UFC 298 on Sunday looms as much-watch viewing for Aussie fans, with featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker headlining a long list of exciting bouts.
26-3 Volkanovski, off the back of consecutive defeats to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev – the latter a brutal knockout that saw him fail concussion tests even six days later – has never faced so many questions over his featherweight reign.
Now, facing 145-pound contender Ilia Topuria, undefeated from 14 fights including 12 stoppages, the Aussie is in for a brutal test.
Is he really the same unbeatable force at featherweight after being knocked cold by Makhachev?
Victory – and a sixth title defence – would cement his status among the sport’s greatest-ever featherweights.
But according to the bookies, he’s priced at $1.82 to win, with Topuria $2.02. Volkanovski has never been less of a favourite in a title defence.
Indeed, outside of his two fights against Makhachev, it is Volkanovski’s longest odds since his first win over Max Holloway in Dec 2019 at UFC 245, when the Aussie won the title.
UFC 298: VOLKANOVSKI VS TOPURIA | SUN 18 FEB | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the new exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View events!
Meanwhile Whittaker, a former champ, faces off against Paulo Costa, who once lost a title challenge against Israel Adesanya.
Whittaker recently suffered a TKO loss to new titleholder Dricus du Plessis, and both fighters will be desperate for a win that keeps them in the title frame.
Costa hasn’t fought since a win over Luke Rockhold in August 2022, with his 2023 plagued by cancelled fights.
There’s a third Australian fighter in action – well, he’s based in Brisbane anyway. Justin Tafa, the 7-3-0 (1NC) Kiwi, fights 38-year-old Brazilian heavyweight Marcos Rogério de Lima.
Elsewhere, former bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo takes on rising star Merab Dvalishvili, and 13-0 Ian Garry fights 15-5 Geoff Neal.
Here’s all the action from the Honda Center, Anaheim in California.
Volk & Whittaker chat upcoming opponents | 02:35
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The UFC 298 Press Conference will be held on Friday at midday AEDT, with the official weigh-ins at 8pm that day.
The ceremonial weigh-ins take place at midday Saturday AEDT.
FULL CARD
MAIN CARD (from 2pm AEDT)
Champ – Alexander Volkanovski (26-3-0) vs. No. 3 Ilia Topuria (14-0-0) – featherweight
No. 3 Robert Whittaker (25-7-0) vs. No. 6 Paulo Costa (14-2-0) – middleweight
No. 8 Geoff Neal (15-5-0) vs. No. 10 Ian Garry (13-0-0) – welterweight
No. 2 Merab Dvalishvili (16-4-0) vs. No. 3 Henry Cejudo (16-3-0) – bantamweight
No. 14 Anthony Hernandez (11-2-0) vs. Roman Kopylov (12-2-0) – middleweight
PRELIMS (UFC Fightpass, from 12pm AEDT)
No. 3 Amanda Lemos (13-3-1) vs. No. 7 Mackenzie Dern (13-4-0) – w. strawweight
No. 15 Marcos Rogerio de Lima (21-10-1) vs. Justin Tafa (7-3-0) heavyweight
Rinya Nakamura (8-0-0) vs. Carlos Vera (11-3-0) – bantamweight
Zhang Mingyang (16-6-0) vs. Brendson Ribeiro (15-5-0) – light heavyweight
EARLY PRELIMS (UFC Fightpass, from 10am)
Josh Quinlan (6-1-0) vs. Danny Barlow (7-0-0) – welterweight
Oban Elliott (9-2-0) vs. Val Woodburn (7-1-0) – welterweight
No. 15 Andrea Lee (13-8-0) vs. Miranda Maverick (14-5-0) – w. flyweight
UFC 298: VOLKANOVSKI VS TOPURIA | SUN 18 FEB | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the new exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View events!
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