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MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the UFC 298 co-feature, Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa.
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the co-main event for UFC 298.
UFC 298 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
The stacked UFC 298 main card engaged in faceoffs following Thursday’s pre-fight press conference.
ANAHEIM, Calif. – The UFC 298 pre-fight press conference went down Thursday and it was the initial opportunity to get a look at fighter staredowns for the second numbered event of 2024.
The card, which is headlined by a featherweight title bout between [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) and [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), goes down Saturday at Honda Center with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
In addition to the main event, a stacked slate of matchups round out the undercard. That includes [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) vs. [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC), [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) vs. [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) vs. [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) and [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) vs. [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC).
All five pairings were in attendance at the pre-fight press conference, where they answered questions and engaged in faceoffs.
Check out the video above to see all the staredowns.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
Paulo Costa apparently is over the idea of fighting Khamzat Chimaev.
IRVINE, Calif. – [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] has moved past [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag].
Costa was scheduled to fight Chimaev this past October at UFC 294, but an elbow infection forced him out of the bout. Former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman stepped in on short notice but fell short in a majority decision loss to Chimaev.
Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) meets Robert Whittaker (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 298 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) co-main event at Honda Center in Anaheim. He has no interest in rebooking the Chimaev fight and questions his resume at middleweight.
“Everybody knows I don’t like the guy, but I don’t think too many people take him seriously anymore,” Costa said at Wednesday’s UFC 298 media day. “He just stopped fighting. He didn’t beat anybody in the middleweight division, top contenders or even top 15. He didn’t beat anybody in the top 15 middleweight division. How can you take this guy seriously?
“He barely could beat Usman in 10-day short notice. Usman is a welterweight. He didn’t cut weight to middleweight, and everybody saw that fight. I was there. I like this beef between countries and cultures and two guys, but after I beat Whittaker, I will not want to hear his name. F*ck him. He needs to do something. He needs to beat somebody at least top 10 in the middleweight. He didn’t yet, and I don’t think he’s capable to do that.”
Costa is eyeing a title shot with a win over Whittaker. He sees former champion Whittaker as a far more formidable opponent than Chimaev.
“Of course, I would have loved to fight him in Abu Dhabi,” Costa said. “It didn’t happen, OK, I was frustrated, but I’m here right now and I’m going to fight a guy more qualified than him. Whittaker has better credentials than him. So, I don’t believe he’s going to jump and fight for the belt before me.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
On the fourth episode of UFC 298 “Embedded,” Alexander Volkanovski flexes his cooking skills and his will power while cutting weight.
The UFC is back for its second pay-per-view of 2024, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.
UFC 298 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
In the main event, UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) attempts another successful title defense, this time against [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC). Middleweight contenders [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) face off in a long-awaited showdown in the co-main event.
Also on the card, a grudge match between [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) finally materializes after [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) and [autotag]Merab Dvalishivili[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) jostle for position atop the bantamweight division.
The fourth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:
“Merab Dvalishvili hits the open road. Paulo Costa refuses to rest. Champ Alexander Volkanovski cooks. Dvalishvili offers Aljo a new job. Robert Whittaker chats with Ian Garry Machado and Michael Bisping; Ilia Topuria feels out the belt.”
Also see:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
Israel Adesanya believes Robert Whittaker has more tools to win than Paulo Costa at UFC 298.
[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] believes [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] has more tools to win than [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag].
Whittaker (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) takes on Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 298 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) co-main event at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Former middleweight champion Adesanya has knocked out both fighters in title fights but expects Whittaker’s grappling to play a key factor. He believes Costa’s approach is limited.
“Stylistically, I will say I think Rob’s going to wrestle him,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “Rob can definitely land the takedown. Maybe not early on. Early on, I think it’d be f*cking hard. Rob will be at the distance. Faints, pump faking, doing his f*cking oblique kick. Costa will – I don’t think he’ll try and bait Rob or anything like that. I think he’ll go to Rob. I think he might not respect Rob unless Rob gets some respect straight away with the jab or his leg kicks or right hand or something.
“Costa will try and walk him down. If Rob’s smart, don’t get to the fence because that’s when he’ll bully you. Use good footwork. If Rob ends up behind the black line, that’s when Costa’s going to put that pressure and just try and body work him, because he does his best work when people are on the fence. Footwork from Rob to stay away from the fence. Costa to win, he just has to maybe – he doesn’t really mix it up. He barely kicks, like low kicks or anything. He likes to box, boxing heavy. I think against Rob that’s very limited.”
Adesanya predicts that former champion Whittaker will get his hand raised.
“I feel Rob will win by decision, UD (unanimous decision),” Adesanya concluded. “He’s going to land a couple takedowns. Depends who shows up. He might rock Costa, but I don’t think so.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
Ahead of UFC 298, Paulo Costa voices in his abilities, Saturday’s fight vs. Robert Whittaker, and what’s on the other side of it.
IRVINE, Calif. – [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] is one win away from challenging for UFC gold – at least in his eyes.
At a UFC 298 pre-fight news conference Wednesday, Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) voiced confidence in his proximity to a middleweight title shot should he defeat Robert Whittaker (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) on Saturday at Honda Center.
“After my fight against Whittaker, for sure,” Costa told reporters including MMA Junkie. “I don’t see another way different than going straight for the belt after I beat Whittaker on Saturday. I have no other way to go. I think after (I) beat him, when you look at the whole division, you have a couple of guys who fight the way that people want to see, that people like to see the fights going on. It’s me. Beating him, I’ll be the next in the line.”
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Costa has previously challenged for the middleweight title. He was unsuccessful in a September 2020 bid against rival Israel Adesanya, which headlined UFC 253.
In order to get a second shot at the ultimate goal, Costa will need to get through a man who long reigned over the middleweight division. However, Costa has faith in the improvements he’s made this training camp.
“I just hope he brings the best version of himself,” Costa said. “I’m prepared to show I’m different from that guy that you guys saw against (Marvin Vettori) or against Luke Rockhold. I did a lot of improvements. I’m faster. I’m more dangerous than before.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
Robert Whittaker says he’s made adjustments since his last defeat, which he expects to pay dividends against Paulo Costa at UFC 298.
IRVINE, Calif. – Ever since he lost the UFC middleweight championship back in 2019, [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] has constantly talked about wanting to reclaim it.
Not this week.
With his UFC 298 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) looming large, Whittaker has a singular focus heading into Saturday night’s co-main event showdown against [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] at Honda Center in Anaheim.
“I want to beat Costa,” Whittaker said when asked about his aspirations for 2024 during UFC 298 media day on Wednesday. “That’s on the to-do list right now, and that’s as far as my calendar goes.”
That’s probably a wise approach as Whittaker prepares for his first fight of the year looking to rebound from a disappointing second-round TKO loss to Dricus Du Plessis last July. The victory launched Du Plessis into a 185-pound title shot as he won the belt from Sean Strickland last month at UFC 297.
“Dricus is a sore spot for me, because I didn’t turn up,” Whittaker said. “I didn’t perform.”
The reason for that, Whittaker said, at least was in part because of “things that were sub-optimal in the last camp.” While he didn’t elaborate on what those were, he said he and his team have adjusted accordingly.
Whittaker (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) expects those adjustments to pay dividends against Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC), whom he’s excited to face given his standing as a perennial top-end fighter for several years.
“He’s a great fighter. He’s been in the conversation of the top 10 forever,” Whittaker said. “He’s a good fighter. He’s a power puncher, he pushes forward, and he likes to control and dictate the fight in that way. But I don’t think he’s encountered anybody like me. I don’t think anyone has until they come up against me.
“I’ve done everything. I’ve ticked every box, I’ve crossed every ‘t,’ I’ve dotted every ‘i’ in the last few months, so I’m going into this fight cocked and ready.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
Before UFC 298 on Saturday, the main card and prelim fighters are scheduled to speak to reporters at media day.
ANAHEIM, Calif. – The UFC 298, which takes place at Honda Center with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+, goes down Saturday.
Before fight night arrives, though, notable athletes from the main card and preliminary are scheduled to speak to reporters Wednesday at media day, and MMA Junkie will be on-site.
Check below for the archived videos of each media day.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
On the third episode of UFC 298 “Embedded,” Geoff Neal arrives and shows off his lucky luggage – taped, but hangin’ in there.
The UFC is back for its second pay-per-view of 2024, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.
UFC 298 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
In the main event, UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) attempts another successful title defense, this time against [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC). Middleweight contenders [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) face off in a long-awaited showdown in the co-main event.
Also on the card, a grudge match between [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) finally materializes after [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) and [autotag]Merab Dvalishivili[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) jostle for position atop the bantamweight division.
The third episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:
“Champ Alexander Volkanovski and challenger Ilia Topuria train in LA. Geoff Neal chats with former champions. Ian Machado Garry and Henry Cejudo check in; Paulo Costa gets in a sweat.”
Also see:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
The best facts and figures about UFC 298, which sees Alexander Volkanovski take on the rare task of a title defense after a knockout loss.
The octagon returns to Anaheim, Calif., for the first time in more than two years and ninth time in its history on Saturday with UFC 298, which goes down at Honda Center with a main card on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
An anticipated featherweight championship bout gets top billing. Champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) returns to the division he rules following a knockout loss to lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev in October when he takes on unbeaten contender [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC).
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC 298.
