''UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

that took place on February 17, 2024, at the

Honda Center Honda Center (formerly known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim) is an indoor arena located in Anaheim, California. The arena is home to the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League. Originally named the Anaheim Arena during construction, it w ...

Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the tenth-most ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, United States.

Background

The event marked the promotion's tenth visit to Anaheim and first since

UFC 270 ''UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 22, 2022, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Background A UFC Heavyweight Championship title unificat ...

in January 2022. A

UFC Featherweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

bout between current champion

Alexander Volkanovski Alexander Volkanovski (born 29 September 1988) is an Australian professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where ...

and

Ilia Topuria Ilia Topuria ( ka, ილია თოფურია; born January 21, 1997) is a Georgian and Spanish professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he i ...

headlined the event. This bout was originally expected to headline UFC 297 one month prior but was pushed back after Volkanovski was pulled to face

UFC Lightweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...

Islam Makhachev Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev (; born 27 October 1991) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist and former sambo competitor. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the cu ...

at UFC 294. A light heavyweight bout between

Zhang Mingyang Zhang Mingyang (Standard Chinese, Chinese: ; born August 16, 1998) is a Chinese mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Light heavyweight (MMA), Light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ...

and Brendson Ribeiro was originally scheduled for UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutiérrez. However, the bout was postponed due to the event's change of location and fighters facing visa issues and it was rescheduled to take place this event. A middleweight bout between former UFC Middleweight Champion (also The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes welterweight winner) Robert Whittaker and former title challenger

Paulo Costa Paulo Henrique Costa (born 21 April 1991) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of June 10, 2025, he is #13 in the UFC middleweight ...

took place at the event. The pair was previously expected to headline UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Gastelum in April 2021, but Costa withdrew due to illness. They were also expected to meet at

UFC 284 ''UFC 284: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 12, 2023, at Perth Arena, RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Background The event marked the promotion's ...

in February 2023, but Costa disputed the official announcement by the promotion indicating he had never signed a contract and the fight would not take place. A welterweight bout between Ian Machado Garry and Geoff Neal took place at the event. They were previously booked for UFC 292 in August 2023, but Neal withdrew due to undisclosed health reasons. They were also scheduled for UFC 299 but were moved to this event for unknown reasons. A welterweight bout between Yusaku Kinoshita and Danny Barlow was scheduled for the event. However, Kinoshita was removed from event for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Josh Quinlan. A heavyweight bout between

Tai Tuivasa Tai Anthony Tuivasa (born 16 March 1993) is an Australian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of June 10, 2025, he is #11 in the UFC heavyweight r ...

and

Marcin Tybura Marcin Tybura (born November 9, 1985) is a Polish professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2011, Tybura previously fought for ...

was scheduled for this event. However, the bout was moved to headline at UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs. Tybura on March 16. A women's strawweight bout between former

UFC Women's Strawweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...

challenger

Amanda Lemos Amanda Oliveira de Lemos (born May 22, 1987) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the women's Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of April 15, 2025, she is #4 in the UFC women's strawweight rankings, an ...

and The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. Team Cláudia strawweight winner Tatiana Suarez was scheduled for the event. However, Suarez withdrew from the event due to injury and was replaced by

Mackenzie Dern Mackenzie Lynne Dern (born March 24, 1993) is an American and Brazilian professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner currently competing in the women's Strawweight (MMA), Strawweight division of the U ...

Road to UFC Season 1 Road to UFC Season 1 is the 2022 cycle of Road to UFC, a mixed martial arts event series in which top Asian MMA prospects compete to win contracts with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). It features four divisions—flyweight, bantamweigh ...

bantamweight winner

Rinya Nakamura is a Japanese mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler who currently competes in the bantamweight division. Competing at 61 kilograms, Nakamura became the 2017 U23 World Champion during his wrestling career, before retiring at age 25 ...

was scheduled to face Brady Hiestand in a bantamweight bout. However, Hiestand pulled out due to injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Carlos Vera, who had previously competed on Season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter the year prior. A middleweight bout between former LFA Middleweight Champion Anthony Hernandez and Ikram Aliskerov was expected to take place at the event. However, Aliskerov withdrew due to compilations related to an illness and was replaced by

Roman Kopylov Roman Yuryevich Kopylov (born 4 May 1991) is a Russian mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of 29 April 2025, he is #14 in the UFC middleweight rankings. Background R ...

. The pair was originally expected to take place at UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2 the year prior after Kopylov served as a replacement to Hernandez's original opponent

Chris Curtis Chris Curtis may refer to: * Chris Curtis (fighter) (born 1987), American MMA fighter * Chris Curtis (musician) (1941–2005), British drummer and singer, best known for being with The Searchers * Chris Curtis (politician), British Member of Pa ...

, but Hernandez pulled out of the event and the bout never materialized. Tresean Gore was expected to face A.J. Dobson in a middleweight bout at the event. However on February 7, Gore pulled out due to a shoulder injury and the bout was scrapped. A heavyweight bout between

Justin Tafa Justin Tafa (born 13 December 1993) is a New Zealand professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Early life Tafa was born in Auckland, New Zealand, to a family of ...

and

Marcos Rogério de Lima Marcos Rogério de Lima (born May 25, 1985) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional since 2009, he formerly competed for Strikeforce, Shooto, and was a con ...

was expected to take place at the event. However, Tafa withdrew the day before the event due to injury. He was replaced by his brother

Junior Tafa Pascall Saumani Milo (born 21 September 1996), known as Junior Tafa, is an Australian mixed martial artist, former professional kickboxer and boxer who currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). ...

. During the event's broadcast, former PRIDE Middleweight Champion and 2003 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Champion (also a former

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight clas ...

challenger)

Wanderlei Silva Wanderlei César da Silva ( , , ; born 3 July 1976) is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist who competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He holds the record for the most wins, knockouts, ...

was announced as the next "pioneer wing"

UFC Hall of Fame The UFC Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors mixed martial artists and MMA personalities, established and maintained by the U.S.-based mixed martial arts promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In a ...

inductee during June's International Fight Week festivities in Las Vegas.

Results

Bonus awards

The following fighters received $50,000 bonuses. *Fight of the Night: Amanda Lemos vs. Mackenzie Dern *Performance of the Night: Ilia Topuria, Anthony Hernandez, and Zhang Mingyang

Reported payout

The following is the reported payout to the fighters as released by the

California State Athletic Commission The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) regulates amateur and professional boxing, amateur and professional kickboxing and professional mixed martial arts (MMA) throughout the State by licensing all participants and supervising the event ...

. It does not include sponsor money and also does not include the UFC's traditional "fight night" bonuses. * Ilia Topuria: $350,000 (no win bonus) def. Alexander Volkanovski: $750,000 * Robert Whittaker: $400,000 (includes $100,000 win bonus) def. Paulo Costa: $250,000 * Ian Machado Garry: $110,000 (includes $55,000 win bonus) def. Geoff Neal: $108,000 * Merab Dvalishvili: $210,000 (includes $105,000 win bonus) def. Henry Cejudo: $150,000 * Anthony Hernandez: $132,000 (includes $66,000 win bonus) def. Roman Kopylov: $80,000 * Amanda Lemos: $160,000 (includes $80,000 win bonus) def. Mackenzie Dern: $200,000 * Marcos Rogério de Lima: $200,000 (includes $100,000 win bonus) def. Junior Tafa: $23,000 * Rinya Nakamura: $46,000 (includes $23,000 win bonus) def. Carlos Vera: $12,000 * Zhang Mingyang: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) def. Brendson Ribeiro: $10,000 * Danny Barlow: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) def. Josh Quinlan: $12,000 * Oban Elliott: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) def. Val Woodburn: $15,000 * Miranda Maverick: $150,000 (includes $75,000 win bonus) def. Andrea Lee: $70,000

Fight night weights

The following is the official weigh-in weights compared to the fight night weights reported by the

. *Alexander Volkanovski: 145 to 166.2 pounds (21.2 lbs) 15% *Ilia Topuria: 144.5 to 167.2 pounds (22.7 lbs), 16% *Paulo Costa: 185.5 to 215.2 pounds (29.7 lbs), 16% *Robert Whittaker: 185.5 to 207.6 pounds (22.1 lbs), 12% *Ian Machado Garry: 170.5 to 180.6 pounds (10.1 lbs), 6% *Geoff Neal: 170.5 to 200.8 pounds (30.3 lbs), 18% *Henry Cejudo: 135 to 150.6 pounds (15.6 lbs), 12% *Merab Dvalishvili: 135 to 156.8 pounds (21.8), 16% *Roman Kopylov: 185 to 194 pounds (9 lbs), 5% *Anthony Hernandez: 185.5 to 203.6 pounds (18.1 lbs), 10% *Mackenzie Dern: 116 to 127 pounds (11 lbs), 9% *Amanda Lemos: 115.5 to 123.8 pounds (8.3 lbs), 7% *Junior Tafa: 249 to 247 pounds (-2 lbs), -1% *Marcos Rogerio de Lima: 261.5 to 273.4 pounds (11.9 lbs), 5% *Carlos Vera: 135.5 to 158.6 pounds (23.1 lbs), 17% *Rinya Nakamura: 135.5 to 147.2 (11.8 lbs), 9% *Brendson Ribeiro: 205.5 to 219.6 pounds (14.1 lbs) 7% *Zhang Minyang: 204.5 to 230.2 pounds (25.7 lbs), 13% *Danny Barlow: 171 to 197.8 pounds (26.8 lbs), 16% *Josh Quinland: 169 to 187.8 pounds (18.8), 11% *Val Woodburn: 169.5 to 184 pounds (14.5 lbs), 9% *Oban Elliott: 170.5 to 185.2 pounds (14.7 lbs), 9% *Miranda Maverick: 126 to 135.8 pounds (9.8 lbs), 8% *Andrea Lee: 125.5 to 136.2 pounds (10.7 lbs), 9%

References