There is a new king of the featherweight division. UFC 298 saw some wild results up and down the card from Anaheim, California on Saturday night, but none was bigger than the main event. Ilia Topuria unseated Alexander Volkanovski as featherweight champion with a brutal knockout in the second round. The stoppage ended the longest active championship reign in the promotion after Volkanvoski first earned the crown back in December 2019.
Topuria completed his quick rise to the title in just his seventh UFC fight and 15th as a pro. After probing for openings in the first round, Topuria took advantage of an opening at close range and landed the perfect right hook that shut Volkanovski off completely. It’s a big change for a division that has enjoyed stability at the top for so long and now enters a new era.
Elsewhere on the card, Robert Whittaker returned to form with a decision win over Paulo Costa in the co-main event. Whittaker, who was knocked out by new titleholder Dricus du Plessis last July, needed a win in a big way to stay relevant in the title conversation. Costa, in his first fight since August 2022, goes back to the drawing board after suffering his third loss in his last four fights. Plus, Merab Dvalishvili made himself an undeniable challenger to the bantamweight crown with another incredible performance, this time outpointing former champion Henry Cejudo over three rounds.
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UFC 298 fight card, results
- Ilia Topuria def. Alexander Volkanovski (c) via second-round knockout (punch)
- Robert Whittaker def. Paulo Costa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Ian Machado Garry def. Geoff Neal via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
- Merab Dvalishvili def. Henry Cejudo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Anthony Hernandez def. Roman Kopylov via second-round submission (rear-naked choke)
- Amanda Lemos def. Mackenzie Dern via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Marcos Rogerio de Lima def. Junior Tafa via second-round TKO (kicks, punches)
- Rinya Nakamura def. Carlos Vera via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Zhang Mingyang def. Brendson Ribiero via first-round TKO (punches)
- Danny Barlow def. Josh Quinlan via third-round TKO (punches)
- Oban Elliott def. Val Woodburn via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Miranda Maverick def. Andrea Lee via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
UFC 298 countdown
- Staff predictions and expert picks for the main card
- Mahjouri: Garry dismisses rumors about his personal life
- Campbell: Why Topuria is dripping with confidence ahead of main event
- Brookhouse: Best bets to consider on the main card
- Mahjouri: Undercard fights worth watching this weekend
- Campbell: Five biggest storylines to follow in Anaheim
