In the build-up to UFC 300, which is a massive benchmark for the biggest MMA company in the world, the UFC is undergoing one of the best stretches in the history of the company. UFC 298 and 299 are expected to be great events with tons of stars on the fight cards, and the first of those two pay-per-view events is this weekend. The big event will feature the longest-tenured UFC champion (Alexander Volkanovski) and a fighter who many view as the future of the sport (Ilia Topuria). In this article, we will look at that fight and the rest of the fight card for UFC 298. We will also explain how you can watch the fights.
When and where is UFC 298?
UFC 298 will be at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, which will be the ninth time a UFC event takes place at the venue. The early prelims will begin at 6 p.m. ET, with the prelims at 8 p.m. ET. Finally, the main card starts at 10 p.m. ET.
How to watch UFC 298
You can watch the early prelims on ESPN+ or with UFC Fight Pass. The prelims will be on both ESPN+ and ESPN, and the main card will be through ESPN+ pay-per-view.
Date: Saturday, Feb. 17 | Time: 10 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: Honda Center — Anaheim, California
How to watch: ESPN+ pay-per-view
Odds: Ilia Topuria -104, Alexander Volkanovski -120
UFC 298 fight card
Main card:
Featherweight: Alexander Volkanovski (C) vs. Ilia Topuria, title bout (main event)
Middleweight: Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa
Welterweight: Geoff Neal vs. Ian Machado Garry
Bantamweight: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo
Middleweight: Anthony Hernandez vs. Roman Kopylov
Prelims:
Women's strawweight: Amanda Lemos vs. Mackenzie Dern
Heavyweight: Marcos Rogerio De Lima vs. Justin Tafa
Bantamweight: Rinya Nakamura vs. Carlos Vera
Light heavyweight: Zhang Mingyang vs. Brendson Ribeiro
Early prelims:
Welterweight: Josh Quinlan vs. Danny Barlow
Welterweight: Oban Elliot vs. Val Woodburn
Women's flyweight: Andrea Lee vs. Miranda Maverick
Main event
Alexander Volkanovski vs Ilia Topuria is a highly anticipated main event fight that is already drawing tons of attention. Everyone remembers when Joe Namath guaranteed victory for his New York Jets all the way back in Super Bowl III. The UFC 298 featherweight contender is perhaps even more confident than Namath was.
Topuria has already changed his Instagram bio to say “UFC world champion.” Topuria believes becoming a champion is his destiny. “It's inevitable that I'm going to win this fight,” Topuria said. “It's my destiny, it was always my destiny. I was born as a fighter, I was born as a UFC world champion.”
While confidence is important in MMA, Topuria's actions and words can serve as bulletin board material and may come back to bite him. Topuria definitely has the talent to dethrone Volkanovski, though. Nicknamed “El Matador,” the challenger is 14-0 in his MMA career. That includes six straight wins in the UFC. His last two victories came over Bryce Mitchell and Josh Emmett, two of the biggest names in the featherweight division, the latter of which is considered by many to be the heaviest hitter in the division.
At only 27 years old, Topuria has been dominant so far in his career, and he has the makings of a future champion. It won't be easy to accomplish that against Volkanovski, though. The current champion is equally as confident that he will walk away with a victory.
“He's going to be embarrassed, he's going to eat some of his words, and it's going to [maybe be] the start of his journey,” Volkanovski said.
Volkanovski has been the featherweight champion since 2019, and he already has five successful title defenses to his name. “The Great” has already made a case for himself as the greatest featherweight of all time, and a win over Topuria would further his case. Volkanovski has lost two of his last three fights, though, which means he is human. His MMA record is 26-3, and his two UFC losses came when he went up to lightweight to try for double-champion status against Islam Makhachev.
The lightweight champion is bigger and is the current number-one ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. It is possible Volkanovski's losses can be credited to fighting outside of his weight class, and he will return to dominance as a featherweight. The Australian was on a 12-fight win streak in the UFC prior to his first loss against Makhachev.
Both Topuria and Volkanovski are versatile fighters who are capable of wrestling, grappling, and striking. Volkanovski is currently the longest-tenured champion in the UFC, and Topuria is desperate to take his belt, so this main event will surely be a classic.
Other UFC 298 storylines
The main event isn't the only fight that is sure to bring excitement. The entire main card is stacked with some of the biggest superstars in the UFC. Middleweight has two exciting fights on the main card. Robert Whittaker, a former champion, will be taking on Paulo Costa, a fighter who formerly fought for the belt. Both fighters have been pretty dominant in the division except when facing Israel Adesyana, but Whittaker recently lost to current champion Dricus du Plessis, and Costa has only fought twice in the last three years as he has gained a reputation for pulling out of fights.
Despite their recent problems, both Whittaker and Costa are ranked near the top of their division. After years of consistency with Adesyana at the top of the division, the middleweight belt has switched hands four times since Nov. 2022. Sean Strickland and du Plessis recently had an absolute battle for the belt, and a win for either Whittaker or Costa would be important for their claim to challenging for the championship. In addition, Whittaker and Costa have been scheduled to face each other before. Their fight is finally coming to fruition, and it is a must-win bout for both fighters.
Anthony Hernandez vs. Roman Kopylov is the other middleweight bout on the main card. It will be the opening fight on the main card, and both fighters are surging with four-fight winning streaks. Kopylov stepped in for Ikram Aliskerov, who had to step out of the fight because of complications from an illness.
Henry Cejudo is another former champion on the main card. In fact, he was a two-division champion. He only has one fight to his name since his 2020 retirement, though, and he lost to Aljamain Sterling in that fight. Another loss wouldn't look great for his return from retirement, and Cejudo will have his hands full against Merab Dvalishvili. The bantamweights are ranked third and second, respectively. Both fighters are two of the best takedown artists in the UFC, and a win for either would put them at the top of the charts for getting a title shot.
The other main card fight is between Geoff Neal and Ian Machado Garry. The latter of those two fighters has been in the news for the wrong reasons a lot recently. Fighters and fans alike have criticized the Irishman's personal life, but the fighter that has been compared to Conor McGregor will be eager to remind people why he is one of the most exciting young fighters in the sport. Machado Garry has a perfect 13-0 record, but Neal has tons of experience against elite fighters. Neal is 15-5, but his UFC losses have come against stars like Stephen Thompson, Neil Magny, and Shavkat Rakhmonov.
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