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The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Jan. 20 made its long-awaited return to Toronto with UFC 297, and while the card as a whole may not have lived up to expectations, fans at least got to witness history with the crowning of the promotion’s first-ever champion from South Africa.
Dricus Du Plessis defeated Sean Strickland by close split decision—48-47, 48-47, 47-48—in the five-round main event to capture the undisputed UFC middleweight title and end the Californian’s brief reign atop the division.