UFC 298: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria: Full results
UFC 298 is in the books. The event took place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Feb. 17, 2024.
Although the hype around the upcoming UFC 299 and UFC 300 events somewhat overshadowed UFC 298, the event still featured some of the most consequential fights in several divisions.
In the main event, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski attempted the sixth defense of his title against Ilia Topuria. It was speculated that a potential win would make him the consensus greatest featherweight champion of all time.
However, it was also speculated that 'El Matador' might be the toughest fight of Volkanovski's title reign owing to factors like the Australian's age and the recent knockout loss against 155-pound champion Islam Makhachev.
Meanwhile, Topuria indulged in pre-fight shenanigans and trash-talking that were reminiscent of Conor McGregor's antics heading into the UFC 194 showdown against Jose Aldo. The 27-year-old promised to end Volkanovski's title reign with a quick finish.
Topuria backed up his talk with a flawless performance. Volkanovski offered different looks and appeared to be figuring out the Spaniard as the second round progressed.
However, Topuria found the champion's chin with a perfectly placed right hook as he backed him up against the cage. The Australian went crashing to the mat and the referee called a stop to the contest after a few follow-up strikes.
Topuria became the fifth man to hold the undisputed UFC featherweight title. He is the first person to defeat Volkanovski at featherweight.
UFC 298 co-main event: Robert Whittaker outpoints Paulo Costa
In the co-main event, former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker fought No.6-ranked Paulo Costa. Coming off a second-round knockout loss against Dricus du Plessis, Whittaker attempted to keep his title hopes alive with a win this weekend.
Costa has also been in a similar situation due to a series of lackluster performances and bout cancellations. Whittaker admitted to being complacent in his last fight and aimed to score a resounding knockout win this weekend.
Whittaker came out with diverse attacks on the legs, body, and head. However, Costa presented a tough challenge with a snappy jab and high kicks that the former champion struggled to see.
Whittaker survived a late first-round scare and answered with precise combinations in the next two rounds to get back in the win column. He was declared the winner by unanimous decision.
UFC 298 Results: Anthony Hernandez, Merab Dvalishvili and Ian Garry score big wins
Rising welterweight contender Ian Garry faced the toughest challenge of his career in Geoff Neal on the undercard. A series of controversies have recently turned the fans against Garry, which was reflected in the fan reactions to his appearances throughout fight week.
However, the Irishman responded with a gritty performance and outpointed Neal on two of three judges' scorecards to score the 14th victory of his professional MMA career.
In a bantamweight contest, former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo took on wrestling powerhouse Merab Dvalishvili in a potential title eliminator bout on the main card. At 37, Cejudo is at the tail end of his career. The Olympic gold medalist hinted at retiring if he lost against Dvalishvili.
Cejudo started aggressively and won the first round by landing more meaningful strikes and controlling the Georgian on the ground for a considerable amount of time.
However, Dvalishvili succeeded in reversing the momentum and won most of the exchanges in the remaining rounds en route to a unanimous decision win.
Grappling ace Anthony Hernandez scored the eighth submission win of his career in the main card opening bout as Roman Kopylov succumbed to a late second-round rear-naked choke.
UFC 298 Results: Prelims
In the featured prelim bout, Amanda Lemos and Mackenzie Dern had a three-round war. Both women survived in each others' territory and enjoyed a degree of success. In the end, Lemos walked away with a unanimous decision win.
Rinya Nakamura, the biggest favorite on the card, worked around Carlos Vera's leg lock attacks masterfully en route to a unanimous decision win.
Catch the full UFC 298 results below:
Main Card
Featherweight - Ilia Topuria def. Alexander Volkanovski via KO (R2, 3:32)
Middleweight - Robert Whittaker def. Paulo Costa via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 X 2)
Welterweight - Ian Machado Garry def. Geoff Neal via split decision (30-27 X 2, 28-29)
Bantamweight - Merab Dvalishvili def. Henry Cejudo via unanimous decision (29-28 X 3)
Middleweight - Anthony Hernandez def. Roman Kopylov via submission (Rear-naked choke) (R2, 3:23)
Preliminary Card
Women's strawweight - Amanda Lemos def. Mackenzie Dern via unanimous decision (29-28 X 3)
Heavyweight - Marcos Rogerio De Lima def. Junior Tafa via TKO (R2, 1:14)
Bantamweight - Rinya Nakamura def. Carlos Vera via unanimous decision (30-27 X 3)
Early Prelims
Light heavyweight - Zhang Mingyang def. Brendson Ribeiro via KO (R1, 1:41)
Welterweight - Danny Barlow def. Josh Quinlan via TKO (R3, 1:18)
Welterweight - Oban Elliott def. Val Woodburn via unanimous decision (30-27 X 2, 29-28)
Women's flyweight - Miranda Maverick def. Andrea Lee via unanimous decision (30-27 X 2, 29-28)