The UFC made its tenth present in Anaheim a historic one.
Returning to the Honda Middle for the primary time in over two years, UFC 298 proved to be a record-breaking night time, highlighted by Ilia Topuria dethroning featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski in the principle occasion.
With an attendance of 18,186 folks and an introduced dwell gate of $7,264,734, which included Fb founder Mark Zuckerberg sitting entrance and heart cageside, UFC CEO Dana White mentioned UFC 298 was the dwell occasion of the largest grosser in Honda Middle historical past and the highest-grossing MMA occasion. in California historical past.
“It's good to be again. This enviornment has been excellent to us for a very long time,” White mentioned. “We like the fellows who run this place and we stay up for it. Additionally they have large plans for right here, they’re constructing a superb expertise right here. So, pleased to be again with these guys.”
The UFC has held occasions on the Anaheim enviornment since April 15, 2006, when UFC 59: Actuality Verify featured Tim Sylvia profitable the heavyweight title from Andrei Arlovski at Arrowhead Pond.
The dominion in Spain
Ilia Topuria professed all struggle week that he could be the brand new featherweight champion on Saturday night time – 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, all the pieces turned actuality. 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 linked 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, mentioned at a postfight press convention. “Once I struggle, they’ll go and take their time to interrupt and relaxation slightly bit. The man was actually quick, very quick jabs. His actions, his kicks, stunned me slightly bit. It took me slightly time to check him and I needed to crash within the second spherical.
“I used to be simply ready to seek 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 mixtures, not only one or two punches, three, 4, 5 punch mixtures as a result of it's tougher to learn.”
All week, a statistic has been trickling in, and it's been mocked by the 35-year-old Volkanovski: UFC fighters 35 and older in title fights at 170 kilos and underneath had been a surprising 1-21 towards youthful fighters.
And now that document is 1-22. Volkanovski was unapologetic after the struggle and shot down chatter that he had come again too quickly after being defeated by light-weight champion Islam Makhachev in October.
“You possibly can't take something away from Topuria,” mentioned Volkanovski, who received the primary spherical on all three judges' playing cards. “If he lands a hand like that, you're going to go down. I don't care, that's all. That was a clear proper hand and I believe irrespective of who you might be, 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 mentioned he agrees with.
“I’ve lived as a king for the way lengthy? I’ve been a little bit of an organization man,” mentioned Volkanovski. “I'm again very quickly. I fought Max [Holloway] 3 times. The identify, I've been doing it individually for a very long time, so I believe 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 resolution.
The struggle was billed as a No. 1 struggle, 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 could be subsequent in line.
“That's the one objective now. Combat for the title and win the belt,” mentioned Dvalishvili. “I imagine in myself and I'm solely getting higher, as you possibly can see. Each struggle, it appears a lot simpler, and actually tonight I didn't even breathe closely. I used to be very comfy and that is only the start.”
Cejudo shines
Cejudo mentioned all week he would retire for a second time if he had his quest for an additional bantamweight title deterred by Dvalishvili.
At 37, it was a title shot or bust for the 2008 Olympic wrestling gold medalist. After the scores had been learn – all 29-28 in favor of Dvalishvili – Cejudo eliminated his gloves, lengthy 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 handle if he would name himself. As of Sunday morning, the standing of his profession was nonetheless unknown
White on Saturday night time mentioned 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 struggle along with her buddy. You understand how we like it right here while you don't do this. So you recognize, I wasn't thrilled with Merab, I don't like that perspective. Combat everybody, then no matter,” White mentioned in reference to Dvalishvili's reluctance to struggle coaching associate 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 'take off the gloves' factor. Tonight was Merab's night time. Merab went in right here and he fought the No. 2 man on the planet, former world champion. He received simply, he received the struggle. Tonight was Merab's night time. 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 night time.
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 cut up resolution title struggle loss to Sterling at UFC 288 in Could.
The struggle of the night time
Huntington Seaside resident Mackenzie Dern and her associate Amanda Lemos took the crown to their ft with their entertaining, back-and-forth wrestling, every scoring at the very least one takedown and one takedown.
Their efforts, which ended with Lemos profitable by unanimous resolution, 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 making an attempt to cowl her face.
White says he was satisfied that Dern, who took the struggle on a month's discover rather than the injured Tatiana Suarez, additionally had a damaged orbital. He mentioned he was “shocked” she was not taken to hospital on Saturday night time.
“It's so arduous, man. It's so arduous,” White mentioned. “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.
