Ilia Topuria became the UFC and MMA's next big star, as the Spaniard knocked out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 to become the new UFC featherweight champion. He dethroned Volkanovski to end a reign that began in 2019.
The win was similar to Conor McGregor taking down Jose Aldo, with comparisons being used throughout fight week. In the end, Topuria didn't collapse under pressure and proved that he belonged in the history books.
Volkanovski, who played along with those saying he was “old” by dressing as a grandpa, started strong with various leg kicks that were effective. However, Topuria countered with several volume shots. It seemed as if Volkanovski took round one and was settling into round two by damaging the face of Topuria.
Suddenly, Topuria kicked it into overdrive. He landed multiple rights to the chin of Volkanovski that dropped him. A few more shots landed flush, forcing the referee to call a halt to the action.
Topuria is now 15-0 and can be a top star in MMA, especially if the UFC heads to Spain.
MORE: Full list of confirmed bouts for UFC 300
"Trust yourself. Work tirelessly. Have faith, and anything is possible," said the new champion.
Volkanovski is now on a two-fight losing streak. Before those setbacks, the Australian had won 13 straight fights at featherweight. He hopes for a rematch, while Topuria has his eyes on a fighter who had a similar road to the top.
"Conor McGregor, if you still have some b----, I will be waiting for you in Spain," he said.
It was a night of big moments, especially outside the octagon. Former Pride Champion Wanderlei Silva was announced for the UFC Hall of Fame, joining Frankie Edgar in this year’s class.
The co-main event saw former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker win a decision over Paulo Costa.
In a back-and-forth affair, Whittaker and Costa used kicks and volume shots to entertain the fans. Costa almost won with a spinning kick at the end of the first round, but Whittaker had a chin of steel and used several shots to inflict damage throughout the fight.
“Bobby Knuckles” earned the win and wants to fight champion Dricus du Plessis in a rematch to avenge a defeat and win back the title he lost to Israel Adesanya.
MORE: Whittaker scrapes by Costa after tense brawl
Ian Machado Garry continued his ascent in the welterweight rankings by beating Geoff Neal. Neal pressed Garry up by the cage, but the latter landed more volume shots, which was enough to secure a win.
Garry called out Colby Covington after the fight, but it remains to be seen how he would do against the top five in the division after this performance.
Merab Dvalishvili proved why he is one of the best bantamweights in MMA against former double-champion Henry Cejudo.
After struggling in the first round, Merab beat up Cejudo in rounds two and three while also having fun with Mark Zuckerberg, who was in attendance. At one point, Merab lifted his opponent, carried him across the cage, and dropped him in front of Zuckerberg.
Dvalishvili now waits for the winner of Sean O’Malley and Marlon Vera, who will contest the UFC bantamweight title at UFC 299.
Opening the PPV, Anthony Hernandez survived an early onslaught from Roman Kopylov and submitted the Russian in the second round at middleweight.
The Sporting News provided results from the entire UFC 298 card. Check it out below!
UFC 298 full card results
Main card
- Ilia Topuria def. Alexander Volkanovski (c) via KO (3:36 into round two) for the UFC featherweight title
- Rob 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 rear-naked choke submission (3:28 into round two)
Prelims
- Amanda Lemos def. Mackenzie Dern unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Marcos Rogerio de Lima def. Junior Tafa via TKO (1:14 into round two)
- Rinya Nakamura def. Carlos Vera via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Zhang Mingyang def. Brendson Ribeiro via KO (1:41 into round one)
Early Prelims
- Danny Barlow def. Josh Quinlan via TKO (1:18 into round three)
- 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)