UFC 298 - Everything you need to know about the event!
UFC 298 promises to be an incredible fighting spectacle for all MMA enthusiasts out there, featuring names like Volkanovski, Whittaker, and Gary, ensuring a night filled with fireworks. From the early prelims where fighters have much to prove to a main event featuring the featherweight champion once again aiming to showcase why he is one of the best in UFC featherweight history, this event will have it all!
The second bout on the main card between Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo alone has the credentials to serve as a main event due to its significance for the future of the bantamweight division.
UFC 298- Date and start time
Saturday, February 17th
Early prelims- 6:30pm ET
Pelims- 8pm ET
Main Card- 10pm ET
UFC 298 on TV and Stream:
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Where is UFC 298 taking place?
Honda Center, Anaheim, California
Main Card for UFC 298:
- Alexander Volkanovski (C) vs Ilia Topuria #3 (Featherweight, Title Match)
Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski makes his long-awaited comeback to the featherweight division after over a year without defending the belt. The Australian fighter lost his last UFC match when he took a rematch against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev on short notice. The fight ended in the first round when the lightweight champion landed a head kick on Volkanovski, who afterwards stated that accepting the match on such short notice was a hasty decision. Ilia Topuria may be one of Volkanovski's toughest opponents ever in featherweight, and the Georgian fighter, with an incredible record of 14 wins and 0 losses in professional MMA, likely has good confidence despite Volkanovski's remarkable featherweight resume.
- Robert Whittaker #3 vs Paulo Costa #6 (Middleweight)
Robert Whittaker lost his last fight when he faced the current middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis. Whittaker claimed the middleweight belt in 2017 when he defeated Yoel Romero, but since then, it has been challenging for the Australian to further prove himself with Israel Adesanya at the top of the division. However, Adesanya is no longer the champion, and although he is probably next in line to challenge Du Plessis for the belt, Whittaker could become a contender if he manages to defeat Costa. Paulo Costa hasn't fought since 2022 when he defeated Luke Rockhold via unanimous decision. Costa has had many opportunities since then, but unfortunately, injuries have hindered the Brazilian, who now has much to prove after two years away from the octagon.
- Geoff Neal #8 vs Ian Machado Garry #10 (Welterweight)
The most hyped Irish fighter since "The Notorious One" is finally back on a fight card after missing UFC 296 due to illness. Ian Garry is an MMA phenomenon who took the world by storm after leaving Cage Warrior undefeated and continued to dominate in the UFC. Gary boasts 14 wins and zero losses in professional MMA, six of which are in the UFC. Geoff Neal is a more experienced fighter than Garry, and with wins against opponents like Belal Muhammed and Mike Perry, he poses an intriguing challenge for the Irishman. Neal lost his last match when, like many others, he faced his superior in Shavkat Rakhmanov.
- Merab Dvalishvili #2 vs Henry Cejudo #3 (Bantamweight)
Merab Dvalishvili against Henry Cejudo is an obvious fight where the winner is next in line to challenge "Suga" Sean O'Malley for the bantamweight belt. Cejudo is one of UFC's most iconic fighters, with victories over names like Demetrious Johnson and Dominick Cruz, having won two different belts over his 19-match MMA career. Cejudo won his first belt in flyweight when he defeated Demetrious Johnson, the fighter that many, including Joe Rogan, consider to be the greatest MMA practitioner ever. Cejudo later won the bantamweight belt but lost it to Aljamain Sterling. Now, he hopes that this fight can give him a chance to challenge for the title again in the near future. Before that is possible, however, he must get past Merab Dvalishvili, a Georgian fighter who has won nine straight matches, including his last three against Marlon Moraes, Jose Aldo, and Petr Yan.
- Anthony Hernandez #14 vs Roman Kopylov (Middleweight)
In this middleweight bout, we will see two fighters who have won their last four fights and both need to win this one to get closer to the title in the extremely tough middleweight division. Roman Kopylov is a very skilled boxer and muay thai striker, while Anthony Hernandez is a highly skilled Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, making it interesting for all fans to see who can best utilize their skills.
Prelims:
- Amanda Lemos vs Mackenzie Dern (Strawweight)
- Marcos Rogério de Lima vs Justin Tafa (Heavyweight)
- Rinya Nakamura vs Carlos Vera (Bantamweight)
- Zhang Mingyang vs Brendson Ribeiro (Light Heavyweight)
Early Prelims:
- Josh Quinlan vs Danny Barlow (Welterweight)
- Oban Elliott vs Val Woodburn (Welterweight)
- Andrea Lee vs Miranda Maverick (Flyweight)
For more information on where to watch the UFC or what events are up next our best suggestion is to visit our UFC information page on the promotion.
Author: Joel Fredmark