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Last night saw UFC 298 go down in Anaheim, California, and it saw a few major results, particularly in the headline bout.
UFC 298 saw a new featherweight champion crowned, so what is next for Ilia Topuria and the other big names who were in action last night?
As always, the promotion’s matchmakers have plenty of options in front of them.
Here are five fights to make following UFC 298: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria.
#5. UFC strawweight bout: Amanda Lemos vs. Tatiana Suarez
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Former strawweight title challenger Amanda Lemos came out on top of a Fight of the Night bout with Mackenzie Dern last night and is currently ranked at No.3 in the 115-pound division.
However, despite her big win, it’s unlikely that she will be in line for another title shot, purely because of how easily she was brushed aside by champ Weili Zhang last time out.
Therefore, the best fight for her would be the one that was initially planned for UFC 298 against No.4 ranked Tatiana Suarez.
The subject of a recent documentary around her comeback from various injuries, Suarez is probably the best overall grappler in the division. That potentially means she’d be a much tougher test for Lemos than Dern was.
Essentially, the winner of this one would definitely have earned a title shot, and judging by Lemos’ fight last night, it could also be highly entertaining. That makes it well worth booking.
#4. UFC welterweight bout: Ian Machado Garry vs. Colby Covington
Welterweight prospect Ian Machado Garry graduated into the realm of contendership last night with his biggest win to date. ‘The Future’ edged a decision over Geoff Neal in a fight that arguably wasn’t as close as the split call from the judges suggested.
With a rangy, sharp striking game, plenty of power, and underrated skills in the clinch, Garry should be a handful for any fighter at 170 pounds. Most intriguingly, there are plenty of options for him.
The best option, though, would be the bout with three-time title challenger Colby Covington that Garry called for after the fight.
Not only would a win over ‘Chaos’ propel the Irishman directly into the upper echelon – and could cement him a title shot – but the trash talk potential would be huge.
Both men are amongst the most outspoken fighters on the roster, and both are polarising characters too, with as many fans despising them as adoring them.
Could ‘The Future’ really stop Covington’s powerful wrestling? It’s hard to say, but given how rusty ‘Chaos’ looked against Leon Edwards, it’s definitely possible.
Overall, this would be a huge fight that could easily serve as a Fight Night headliner or a co-headliner on a pay-per-view event.
#3. UFC bantamweight title: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley or Marlon Vera
While it wasn’t exactly advertised as such, last night’s bantamweight fight between former titleholder Henry Cejudo and No.2 ranked Merab Dvalishvili was basically a title eliminator.
Despite the best efforts of ‘Triple C’, it was Dvalishvili who came away with his hands raised, even landing a high-octane slam on the Olympic gold medallist wrestler in the third round.
Therefore, there’s no other option for the UFC but to give ‘The Machine’ his crack at glory.
Realistically, the native of Georgia should probably be fighting Sean O’Malley next month anyway. Even before defeating Cejudo, he was on a nine-fight win streak and had done more than enough to warrant a shot.
Now, though, he should simply wait for O’Malley to face off with Marlon Vera and begin to prepare for the winner in the second half of 2024.
Based on how he defeated Cejudo, too, there’s every chance that he simply grinds down either of those two fighters, meaning fans who tuned in last night may have seen the next 135-pound champ in action.
#2. UFC middleweight bout: Robert Whittaker vs. Sean Strickland
In what was probably the best fight on tap at UFC 298, former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker came out on the right end of a war with Paulo Costa.
Both men had been written off in some circles prior to the bout as past their best, but in this fight, both proved that they’ve still got plenty to offer at the top of the 185-pound division.
With his win, though, Whittaker probably has his sights set on another title run. Therefore, an opponent who could make sense for him is former titleholder Sean Strickland.
‘Tarzan’ was edged out by Dricus du Plessis in a close fight earlier this year, meaning he’s definitely still in contention in his own right. More importantly, he’s one of the few top middleweights that ‘The Reaper’ has yet to fight.
Would Whittaker be able to claim a title shot with a win? That probably depends on who holds the title at the time. However, it’d definitely be the biggest possible win he could get right now, and it’d make sense as the co-headliner of a big pay-per-view.
#1. UFC featherweight title: Ilia Topuria vs. Yair Rodriguez or Brian Ortega
In one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, Ilia Topuria ascended to the top of the UFC’s featherweight mountain last night.
‘El Matador’ was able to become the first fighter to defeat longtime champion Alexander Volkanovski at 145 pounds, stealing away his title in the process. What’s more, he did so by brutally knocking him out.
The most logical move for the UFC to make would be to book an instant rematch, as Volkanovski had held the title since 2019 and was widely considered the GOAT of the weight class.
However, last night was also the second knockout that ‘Alexander the Great’ had suffered in the past five months, so it might be time for the Aussie to spend some time on the shelf recuperating.
With No.2 ranked Max Holloway also moving to 155 pounds for his next bout, it’s probably fair to overlook him too. Therefore, the best possible challenger for Topuria’s newly won crown would be the winner of the upcoming rematch between Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega.
Sure, the fight wouldn’t be as big as the rematch with Volkanovski would be, but either man would make a fine title challenger, and with any hope, Topuria would win – setting up another date with the Aussie in the future.
