(buffstreams<<MMA!) UFC 298 Volkanovski vs. Topuria live PPV 17 February 2024
UFC 298 live stream: How to watch Volkanovski vs Topuria online right now, match card, start time. UFC 298, headlined by the bout between Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria airs live on Saturday, Feb.17, 2024 (2/17/24) at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Click Here to Watch UFC 298 Full Fight Live Online
One of the most dominant champions in the UFC today returns to face another elite contender, as Alexander Volkanovski travels from his home in Australia to defend his featherweight crown against Spain's Ilia Topuria in the main event of UFC 298 at Anaheim's Honda Center on February 17.
An exciting title match will headline a stacked pay-per-view card put on by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday night. The main event will see Alexander Volkanovski defend his Flyweight belt for the second time in less than a year, taking on Ilia Topuria.
Volkanovski has been sitting atop the division since he defeated Max Holloway for the belt at UFC 245 in December 2019. He has defended his title five times, beating Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 last July. Volkanovski has dipped his toe in the Lightweight waters, fighting Islam Makhachev for the championship twice in the past year, losing both times, most recently at UFC 294 in October.
Those are his only defeats since joining the UFC. Volkanovski is 26-3 in his career, with 13 wins coming by knockout.
Topuria has never lost in his MMA career, including winning each of his six bouts in the UFC. He will be well-rested, as he has not been in the octagon since defeating Josh Emmett in June 2023. It was just the second win of his career that ended in a decision. With a 14-0 record, Topuria has eight wins by submission.
Another fight to keep an eye on is the Middleweight battle between Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa. Both are hoping a win will put them in line for a future title shot.
Here’s what you need to know:
What: UFC 298
Main Event: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria
When: Saturday, Feb.17, 2024
Where: Honda Center in Anaheim, California, United States
Main Card Time: 10 p.m. ET
Prelim time: 8 p.m. ET
Live stream for main event: ESPN+ PPV
Live stream for prelims: ESPN+ PPV
Alexander Volkanovski defends his Featherweight belt against the #5 ranked contender, Ilia Topuria, at UFC 298 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California on Saturday, February 17 (2/17/2024).
It’s time to enter the ring as UFC 298 kicks off with an exciting matchup on Saturday (Feb. 17). The match will see Alexander Volkanovski defend his featherweight title for the sixth time against No. 3-ranked Ilia Topuria.
Unbeaten in 14 fights, Topuria has scored six of those wins in the UFC, and now he will look to become Spain's first world champion when he meets one of the best 145-pounders of all-time, "Alexander the Great," in the Octagon. Plus, middleweight action heroes collide when former champ Robert Whittaker takes on Brazilian bomber Paulo Costa in the co-main event.
The promotion's tenth visit to the O.C. city, and first since 2022 when it played host to UFC 270 at the same venue, will pit the #3 pound-for-pound champion against his challenger in a first defence since he unified the title against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290. Volkanovski arrives on the back of a loss at UFC 294 though, where he stepped up for a lightweight contest against Islam Makhachev at short notice, and will be keen to ensure he has a statement win under his belt on his return to the octagon.
Topuria though, brings an unbeaten record to the table, and the Spaniard is looking to make the most of his title shot against experienced opposition, in what will be his 15th professional mixed martial arts bout. Elsewhere on the bill, Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa will face off in a middleweight clash, while Geoff Neal will meet with Ian Machado Garry in a welterweight contest, too. But how can you watch all the action from UFC 298?
UFC 298 fight card
Main card
Alexander Volkanovski vs Ilia Topuria
Robert Whittaker vs Paulo Costa
Geoff Neal vs Ian Machado Garry
Merab Dvalishvili vs Henry Cejudo
Anthony Hernandez vs Roman Kopylov
Prelims
Amanda Lemos vs Mackenzie Dern
Marcos Rogerio de Lima vs Justin Tafa
Rinya Nakamura vs Carlos Vera
Mingyang Zhang vs Brendson Ribeiro
Early prelims
Josh Quinlan vs Danny Barlow
Oban Elliott vs Val Woodburn
Andrea Lee vs Miranda Maverick
One of the best matchups you can make at featherweight will go down this weekend at UFC 298, as pound-for-pound third-ranked fighter and current featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski will take on undefeated Ilia Topuria. Volkanovski will be trying to extend his 1,500-day reign even further, putting his title on the line for the sixth time since earning it in 2019.
Saturday will be Volkanovski’s return to featherweight after a second unsuccessful excursion up at lightweight. In an attempt at becoming a two-division champion, Volkanovski lost a short-notice title fight to Islam Makhachev late last year via first-round stoppage. This was his second time facing the lightweight champ, as he previously lost a unanimous decision in February 2023 as well. After not having the best 2023 – at least in comparison to his previous years of absolute dominance in the UFC - Volkanovski will have the chance to score a big win back at 145 pounds.
Topuria is in a title position after stringing together six UFC wins since 2020. He is coming off a high-profile featherweight win, going five rounds against former interim title challenger Josh Emmett for a unanimous decision victory last year. Before then, he handed Bryce Mitchell his first loss and scored stoppages over Jai Herbert and Damon Jackson. While Topuria has numerous impressive victories on his record, nothing is as big as the matchup he is booked for this weekend.
If you want round-by-round updates as the main event fight takes place, keep an eye on this article. The story will be updated frequently during the bout, providing you with details and insight about the matchup as it goes down.
The Great is returning to his familiar division having fallen short in his bid to become a dual-weight champion last year. Volkanovski agreed to fight lightweight champion Islam Makhachev for a second time at UFC 294 in October on just 11 days' notice as a replacement for the injured Charles Oliveira.
However, he was brutally knocked out cold in one round - which came eight months after he lost on points in their initial encounter. In between those two defeats, Volkanovski unified the 145lb division in July by beating Yair Rodriguez and now will be making his sixth defence of his title. But Topuria may represent his toughest test to date, with El Matador undefeated as a professional with 14 straight wins.
Featherweight champion Volkanovski has successfully defended the title since a victory over Max Holloway at UFC 245 in 2019. He has enjoyed such dominance over the featherweight division that he went for a shot at lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. However, he was defeated twice, most recently in October 2023 - his latest UFC showdown.
Volkanovski will be determined to return to winning ways when he faces rising superstar Ilia Topuria, who enters the Octagon with a spotless 14-0 winning record. The 27-year-old is ranked as the No.3 challenger in the featherweight division and he will see this as a huge opportunity to demonstrate his talents against a high-calibre opponent. They don't come a whole lot more challenging than Volkanovski.
Volkanovski twice came up short against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in 2023, losing to the Russian on points in February and via an early knockout in October. Between those bouts, however, Volkanovski extended his impressive run at 145lbs, stopping Yair Rodriguez for a fifth successful title defence.
Yet some fans fear that the Australian’s reign could come to an abrupt end in the UFC 298 main event. Having been knocked out badly four months ago, after fighting on short notice, 35-year-old Volkanovski now faces a powerful and well-rounded foe in Topuria. The Georgian, who fights out of Spain, is unbeaten with 12 finishes from his 14 wins, and he has relative youth on his side at 27 years old.
Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria face off with strong professional MMA records across the board, with a combined 43 fights, 40 wins, and three losses over their careers. Volkanovski holds a 26-3 record and has been practically unbeatable within his weight division. Indeed, two of his losses came in the step-up to lightweight against champion opponents. He has won the UFC Fight of the Night award three times.
Topuria meanwhile boasts a 14-0 record and has not lost a professional bout since he stepped into the octagon. Only four of those wins have come through knockout, with another eight by submission and two more by decision. The showdown between Volkanovski and Topuria, two of the division's premier athletes, is poised to captivate fans with the promise of an electrifying clash.
In the lead-up to this high-stakes bout, both fighters have already set the tone for a dramatic confrontation. At the press conference on Thursday, Volkanovski, embracing the narrative, appeared dressed as an old man, a playful jab at Topuria's comments regarding his age.
Alexander Volkanovski defends his featherweight title once again as he seeks to bounce back from his emphatic rematch defeat by Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi in October.
The Australian had been challenging to become a two-weight UFC champion as he attempted to avenge his narrow loss from UFC 284 on home soil in Perth in February, but was knocked out in the first round by a vicious high kick having taken the fight at short notice following Charles Oliveria’s injury-forced withdrawal.
Now Volkanovski turns his attentions back to the 145-pound division, putting the belt he has now held for more than four years on the line against Ilia Topuria, the undefeated no3-ranked featherweight - AKA ‘El Matador’ - who dominated Josh Emmett in Jacksonville over the summer to move to 6-0 in the UFC and firmly cement his status as a dangerous title contender.
Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker finally meets Brazil’s Paulo Costa in the co-main event of the night, while Ireland’s controversial welterweight Ian Machado Garry looks to stay unbeaten against Geoff Neal, former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo takes on Merab Dvalishvili and Anthony Hernandez goes up against Roman Kopylov.