Ilia Topuria, proper, defeated featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski by KO within the second spherical in the principle occasion of UFC 298 on Saturday, February 17, 2024 at Honda Heart. (Picture by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Each day Information/SCNG)
The UFC made its tenth present in Anaheim a historic one.
Returning to the Honda Heart for the primary time in over two years, UFC 298 proved to be a record-breaking evening, highlighted by Ilia Topuria dethroning featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski in the principle occasion.
With an attendance of 18,186 folks and an introduced stay gate of $7,264,734, which included Fb founder Mark Zuckerberg sitting entrance and middle cageside, UFC CEO Dana White stated UFC 298 was the stay occasion of the largest grosser in Honda Heart historical past and the highest-grossing MMA occasion. in California historical past.
“It's good to be again. This area has been excellent to us for a very long time,” White stated. “We like the fellows who run this place and we stay up for it. Additionally they have massive plans for right here, they’re constructing a great expertise right here. So, completely satisfied to be again with these guys.”
The UFC has held occasions on the Anaheim area since April 15, 2006, when UFC 59: Actuality Examine featured Tim Sylvia successful the heavyweight title from Andrei Arlovski at Arrowhead Pond.
The dominion in Spain
Ilia Topuria professed all battle week that he can be the brand new featherweight champion on Saturday evening – a tall order as Alexander Volkanovski was making his sixth title protection and had by no means misplaced at 145 kilos.
And with one punch, the whole lot grew to become true. Topuria, a German native who was raised in Georgia and has lived in Spain most of his life, floored the champion within the second spherical and related with rights to the physique and lefts to the pinnacle. As Volkanovski leaned towards the cage, Topuria delivered an ideal press to the jaw, placing Volkanovski out.
“I don't want the judges,” Topuria, 27, stated at a postfight press convention. “Once I battle, they will go and take their time to interrupt and relaxation just a little bit. The man was actually quick, very quick jabs. His actions, his kicks, shocked me just a little bit. It took me just a little time to review him and I needed to crash within the second spherical.
“I used to be simply ready to search out my timing. He caught me with a few punches and was celebrating like, 'Ha ha ha!' I used to be ready for my flip for that. The sport plan from the primary second was to do lengthy combos, not only one or two punches, three, 4, 5 punch combos as a result of it's tougher to learn.”
All week, a stat was trickling in, and it was mocked by the 35-year-old Volkanovski: UFC fighters 35 and older in title fights at 170 kilos and lighter had been a surprising 1-21 towards youthful fighters.
And now that document is 1-22. Volkanovski was unapologetic after the battle and shot down chatter that he had come again too quickly after being defeated by light-weight champion Islam Makhachev in October.
“You’ll be able to't take something away from Topuria,” stated Volkanovski, who received the primary spherical on all three judges' playing cards. “If he lands a hand like that on you, you're going to go down. I don't care, it's simply that. That was a clear proper hand and I feel irrespective of who you’re, let a kind of land in your chin whilst you're getting there, you're in all probability getting off.
Topuria says the UFC ought to now make his debut in Spain, the place his reputation is rising as one of many UFC's brightest European stars. White says that Spain will occur and Volkanovski believes that’s the place he ought to have his rematch, which Topuria stated he agrees with.
“I’ve lived as a king for the way lengthy? I’ve been a little bit of an organization man,” stated Volkanovski. “I'm again very quickly. I fought Max [Holloway] thrice. The title, I've been doing it individually for a very long time, so I feel I deserve this and it is going to be totally different subsequent time.”
Dvalishvili will get his shine
Topuria was joined within the win by bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili, a Georgia native who fights out of Lengthy Island, New York.
Dvalishvili delayed the comeback quest of former two-division champion Henry Cejudo, dominating the second and third rounds en path to a unanimous choice.
The battle was billed as a No. 1 battle, with the winner incomes a shot on the winner of the UFC 299 headliner between champion Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera on March 9. White confirmed that Dvalishvili can be subsequent in line.
“That's the one aim now. Combat for the title and win the belt,” stated Dvalishvili. “I imagine in myself and I'm solely getting higher, as you possibly can see. Each battle, it appears a lot simpler, and actually tonight I didn't even breathe closely. I used to be very snug and that is only the start.”
Cejudo shines
Cejudo stated all week he would retire for a second time if he had his quest for one more bantamweight title deterred by Dvalishvili.
At 37, it was a title shot or bust for the 2008 Olympic freestyle wrestling gold medal. After the scores had been learn – all 29-28 in favor of Dvalishvili – Cejudo eliminated his gloves, alongside a precursor to an in-ring retirement, as Dvalishvili gave his postfight interview.
Nevertheless, after the tip of Dvalishvili's interview, the home music performed and Cejudo didn't have an opportunity to deal with if he would name himself. As of Sunday morning, the standing of his profession was nonetheless unknown
White on Saturday evening stated he was not conscious of Cejudo's standing and defined why the MMA nice was not given the chance to talk.
“Hear, Merab was ready the place she wouldn't battle along with her good friend. You understand how we adore it right here while you don't try this. So , I wasn't thrilled with Merab, I don't like that perspective. Combat everybody, then no matter,” White stated in reference to Dvalishvili's reluctance to battle coaching companion and former 135-pound champion Aljamain Sterling.
“Merab went on the market tonight and beat the previous champion, Henry Cejudo. Henry Cejudo is already retired, okay? He did the entire 'drop the gloves' factor. Tonight was Merab's evening. Merab went in right here and he fought the No. 2 man on the earth, former world champion. He received simply, he received the battle. Tonight was Merab's evening. And if he (Cejudo) needs to retire once more, he can do it right here or elsewhere. Don't give Cejudo the mic tonight. Tonight was Merab's evening.
It's secure to say that White was not thrilled with Cejudo's early retirement. After his TKO victory over former holder Dominick Cruz to defend the bantamweight title at UFC 249 in Could 2020, Cejudo shocked the MMA world and introduced that he strengthened it in his interview postfight.
Some speculated that it was a contract negotiation ploy. If he was, he performed for 3 years earlier than Cejudo retired in Could and was shocked in a break up choice title battle loss to Sterling at UFC 288 in Could.
The battle of the evening
Huntington Seashore resident Mackenzie Dern and her companion Amanda Lemos took the crown to their toes with their entertaining, back-and-forth wrestling, every scoring a minimum of one takedown and one takedown.
Their efforts, which ended with Lemos successful by unanimous choice, resulted in a Combat of the Night time bonus for every within the quantity of $50,000.
At one level, Dern fell twice within the second spherical, the second of which appeared to interrupt her nostril whereas grimacing and attempting to cowl her face.
White says he was satisfied that Dern, who took the battle on a month's discover rather than the injured Tatiana Suarez, additionally had a damaged orbital. He stated he was “shocked” she was not taken to hospital on Saturday evening.
“It's so arduous, man. It's so arduous,” White stated. “She's superior.”
Efficiency bonuses, additionally for $50,000, had been handed out to Topuria, Anthony Hernandez for his second-round submission of Roman Kopylov, and Zhang Mingyang for his first-round KO of Brendson Ribeiro.
