UFC 298 threw up some highly entertaining fights on Saturday night at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Headlining the card was Alexander Volkanovksi, returning to featherweight after his unsuccessful attempt at becoming double-champion following his defeat to Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.
Earlier in the night, Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa both performed phenomenally in a three-round war that could have easily won the fight of the night award. After almost getting knocked out with a spinning heel kick at the end of the first round, Whittaker recovered in the corner between rounds and came out looking brand new despite the lacerations to his face.
Title fight for Whittaker next?
Both men traded heavy leg kicks and strikes to the head in a back-and-forth brawl. The Australian won unanimously on the judges scorecards (29–28, 29–28, 30–27). The victory is enormous for Whittaker as he pursues another middleweight title shot. After he lost to Dricus du Plessis, the story is already there for a potential rematch, given their history, and with DDP now the champion, Whittaker has a case to put forward for a chance at redemption.
Garry silences doubters
A lot of people have had many things to say about Ian Garry over the last few months, and it was clear that the comments had affected him as he revealed his frustrations in various interviews. It was always going to be intriguing to see if it had gotten to Garry psychologically and if it would affect the way he fought.
Garry silenced those doubts with a composed performance over the number eight ranked welterweight, Geoff Neal, as he succeeded in most parts at keeping the striking specialist at range. Garry landed several knees at range in what was a close fight, but the Irishman won a split decision (30-27 x 2, 28-29).
What’s next for Henry Cejudo?
The Olympic gold medalist and two-weight former UFC champion was looking to get back on track against Merab Dvalishvili. The Georgian, Merab, came into the fight after nine straight wins against some formidable opponents, including the likes of Petr Yan and Jose Aldo.
Cejudo lost on all three judges’ scorecards, 29–28, after a close three-rounder. Although it’s been an unsuccessful return to the UFC after his three-year hiatus, it’s worth noting that Cejudo’s two defeats have been against Aljamain Sterling and a man in Merab who is widely expected to fight Sean O’Malley for the belt next. Losses happen in this sport, and it shouldn’t be a surprise when the best consistently fight the best.
Ilia Topuria Wins The Title
The highly anticipated fight between Alexander Volknanovski and Ilia Topuria got underway, with the champion eating some nasty leg kicks to his left shin. Visible swelling appeared, but he pressed forward, catching Topuria with some nice left hooks. It was a close first round, with many having Volkanovski 10-9 up going into the second.
The next round followed a similar format, but the champion appeared to grow into the fight despite being caught several times. Topuria pressed Volkanovski against the cage and showcased his sublime boxing skills as he caught the champion square on the chin with a right hand, knocking him out and winning the title.
In his post-fight interview, Topuria called out Conor McGregor for his next fight, which seems unrealistic since it’s doubtful we see McGregor ever returning to the weight given his size. Already a star before his win over Volkanovski, Topuria is arguably now a megastar given his following in Europe, and Dana White is keen on the champion’s first title defense being in Spain. Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu is being touted as a potential venue, particularly as the stadium has recently undergone a big renovation.
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