UFC 298 as promised was a night of excitement, and it did certainly deliver as Ilia Topuria stole the show with a jaw-dropping performance. In a highly anticipated clash for the UFC featherweight belt, Topuria showcased his elite skills by knocking out the reigning champion, Alexander Volkanovski, in the second round.

Despite Volkanovski’s early dominance, Topuria remained confident and composed throughout the bout. He unleashed a devastating right hand which was enough to send Volkanovski crashing to the canvas, ending the fight at 3:32 of the second round.

With this victory, Topuria not only claimed the featherweight title but also maintained his undefeated record, now standing at an impressive 15-0. His pre-fight talk of championship aspirations proved to be more than just mere words as he backed it up with a stellar performance inside the Octagon.

For Volkanovski, it marked his second consecutive brutal knockout defeat, raising questions about his future in the sport. At 35 years old, the loss further highlights the challenges that older fighters face when competing against younger, hungry contenders.

In other notable matchups of the evening, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker showcased his skills with a dominant performance against Paulo Costa, securing a unanimous decision victory. Welterweight prospect Ian Machado Garry also emerged victorious, albeit in a lackluster bout against veteran Geoff Neal that left the crowd restless.

Additionally, former flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo put forth a valiant effort but ultimately fell short against Merab Dvalishvili, who displayed relentless cardio and aggression en route to a unanimous decision victory.

UFC 298 proved to be a night of triumphs and setbacks (read our post about another match between Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo) , with Topuria’s stunning knockout undoubtedly serving as the highlight of the event, solidifying his status as one of the most promising talents in the featherweight division in addition to the Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo

The machine aka “Merab Dvalishvili” might get a title shot for the bantamweight gold following his win over Henry Cejudo in UFC 298. The same has been confirmed by the UFO CEO Dana White.

The bantamweight gold will be on line on March 9 at UFC 299 in Miami , with champion Sean O’ Malley rematches with long time rival Marlon Vera .

Dvalishivili will be facing the winner as he would look to extend his 10-fight winning streak which will be his first ever UFC title opportunity.

During the match , rather than going for the takedown early , Dvalishvili seems to go on trade with Cejudo which seemed to be a mistake as Cejudo was able to give a few shots which seemed to wobble the former.

However , he kept on pressure on second and third round by completely out grappling him , including another takedown and to the point where he picked and carried him across the cage and slammed Cejudo.