Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to stage its next pay-per-view (PPV) event later TONIGHT (Sat., Feb. 17, 2024) from inside Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., featuring a Featherweight title fight between division champion, Alexander Volkanovski, defending his belt against Ilia Topuria. In the co-main event, former UFC Middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker, will face off against Brazilian powerhouse Paulo Costa in a pivotal fight at 185 pounds.
What’s Hot:
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Alexander Volkanovski finds himself in very unfamiliar territory having lost two of his last three fights. Granted, his two defeats were at Lightweight, coming up short on two occasions against division king, Islam Makhachev. While “The Great” says he still has his eyes on the 155-pound strap, he has more pressing business at Featherweight as he is set to defend his belt against Ilia Topuria. Despite his setbacks, Volkanovski is still undefeated at 145 pounds under the UFC banner, winning all 13 of his fights, which includes five consecutive title defenses. Getting number six, however, will be a tall task to say the least because he is facing a young, promising contender ready to make his imprint on the division.
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Ilia Topuria has only been fighting under the UFC banner for 3.5 years. But in that time he has risen the ranks at 145 pounds thanks to six straight wins, improving his overall undefeated record to 14-0. Along the way he took out a promising contender in Bryce Mitchell (highlights), before getting through a grizzled veteran in Josh Emmett. Now ranked No. 3 in the world, Topuria has the chance to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a UFC champion. And he doesn’t lack the confidence to do so, already going as far as changing his social media handles info suggesting that he is champion. He has big goals for himself, which has drawn the comparison to Conor McGregor according to one former UFC champion. But he still has to deliver in the biggest fight of his career, and he has shown he can do that. Still, facing contenders is one thing, getting locked into the cage against the dominate champion is quite another. Topuria will have to be on his “A” game in all facets against Volkanovski because he has great wrestling, outstanding striking and is as powerful as any 145-pounder in the division. Sure, Makhachev may have laid out a blueprint, but he had size and weight in his side, Topuria does not. This is a pivotal contest for Volkanovski, too, because a convincing loss could change the trajectory of his fighting future.
What’s Not:
In all honesty, there really isn’t a whole lot to complain about when it comes to this card. The main card is very solid and the undercard portion of the event is filled with several intriguing matchups, which should make for a very interesting night of fights.
Original Card vs. Actual Card
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Tai Tuivasa and Marcin Tybura were set to throw down on this card before it was moved to headline a Fight Night event on March 16, 2024. Ikram Aliskerov was forced out of his scheduled fight against Anthony Hernandez with an illness, allowing Roman Kopylov to step in. Yusaku Kinoshita was inexplicably removed from his scheduled Welterweight collision against Danny Barlow and was replaced by Josh Quinlan.
Injuries:
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Tatiana Suarez was once again sidelined by an unfortunate injury, forcing her out of her scheduled bout against Amanda Lemos, which gave way for Mackenzie Dern to step in to fill the void. It’s another tough setback for Suarez’s ascension, as injuries have riddled her progression throughout her UFC career. Brady Hiestand suffered an undisclosed injury and was forced out of his fight against Rinya Nakamura. Stepping in to take his place is UFC newcomer Carlos Vera. Tresean Gore suffered a shoulder injury, forcing the cancellation of his Middleweight bout against A.J. Dobson.
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Also, Justin Tafa was forced out of his scheduled Heavyweight fight against Marcos Rogerio de Lima after he suffered an injury right before headed to weigh in. As a result of this injury, Tafa’s younger brother, Junior Tafa, agreed to step in on super-short notice to face de Lima. Junior is coming off a first-round knockout win over Parker Porter (see it again here), and if he gets a win here is stock will surely take a big bump up. Tafa was in line to face Karl Williams next month, but the result of this current fight will likely decide if that bout goes on as planned.
New Blood:
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After earning a majority decision win over Kaik Brito on the Contender Series in Aug. 2023, Oban Elliott will get his chance to shine in his official UFC debut when he battles Valentin Woodburn, who suffered a first-round stoppage loss to Bo Nickal in his own UFC debut, Granted, Woodburn took the fight on short notice, so we can’t knock him for that too bad. Now he had time to prepare for his fight and has the chance to show his stuff. But Elliott will be coming in red hot having won his last five fights.
Thanks to a first-round TKO win over Raheam Forest on the Contender Series, Danny Barlow earned a spot on the UFC roster. Undefeated at 7-0, “Left Hand 2 God” has five finishes on his resume after making his pro debut just two years ago. He will be taking on Josh Quinlan, who is coming off a loss to Trey Waters six months ago.
Brendson Ribeiro is currently on a three-fight win streak and is out to prove his worth after an impressive performance on the Contender Series, stopping Bruno Lopes via first-round knockout. He will be taking on Mingyang Zhang, who is scorching hot with nine straight wins.
Carlos Vera will bring his four-fight win streak — all under the Fury FC banner — with him to the eight-sided cage to take on Rinya Nakamura in his official UFC debut. It truly is a tough first test for Vera because Nakamura is 8-0, 4-0 UFC. Nakamura only made his pro debut two years ago but has really shown he can perform well on the biggest stage of them all. If Vera can secure himself a big win against “Hybrid” in his first official UFC fight, it will put him on the map right away.
How The ‘Prelims’ Look:
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We have already discussed three of the contests taking place on the undercard in our “New Blood” section, so let’s take a look at the other half of the “prelims,” shall we?
Mackenzie Dern did UFC a solid by agreeing to step in for an injured Tatiana Suarez against a very-dangerous Amanda Lemos, Dern is coming off a technical knockout (TKO) loss at the hands of Jessica Andrade. The loss was detrimental to the jiu-jitsu ace not only because it set her back in the rankings, but it really exposed her standup, which was flat-out horrible in the fight. She will look to correct that against Lemos, who is no slouch on the feet. Lemos came up short in her bid to win the women’s Strawweight belt, losing to Zhang Weili via unanimous decision at UFC 292. We have been waiting for Dern to take that next step in her career for a while now, and a win over Lemos will definitely be a step in the right direction. Another loss, however, will pretty much keep her at gatekeeper status.
Currently on a nine-fight win streak, Mingyang Zhang has proven he is all about putting on a show, winning all of those bouts in the very first round, seven via knockout and two via submission. He is coming in with a first-round knockout win over George Tokkos at Road to UFC Singapore, and now he is set to make his official UFC debut against another UFC newcomer in Brendson Ribeiro. Speaking of which, “The Gorilla” earned his spot on the UFC roster with blistering performance on the Contender Series, stopping Bruno Lopes via strikes.
Who Needs A Win Badly:
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Andrea Lee got off to a promising start to her UFC career, winning her first three fights with the promotion. From there, it’s been nothing but bad news for for “KGB.” She went on to lose three straight, before bouncing back with back-to-back wins over Antonina Shevchenko and Cynthia Calvillo. But things went downhill in a hurry, losing here last three fights, which adds up to an abysmal 5-6 record inside the Octagon. Ahead of her fight against Miranda Maverick, Lee is in a must-win situation because if she suffers her fourth straight defeat she could be done with the promotion.
Interest Level: 9/10
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Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa will finally be able to get down to business inside the Octagon when the two co-headline the star-studded event in a Middleweight bout that could have major title implications. Whittaker is looking to rebound after a tough knockout defeat at the hands of current division champion, Dricus du Plessis, which earned “Stillknocks” his shot at winning gold. That was just the second time “The Reaper” has been stopped in the Middleweight division, the other time being against Israel Adesanya, which cost him his title. Whittaker finds himself in very unfamiliar territory having lost two of his last three fights, so getting a win at UFC 298 is of the utmost importance because another defeat could have him contemplating a change in weight classes.
Costa, meanwhile, will be stepping foot inside the Octagon for the first time since Aug. 2022. The hulking Brazilian has been on the sidelines after bailing on his scheduled bout against Whittaker a UFC 284, and then against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294. There were a few in the business who predicted Costa would withdraw from this fight, yet again, but thankfully the new million-dollar man will be live and present to take care of business. On paper, Costa looks like the more powerful striker, but Whittaker is sneaky-good when it comes to going toe-to-toe. His punches come out of nowhere, while Costa tends to stick to a more traditional style, though he always throws with ill intentions and one good hit can turn anyone’s lights out. The winner of this fight could very well set himself up for the next shot at the Middleweight title.
Ian Machado Garry and Geoff Neal have a beef to settle. Garry drew the ire of Neal after he used his mugshot on a t-shirt, mocking his previous legal troubles. Neal took it personal because he was being nothing but cordial toward the Irish star, and now he will have his opportunity to put hands on him after their initial booking at UFC 292 went up in flames. As for Garry, he hasn’t endeared himself to fans after giving off the impression that while he is quick to dish out the trash talk, he isn’t one to man up and take it. Indeed, Garry has been on the recipient end of some very harsh criticism from fans and fighters alike due to his personal life. All of that aside, Garry is one of the brightest young stars on the UFC roster, and is 6-0 inside the Octagon, 13-0 overall. He has the potential to be a star with the promotion and a win over Neal puts him further up the ladder in the rankings, where he currently sits at No. 10.
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Merab Dvalishvili has been very patient when it comes to getting his title shot, which a lot had to do with the fact that his teammate, Aljamain Sterling, was sitting at the top of the Bantamweight division. But now that “Funkmaster” is fighting in the Featherweight division, Dvalishvili is one win away from punching his ticket to the big dance. And if he can get the win over former “champ-champ,” Henry Cejudo, there is no denying him what is his. Speaking of “Triple C,” the “King of Cringe” was last seen coming up short against Sterling at UFC 288 in May 2023, his first loss in seven years. Naturally, Cejudo felt he had done enough to get one of his belts back, but now he has the opportunity to get back into the championship race himself with a win over “The Machine.” This is one of the most intriguing fights on the card because they match up very well, skill wise (full preview here). Both are great grapplers, though Cejudo’s Olympic medals prove he is far and way the best wrestler on the UFC roster. That said, this could come down to who gets the better of the striking department. Sean O’Malley is set to defend his 135-pound strap against Marlon Vera at UFC 299, so the winner of this fight will be a very interested observer with what goes down in South Beach next month. For Cejudo, another loss could mean retirement...this time for good.
Anthony Hernandez was able to remain on the UFC 298 main card after Roman Kopylov agreed to step in for Ikram Aliskerov (full preview here). Winner of four straight, Hernandez is eying a spot in the Top 15 with his fifth straight win, but even that my not be good enough to get him there since the division is so stacked. Still, a win is a win and it will get Hernandez that much closer, but the same can be said for Kopylov because he, too, is on a four fight win streak with all victories coming via knockout. It’s a very nice turnaround for the Russian slugger, who started off his UFC career with two straight defeats.
Enjoy the fights!
Full UFC 298 Fight Card:
UFC 298 PPV Main Event On ESPN+:
145 lbs.: UFC Featherweight Champion Alex Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria
UFC 298 PPV Main Card On ESPN+:
185 lbs.: Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa
170 lbs.: Geoff Neal vs. Ian Machado Garry
135 lbs.: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo
185 lbs.: Anthony Hernandez vs. Roman KopylovUFC 298 Late ‘Prelims’ On ESPN/ESPN+ (6 p.m. ET):
115 lbs.: Amanda Lemos vs. Mackenzie Dern
265 lbs.: Marcos Rogerio de Lima vs. Junior Tafa - (Not Justin Tafa)
135 lbs.: Rinya Nakamura vs. Carlos Vera
205 lbs.: Mingyang Zhang vs. Brendson RibeiroUFC 298 Early ‘Prelims’ On ESPN+ (6 p.m. ET):
170 lbs.: Danny Barlow vs. Josh Quinlan
170 lbs.: Val Woodburn vs. Oban Elliott
125 lbs.: Andrea Lee vs. Miranda Maverick*Fight card, bout order and number of fights remain subject to change.*
Remember that Boxe.bet will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 298 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 298: “Volkanovski vs. Topuria” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
