UFC 298 Fight Card: Will Volkanovski’s Title Reign Come To An End?

There’s a huge UFC fight card this weekend at the Honda Center, with Alex Volkanovski headlining the bill as he attempts to defend his title. 

Volkanovski has looked unstoppable at featherweight in the past but there are now questions about how he’ll do in this one. The UFC 298 fight card’s main event could all depend on how ‘the Great’ responds to being knocked out by Islam Makhachev in his most recent fight. 

It’s not just the main event that will excite people on the UFC fight card this weekend however, with lots of highly ranked competitors in action. We’ve got all the news from the UFC 298 fight card right here for you, and which fights to look forward to most. 

UFC 298 Fight Card: Everything You Need To Know

The UFC fight card this weekend is Volkanovski’s return to featherweight after he stepped in to fight Makhachev for a second time.

He was meant to take on Ilia Topuria in January but the fight for the lightweight title pushed this meeting back a bit. It hasn’t stopped Topuria from being extremely optimistic about his chances to walk away with the belt. 

Will the UFC 298 fight card feature the latest title change in UFC?

UFC 298 Co-Main and Main Events

• Featherweight: Alexander Volkanovski vs Ilia Topuria

• Middleweight: Robert Whittaker vs Paulo Costa

Volkanovski normally wouldn’t have any questions over his ability to get things d

one and defend his title for the sixth defense of the featherweight belt. However two particularly grey clouds hang over him.

The Australian has twice stepped up to lightweight to challenge Makhachev for his title. His first defeat on points wasn’t an issue but the rematch, taken at less than two weeks’ notice, could affect him. The Russian knocked out Volkanovski and how he recovers will make a big difference.

He’s also reached 35 years old, an age which no man in his weight division, or any of them around him, has ever won or defended a UFC title.

Undefeated Topuria will be hoping to close out the UFC 298 fight card by lifting the title belt. He’s won all 14 of his fights so far and is so confident of winning a 15th that he’s got a ‘Road to the title’ documentary on the way. 

It will be interesting to see if the challenger can get to the champion and get him to the canvas or if Volkanovski can drag out a victory.

Underneath them is a fight that should have taken place twice already but has so far failed to take place. Whittaker and Costa should have headlined a fight card in 2021 but the latter pulled out due to injury.

They were also supposed to be part of the UFC fight card at UFC 284 a year ago but Costa refuted the fact he’d signed a contract for the bout.

The Brazilian has been inactive since August 2022 and has only fought three times in the past three and a half years. Two of those fights ended in defeat, to Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori.

Whittaker has been more active and last fought in July last year, losing to new champion Dricus du Plessis. He also lost to Adesanya recently but defeated Vettori. 

UFC 298 Main Card

• Featherweight: Alexander Volkanovski (26-3-0) vs Ilia Topuria (14-0-0)

• Middleweight: Robert Whittaker (25-7-0) vs Paulo Costa (14-2-0)

• Welterweight: Geoff Neal (15-5-0) vs Ian Machado Garry (13-0-0)

• Bantamweight: Merab Dvalishvili (16-4-0) vs Henry Cejudo (16-3-0)

• Middleweight: Anthony Hernandez (11-2-0) vs Roman Kopylov (12-2-0)

UFC 298 Prelims

• Women’s strawweight: Amanda Lemos (13-3-1) vs Mackenzie Dern (13-4-0)

• Heavyweight: Marcos Rogerio de Lima (21-10-1) vs Justin Tafa (7-3-0)

• Bantamweight: Rinya Nakamura (8-0-0) vs Carlos Vera (11-3-0)

• Light heavyweight: Zhang Mingyang (1-0-0) vs Brendson Ribeiro (1-0-0)

UFC 298 Early Prelims

• Welterweight: Josh Quinlan (6-1-0, 1NC) vs Danny Barlow (1-0-0)

• Welterweight: Oban Elliot (1-0-0) vs Val Woodburn (7-1-0)

• Women’s flyweight: Andrea Lee (13-8-0) vs Miranda Maverick (14-5-0)

UFC Fight Card Tonight: Match Ups to Watch Out For

There’s plenty to look out for on the UFC 298 fight card, even though there is only one title fight for viewers to enjoy. 

Whilst Volkanovski and Topuria could steal the headlines, especially if the title changes hands in the main event, we’ll go elsewhere for our matches to watch out for. 

The UFC 298 fight card has plenty to get excited about and maybe mostly Geoff Neal vs Ian Machado Garry. The 8th and 10th ranked welterweights have the chance to steal the show at the Honda Center. 

Garry is certainly the up and comer in the division and many expect the Irishman to continue on his undefeated run. Neal won’t be happy with his position as the underdog and will be out to stop Garry’s march.

He failed to do similar when coming up against another undefeated fighter in the shape of Shavkat Rakhmonov last time out, in March last year.