UFC schedule: Which is the next event after Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis PPV? 

This weekend marks the UFC's first premium event of the year as Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis kicks off an exciting 2024 pay-per-view schedule for the MMA promotion.

Strickland and du Plessis will headline UFC 297, with 'Tarzan' hoping he can once again put on the performance of his career to defeat the South African and make his first title defence.

The pay-per-view takes place on Jan. 20, 2024, at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Following UFC 297, the UFC returns to the Apex facility in Las Vegas for UFC Vegas 85.

Two more middleweights will once again headline the night as the No.8-ranked Roman Dolidze takes on the No.11-ranked Nassourdine Imavov. Both men are vying to push up the rankings and a win for either man is almost certain to give them a chance at a top five opponent next time out.

A lightweight bout will co-headline the night, as the heavy-hitting Drew Dober takes on submission artist Renato Moicano. Dober recently bounced back from his loss to Matt Frevola by earning another Performance of the Night bonus against Ricky Glenn for his first-round finish.

For Moicano, the Brazilian will return to the octagon for the first time since 2022, with injuries continually keeping him away from the cage during the entirety of last year.

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Sean Strickland explains why he doesn't watch tape on opponents

Sean Strickland has revealed that he never uses footage of an opponent to help him prepare for a fight against them.

'Tarzan' is one of the most unconventional fighters on the roster, often racking up the most time spent sparring compared to anybody else in the organization. Joe Rogan has regularly highlighted that fact whilst calling his fights, noting that he also absorbs far less strikes than any other fighter whilst training too.

In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Sean Strickland provided some details about his unconcentional fight preparations by revealing he doesn't study his opponents' fight footage.

According to 32-year-old, the reason he doesn't is because of his selt-esteem issues. He explained:

“I don’t watch fights. [Do you watch your opponent though?] No, no. Low self-esteem, you know. It just kind of builds up in me. I’m like, 'You f*****g suck! You’re a loser, you shouldn’t have won that fight!' So I just ignore it. [So do you just leave all the game planning to your coaches then?] I forget that I’m fighting. Like I don’t even think about it. It’s just another day. Not one bit [think about my opponent]. I think about my weight cut... At the end of the day, it’s in the hands of God.”

Catch Sean Strickland's comments here (4:20):