for their women's 135-pound division as Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva compete for the vacant women's bantamweight championship in the co-main event. Former champion Amanda Nunes announced her retirement and relinquished the title last year, so the promotion will finally crown a new champion.

The Canadian fans could be in for a big moment at UFC 297 as Burlington, Ontario native Mike Malott looks to crack into the welterweight rankings when he fights veteran Neil Magny. 'Proper' is currently riding a six-fight winning streak, while 'The Haitian Sensation' is coming off his loss to Ian Garry.

Rounding out the main card will be a middleweight clash between Canadian Marc-Andre Barriault and Chris Curtis and Arnold Allen vs. Movsar Evloev. Canada will be well represented as a number of Canadian fighters, including Charles Jourdain, Gillian Robertson, and Jasmine Jasudavicius, are all in action in the prelims.

It will be interesting to see what the promotion has in store for their first pay-per-view event of 2024 and whether they will be making any announcements pertaining to UFC 300 or the Hall of Fame during the broadcast.

Check out the UFC 297 main event promo below: