UFC 298 - Merab Dvalishvili V Henry Cejudo / Mark Zuckerburg / Sean O'malley

UFC 298 - Merab Dvalishvili V Henry Cejudo / Mark Zuckerburg / Sean O'malley
UFC 298

Bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili def. Henry Cejudo Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) 3 5:00

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UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria is an ongoing mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship taking place on February 17, 2024, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, United States.[1]
Background

The event marked the promotion's tenth visit to Anaheim and first since UFC 270 in January 2022.[1]

A UFC Featherweight Championship bout between current champion Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria is expected to headline the event.[2] This bout was originally expected to headline UFC 297 one month prior but was pushed back after Volkanovski was pulled to face UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.[3][4]

A light heavyweight bout between Zhang Mingyang and Brendson Ribeiro was originally scheduled for UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutiérrez.[5] However, the bout was postponed due to the event's change of location and fighters facing visa issues and it was rescheduled to take place this event.[6][7]

A middleweight bout between former UFC Middleweight Champion (also The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes welterweight winner) Robert Whittaker and former title challenger Paulo Costa is expected to take place at the event.[8] The pair was previously expected to headline UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Gastelum in April 2021, but Costa withdrew due to illness.[9] They were also expected to meet at UFC 284 in February 2023, but Costa disputed the official announcement by the promotion indicating he had never signed a contract and the fight would not take place.[10][11][12]

A welterweight bout between Ian Machado Garry and Geoff Neal took place at the event.[13] They were previously booked for UFC 292 in August 2023, but Neal withdrew due to undisclosed health reasons.[14] They were also scheduled for UFC 299 but were moved to this event for unknown reasons.[15]

A welterweight bout between Yusaku Kinoshita and Danny Barlow was scheduled for the event.[16] However, Kinoshita was removed from event for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Josh Quinlan.[17]

A heavyweight bout between Tai Tuivasa and Marcin Tybura was scheduled for this event.[18] However, the bout was moved to headline at UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs. Tybura on March 16.[19]

A women's strawweight bout between former UFC Women's Strawweight Championship challenger Amanda Lemos and The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. Team Cláudia strawweight winner Tatiana Suarez was scheduled for the event.[20] However, Suarez withdrew from the event due to injury and was replaced by Mackenzie Dern.[21]

Road to UFC Season 1 bantamweight winner Rinya Nakamura was scheduled to face Brady Hiestand in a bantamweight bout.[22] However, Hiestand pulled out due to injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Carlos Vera, who had previously competed on Season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter the year prior.[23]

A middleweight bout between former LFA Middleweight Champion Anthony Hernandez and Ikram Aliskerov was expected to take place at the event.[24] However, Aliskerov withdrew due to compilations related to an illness and was replaced by Roman Kopylov.[25] The pair was originally expected to take place at UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2 the year prior after Kopylov served as a replacement to Hernandez's original opponent Chris Curtis, but Hernandez pulled out of the event and the bout never materialized.[26][27]

Tresean Gore was expected to face A.J. Dobson in a middleweight bout at the event.[28] However on February 7, Gore pulled out due to a shoulder injury and the bout was scrapped.[29][30]

A heavyweight bout between Justin Tafa and Marcos Rogério de Lima was expected to take place at the event.[31] However, Tafa withdrew the day before the event due to injury.[32] He was replaced by his brother Junior Tafa.[33]

During the event's broadcast, former PRIDE Middleweight Champion and 2003 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Tournament Champion (also a former UFC Light Heavyweight Championship challenger) Wanderlei Silva was announced as the next "pioneer wing" UFC Hall of Fame inductee during June's International Fight Week festivities in Las Vegas.[34]
Results
Main card
Weight class Method Round Time Notes
Featherweight Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs. Ilia Topuria [a]
Middleweight Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa
Welterweight Ian Machado Garry def. Geoff Neal Decision (split) (30–27, 28–29, 30–27) 3 5:00
Bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili def. Henry Cejudo Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) 3 5:00
Middleweight Anthony Hernandez def. Roman Kopylov Submission (rear-naked choke) 2 3:23
Preliminary card (ESPN / ESPN+)
Women's Strawweight Amanda Lemos def. Mackenzie Dern Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) 3 5:00
Heavyweight Marcos Rogério de Lima def. Junior Tafa TKO (leg kick and punches) 2 1:14
Bantamweight Rinya Nakamura def. Carlos Vera Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) 3 5:00
Light Heavyweight Zhang Mingyang def. Brendson Ribeiro KO (punches) 1 1:41
Early preliminary card (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass)
Welterweight Danny Barlow def. Josh Quinlan TKO (punches) 3 1:18
Welterweight Oban Elliott def. Val Woodburn Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28) 3 5:00
Women's Flyweight Miranda Maverick def. Andrea Lee Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28) 3 5:00

For the UFC Featherweight Championship.

[35]