The octagon makes its long-awaited return to Anaheim, California, this weekend for UFC 298. This marks the ninth time the event has taken place in the city’s Honda Center. The main card will be available on pay-per-view, following preliminary fights on ESPN and ESPN+.
The highly anticipated main event features a featherweight championship bout. Alexander Volkanovski, the reigning champion with a record of 26-3 MMA and 13-2 UFC, will be returning to his dominant division after suffering a knockout loss to lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev in October. Volkanovski will be facing Ilia Topuria, an undefeated contender with a record of 14-0 MMA and 6-0 UFC.
Volkanovski holds a number of impressive records in the UFC. He is the only Australian-born champion in the organization’s history. Additionally, he is one of only four fighters to successfully defend a title after losing a championship bout. He can make history by becoming the first fighter to achieve multiple title defenses after losing a championship. With six victories in UFC featherweight championship bouts, Volkanovski is second only to Jose Aldo in divisional history.
Ilia Topuria is on a five-fight winning streak in the featherweight division, which is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division. He has earned 12 of his 14 career victories by stoppage, with eight wins coming by way of submission. Topuria boasts an impressive defense rate of 67.4% against opponent significant strike attempts in UFC featherweight competition.
In another exciting matchup, Robert Whittaker, the only New Zealand-born fighter to win a UFC championship, will be competing. Whittaker has had a successful career in the middleweight division since his move in 2014, with a record of 24-7 MMA and 15-5 UFC. He has earned eight fight-night bonuses for his middleweight bouts, tied for the second-most in divisional history.
Whittaker’s opponent, Paulo Costa, has also had an impressive career, with a record of 14-2 MMA and 6-2 UFC. He has finished 11 of his 14 victories by knockout and holds the highest significant strike rate in UFC middleweight competition. Costa is the only middleweight in UFC history to start his tenure with four consecutive knockout wins.
Geoff Neal, with a record of 15-5 MMA and 7-3 UFC, has a remarkable defense rate of 89.7% against opponent takedown attempts in UFC welterweight competition. Ian Machado Garry, on the other hand, has a six-fight winning streak in the welterweight division, which is tied for the longest active streak in the division.
Merab Dvalishvili holds the longest active winning streak in the bantamweight division, with eight consecutive victories. He has landed the most takedowns in divisional history and holds the record for the most takedowns in a single UFC bout.
Henry Cejudo, one of the most accomplished fighters in UFC history, is one of only nine fighters to win titles in two weight classes. Cejudo is also one of four simultaneous two-division champions in UFC history. He is the only MMA fighter to have won an Olympic gold medal and a UFC championship.
In the middleweight division, Anthony Hernandez is the only fighter to both win and lose by anaconda choke submission in UFC history. Roman Kopylov holds the longest knockout streak among active fighters in the company, with four consecutive knockout wins.
Amanda Lemos has an impressive record in the strawweight division, with five stoppage victories and five knockdowns, tied for the most in divisional history. Mackenzie Dern holds the record for the most submission victories in the strawweight division.
Marcos Rogerio de Lima has finished 16 of his 20 career victories in the first round. Andrea Lee is currently on a three-fight losing streak, the longest of her career. She has earned two fight-night bonuses in UFC women’s flyweight bouts.
These are just a few highlights from the upcoming UFC 298 event in Anaheim. Fans can expect an action-packed night of fights with some of the best fighters in the world showcasing their skills in the octagon.
According to the Source mmajunkie.usatoday.com