The second PPV of 2024 is here. UFC 298 lands in Anaheim, California on Saturday night with a loaded fight card sure to delight fans after a slow start to the year. The featherweight title is up for grabs when champion Alexander Volkanovski looks to turn away his latest challenger in Ilia Topuria in the main event. Volkanovski has remarkably held the title for over four years despite a pair of challenges against lightweight champ Islam Makhachev where he came up short.
It’s been a while since Volkanovski faced this much doubt for a featherweight title defense. Volkanovski is a slight betting favorite heading to the Honda Center in Anaheim. It’s a narrow margin considering his status to some as MMA’s greatest featherweight, but he’s facing one of the sport’s fastest-rising stars. Topuria is a featherweight force with 12 stoppages in 14 undefeated fights. Damage is guaranteed even when going the distance. Just ask Josh Emmett, who Topuria scored an unfathomable 50-42 scorecard against to earn his title shot. Volkanovski’s relatively quick turnaround after getting head-kicked by Makhachev in October only compacts concerns.
Can’t get enough boxing and MMA? Get the latest in the world of combat sports from two of the best in the business. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and in-depth news, including a complete preview of UFC 298 in Anaheim, California, below.
The undercard features some fun matchups that should have fans buzzing ahead of this epic title clash. A former champion and a former title challenger meet in the co-main event when Robert Whittaker takes on Paulo Costa in the co-main event. Rising welterweight contenders Ian Machado Garry and Geoff Neal should deliver the violence. Another former champion is set for the main card when Henry Cejudo takes on red-hot contender Merab Dvalishvili. And middleweights open the main card when Anthony Hernandez takes on Roman Kopylov.
The weigh-ins on Friday also produced one of the most unique things that could happen in this wild sport. Justin Tafa was scheduled to take on Marcos Rogerio de Lima on the prelims in a heavyweight throwdown. However, Tafa suffered an undisclosed injury during fight week and was scratched from the event. Many expected de Lima to also be removed from the event given how late notice it was, but Tafa’s brother, Junior Tafa, stepped up to the scale and weighed in. It marks the first time that a brother has replaced his sibling for a matchup in UFC history.
Below is the complete fight card for UFC 298 along with the latest odds. Check back all week long for the latest news, features and other content around this massive event.
UFC 298 fight card, odds
- Alexander Volkanovski (c) -130 vs. Ilia Topuria +110, featherweight title
- Robert Whittaker -250 vs. Paulo Costa +205, middleweights
- Ian Machado Garry -250 vs. Geoff Neal +205, welterweights
- Merab Dvalishvili -260 vs. Henry Cejudo +210, bantamweights
- Anthony Hernandez -240 vs. Roman Kopylov +200, middleweights
- Amanda Lemos -135 vs. Mackenzie Dern +115, women’s strawweights
- Marcos Rogerio de Lima vs. Junior Tafa, heavyweights
- Rinya Nakamura -1400 vs. Carlos Vera +800, bantamweights
- Zhang Mingyang -120 vs. Brendson Ribiero +100, light heavyweights
- Danny Barlow -220 vs. Josh Quinlan +180, welterweights
- Oban Elliott -320 vs. Val Woodburn +250, welterweights
- Miranda Maverick -185 vs. Andrea Lee +155, women’s flyweights
UFC 298 info
- Date: Feb. 17
- Location: Honda Center — Anaheim, California
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET (Main card)
- How to watch: ESPN+ PPV
UFC 298 countdown
Who wins UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria, and how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on UFC 298, all from the MMA expert who profited more than $6,200, and find out.
