UFC News
Featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski defends his title against undefeated challenger Ilia Topuria! This showdown, the main event of UFC 298, takes place on February 17th at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. ##
Volkanovski, a dominant force with 14 straight wins, faces his toughest test yet in Topuria. The Spaniard boasts an unblemished record and six UFC victories, aiming to become Spain's first ever world champion. In the co-main event, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker squares off against the powerful Brazilian Paulo Costa. ##
UFC 298 kicks off with Early Prelims at 6:30pm ET / 3:30pm PT on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass. Prelims air at 8pm ET / 5pm PT on ESPN and ESPN+, followed by the Main Card exclusively on ESPN+ at 10pm ET / 7pm PT. ##
UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria Ongoing Results ##
Main card ##
Featherweight: Ilia Topuria vs. Alexander Volkanovski (c) ##
ROUND 1: In the first round, both fighters start cautiously, with Volkov landing kicks to all levels while Topuria blocks and looks to counter. Topuria lands strong calf kicks, causing Volkov to switch stances. ##
Topuria finds success with combinations, while Volkov remains patient but somewhat passive. Volkov begins to move more effectively, landing knees in the clinch. Overall, a competitive round with Topuria showing effective aggression and Volkov focusing on his kicking game. ##
ROUND 2: In the second round, Volkov maintains control with his jab while Topuria looks for big shots. Despite Volkov's dominance in volume, Topuria lands a huge left hook that knocks Volkov out cold, resulting in Topuria becoming the new champion. ##
WINNER: Ilia Topuria via KO (punch) Round 2, 3:32 ##
Middleweight: Robert Whittaker vs Paulo Costa ##
ROUND 1: In the first round, Costa charges forward aggressively, but Whittaker counters with calf kicks and jabs to settle the action. Both fighters exchange strikes, with Costa showcasing his power and Whittaker landing crisp counters. Whittaker targets Costa's lead leg, causing swelling. As Whittaker gains momentum, Costa lands a vicious wheel kick that hurts Whittaker just before the round ends, narrowly escaping a finish. ##
ROUND 2: In the second round, Whittaker maintains his composure and utilizes his jab effectively while Costa continues to look for big shots. Whittaker attempts his signature 1-2 head kick combo, landing it but unable to significantly hurt Costa. ##
Both fighters exchange strikes, with Whittaker targeting Costa's lead leg with calf kicks. Costa's jab finds success, but Whittaker's constant volume and combinations keep him competitive. Despite bleeding from the nose, Whittaker remains active, while Costa's pace slows slightly. The round ends with Whittaker landing a flurry of strikes. ##
ROUND 3: In the third round, Costa starts strong with two right hands while Whittaker continues to target the leg with low kicks. Both fighters exchange without landing cleanly. Costa gains momentum, backing Whittaker up with strikes and clinches. However, Whittaker remains composed, landing effective counters and preventing toe-to-toe exchanges. As the round progresses, Whittaker's movement and combinations edge him ahead, securing a close victory in the final round. ##
WINNER: Robert Whittaker via Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 30–27) ##
Welterweight: Ian Machado Garry vs Geoff Neal ##
ROUND 1: In the opening exchanges, Neal lands a good leg kick while Garry takes the center. Garry connects with a teep to the knee, and both fighters engage in a rhythm of single shots and movement. Garry finds success with left body shots and starts opening up with combos, including knees.##
Neal corners Garry briefly but ends up in a clinch against the cage, where they battle for position. The round ends with Garry increasing his volume and landing effective strikes, while Neal counters with some shots of his own. ##
ROUND 2: In the second round, Neal aggressively advances while Garry utilizes movement and counters. Neal finds success in the clinch against the fence, landing shots, but the action slows down, drawing boos from the crowd. Garry maintains range with sharp kicks and punches, causing Neal to reset frequently. ##
Both fighters exchange combinations, with Garry showing signs of damage. The round ends with both fighters engaging in the clinch and exchanging words before the bell. The round is difficult to score due to the back-and-forth nature of the exchanges. ##
ROUND 3: In the third round, Neal's corner urges him to be more active with combinations. Neal aggressively pursues Garry, who relies on movement and counters. They engage in a clinch repeatedly, drawing boos from the crowd. ##
Garry finds success with his stepping knee and kicks, while Neal struggles to mount significant offense. Garry separates himself with effective strikes, while Neal's volume diminishes. Neal attempts a late surge but fails to capitalize, and the round ends with both fighters clinching again. ##
WINNER: Ian Machado Garry ##
Middleweight: Anthony Hernandez vs. Roman Kopylov ##
ROUND 1: The fight opened with Kopylov immediately launching attacks. Fluffy dodged and attempted a takedown, but Kopylov easily blocked it. The first minute was spent cautiously probing each other, with some strikes but nothing major. ##
Suddenly, Kopylov delivered a brutal body kick, followed by a near-miss head kick. He had Fluffy on the backfoot and landed another body kick. This time, Fluffy grabbed his leg for a takedown attempt, but it failed. Kopylov displayed impressive defense, and Fluffy kept after him with punches, landing a hook. Jon Anik stated that Kopylov had successfully defended the last 20 takedown attempts against him. He also landed a solid left hand that rocked Fluffy.##
Hernandez unleashed a powerful combination that pushed Kopylov back, eventually taking him down. Kopylov clung to the fence to avoid going fully down. They engaged in close-quarters grappling, but Kopylov broke free after a while.##
Fluffy threw a combination and connected with a right hook, transitioning into a double leg takedown attempt. Kopylov again defended and reached the fence. Fluffy switched to a single leg, persistently pressuring him, but Kopylov remained resilient. He expertly defended the strikes, maintaining a perfect takedown defense record. Despite this, Fluffy persisted, securing a body lock.##
Kopylov spun with Fluffy, still managing to stay upright. Fluffy clung to him like a heavy coat, landing a knee and some effective elbows just before the round ended. ##
ROUND 2: Judges might lean Kopylov for his dominant start, but Hernandez never relented. He wore down his opponent's defenses with relentless pressure, culminating in a dramatic submission. Hernandez opened strong with a clean right hand, but Kopylov countered with a precise left and followed up with a well-placed body kick. His body attack remained consistent, and his movement kept him elusive. While Hernandez approached aggressively, Kopylov navigated skillfully.##
A thunderous left connected from Kopylov, stunning Hernandez! He capitalized with a flurry of kicks, but Hernandez, known for his toughness, smiled and absorbed the punishment before returning to the fight.##
Hernandez shifted tactics, applying constant pressure with combinations. He forced Kopylov back and capitalized on a well-timed strike to take him down. However, Kopylov showcased his resilience, quickly making his way back up.##
Unrelenting Hernandez secured another powerful takedown, transitioned to Kopylov's back, and locked in a tight neck crank. Kopylov displayed impressive grit, escaping for a brief moment. But Hernandez, persistent as ever, re-established back control and applied a suffocating choke, eliciting a tap-out from his valiant opponent. ##
WINNER: Anthony Hernandez via Submission (rear-naked choke) ROUND, 2, 3:23 ##
Bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo ##
ROUND 1: In the first round, both orthodox and Cejudo take center stage immediately. Dvalishvili attempts a wheel kick, but it misses by a wide margin. Cejudo employs angles and a karate stance, while Dvalishvili misses with a 1-2 combo. ##
Cejudo lands a leg kick and drops Dvalishvili with a left hook, though he doesn't capitalize on the moment. Dvalishvili attempts a takedown but Cejudo swiftly counters. Cejudo ends up on top, landing some ground strikes, before the round ends with some clinch fighting and exchanges. ##
ROUND 2: In the second round, Dvalishvili's corner urges him to increase pressure and move forward. Dvalishvili takes the center, with Cejudo circling. Cejudo goes for a snatch single, transitions to the back briefly, but Dvalishvili defends well.##
Dvalishvili starts landing significant strikes, building momentum, and eventually secures a takedown. Cejudo struggles to defend, showing signs of fatigue. Dvalishvili lands heavy shots as Cejudo tries to stand. Cejudo looks for a single leg but eats a nasty knee. Dvalishvili attempts a guillotine choke towards the end of the round, but Cejudo survives until the bell. ##
ROUND 3: In the final round, Cejudo starts with good strikes but struggles against Dvalishvili's pressure. Dvalishvili secures a takedown and controls Cejudo for the majority of the round. Cejudo shows signs of exhaustion, unable to mount a significant offense. Dvalishvili dominates, showcasing his skills as one of the top bantamweights. Dvalishvili celebrates a well-deserved victory as the crowd cheers his performance. ##
WINNER: Merab Dvalishvili ##
Preliminary card (ESPN / ESPN+) ##
-Women's Strawweight: Amanda Lemos defeated Mackenzie Dern via Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) ##
-Heavyweight: Marcos Rogério de Lima defeated Junior Tafa via TKO (leg kick and punches), Round 2, 1:14 ##
-Bantamweight: Rinya Nakamura defeated Carlos Vera via Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) ##
-Light Heavyweight: Zhang Mingyang defeated Brendson Ribeiro via KO (punches), Round 1, 1:41 ##
Early preliminary card (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass) ##
-Women's Flyweight: Miranda Maverick defeated Andrea Lee via Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28)##
-Welterweight: Oban Elliott defeated Val Woodburn via Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28) ##
-Welterweight: Danny Barlow defeated Josh Quinlan via TKO (punches), Round 3, 1:18 ##
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