Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis are ready to end the talking and get to the fighting.
Strickland and du Plessis are set to collide in the main event of UFC 297 Saturday night in Toronto for the UFC middleweight championship. After a roller coaster build that saw everything from personal trash talk, to an in-the-crowd skirmish at UFC 296, to eventually exchanging pleasantries during fight week, the headliners went face-to-face one last time — with Strickland not even stepping on the scale, and du Plessis being held back — at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins before giving their final thoughts on the matchup.
“I ain’t got no predictions,” du Plessis said. “Like they say, be careful what you wish for. He asked for death. Your wish has been granted, my friend.”
“I’m just surprised that Canada let me f****** have a microphone,” Strickland said. “But [we’re going] to f****** war for you guys. Let’s go f****** Canada.”
The fight that has drummed up more heat throughout the week is the co-main event for the vacant women’s bantamweight championship between Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva. Following an intense final faceoff, both women predicted their best efforts in their closing thoughts to UFC lead commentator Jon Anik.
“Tomorrow night, I promise, I will give it [my] all to you guys,” Bueno Silva said.
“Are you guys ready for a show?” Pennington asked the Toronto crowd.
This story originally appeared on MMA fighting