UFC 298 pre-event facts: Alexander Volkanovski can make history with post-KO title defense
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 Alexander Volkanovski (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 Ilia Topuria (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.
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Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria
Alexander Volkanovski
Volkanovski is the only Australia-born champion in UFC history.
Volkanovski is one of four fighters in UFC history to make a title defense after losing a championship bout (the group is 4-0), along with Israel Adesanya, Max Holloway and B.J. Penn. He accomplished the feat at UFC 290.
Volkanovski can become the first fighter in UFC history to have multiple title defenses after losing a championship bout.
Volkanovski’s six victories in UFC featherweight championship bouts are second-most in divisional history behind Jose Aldo (eight).
Volkanovski is one of four fighters in UFC history to start 12-0 with the promotion. Anderson Silva, Kamaru Usman and Khabib Nurmagomedov also accomplished the feat.
Volkanovski’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Volkanovski’s average fight time of 17:40 in UFC featherweight competition is the longest in divisional history.
Ilia Topuria
Topuria’s five-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Alexander Volkanovski (11) and Movsar Evloev (seven).
Topuria was awarded one of four 50-42 scorecards in history at UFC on ABC 5. Holloway, Rich Franklin and Dave Menne also accomplished the feat.
Topuria has earned 12 of his 14 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished eight of those wins by submission.
Topuria defends 67.4 percent of opponent significant strike attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the highest rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa
Robert Whittaker
Robert Whittaker (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) is the only New Zealand-born fighter in history to win a UFC championship.
Whittaker is one of 14 undisputed middleweight champions in UFC history.
Whittaker is 12-3 since he moved up to the UFC middleweight division in November 2014.
Whittaker’s eight fight-night bonuses for UFC middleweight bouts are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Anderson Silva (12).
Paulo Costa
Paulo Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) as earned 12 of his 14 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 11 of those wins by knockout.
Costa has earned his past two victories by decision after his previous 12 wins came by stoppage.
Costa is the only middleweight in UFC history to begin his octagon tenure with four consecutive knockout wins.
Costa lands 6.49 significant strikes per minute in UFC middleweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
Costa lands 59.4 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC middleweight competition, the third-best rate in divisional history behind Anthony Hernandez (61.9 percent) and Phil Hawes (60.7 percent).
Geoff Neal vs. Ian Machado Garry
Geoff Neal
Geoff Neal (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) defends 89.7 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the third-best rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Kamaru Usman (97.3 percent) and Belal Muhammad (93.3 percent).
Ian Machado Garry
Ian Machado Garry’s (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) six-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is tied with Shavkat Rakhmonov and Jack Della Maddalena for the longest active streak in the division.
Garry lands 56.7 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Gunnar Nelson (60.5 percent).
Garry lands 6.67 significant strikes per minute in UFC welterweight competition, the fourth-highest rate in divisional history behind Daniel Rodriguez (7.55) and Jack Della Maddalena (7.2) and Duane Ludwig (6.74).
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo
Merab Dvalishvili
Merab Dvalishvili’s (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) eight-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Dvalishvili has earned eight of his nine UFC victories by decision.
Dvalishvili’s 61 takedowns landed in UFC bantamweight competition are most in divisional history.
Dvalishvili is the only fighter in history to land 10 or more takedowns in four separate UFC bouts.
Dvalishvili attempted 49 takedowns at UFC Fight Night 221, the single-fight record for a UFC bout.
Dvalishvili out-landed Marlon Moraes by 212 total strikes at UFC 266, the largest differential in a single UFC/WEC bantamweight bout.
Henry Cejudo
Henry Cejudo (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) is one of nine fighters in UFC history to win titles in two weight classes. Alex Pereira, Jon Jones, B.J. Penn, Conor McGregor, Amanda Nunes, Daniel Cormier, Georges St-Pierre and Randy Couture also accomplished the feat.
Cejudo is one of four simultaneous two-division champions in UFC history. McGregor, Nunes and Cormier also accomplished the feat.
Cejudo is one of three fighters in in UFC history to record successful title defenses in two weight classes. Cormier and Nunes also accomplished the feat.
Cejudo is the only MMA fighter to win an Olympic gold medal and a UFC championship.
Cejudo is one of three Olympic gold medalists to fight in the UFC, along with Kevin Jackson and Mark Schultz. He earned gold in freestyle wrestling at the 2008 summer Olympics.
Cejudo is the only Olympic gold medalist to fight in the UFC since the organization was purchased by parent company Zuffa.
Cejudo is 7-1 in bantamweight competition during his career.
Anthony Hernandez vs. Roman Kopylov
Anthony Hernandez (11-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is the only fighter in UFC history to earn a victory and suffer a loss by anaconda choke submission.
Hernandez lands 61.9 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC middleweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.
Roman Kopylov’s (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) four-fight knockout streak in UFC competition is longest among active fighters in the company.
Kopylov’s four-fight UFC winning streak at middleweight is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Dricus Du Plessis (seven), Brendan Allen (five) and Caio Borralho (five).
Kopylov defends 92 percent of opponent takedown attempts in UFC middleweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Chris Curtis (92.3 percent).
Amanda Lemos vs. Mackenzie Dern
Amanda Lemos’ (13-3-1 MMA, 7-3 UFC) five stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Jessica Andrade (six).
Lemos’ five knockdowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Andrade for most in divisional history.
Lemos’ three knockout victories in UFC strawweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Andrade (four).
Mackenzie Dern’s (13-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) four stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Andrade (six), Lemos (five) and Rose Namajunas (five).
Dern’s four submission victories in UFC strawweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Dern’s four submission victories in UFC competition are second-most of any female in company history behind Robertson (seven).
Dern’s five fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are third-most in divisional history behind Andrade (nine) and Namajunas (six).
Marcos Rogerio de Lima vs. Justin Tafa
Marcos Rogerio de Lima (21-9-1 MMA, 10-7 UFC) fell to 7-4 in the UFC when competing at heavyweight.
De Lima has earned 17 of his 20 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 16 of those wins in Round 1.
Andrea Lee vs. Miranda Maverick
Andrea Lee’s (13-8 MMA, 5-6 UFC) three-fight losing skid is tied for the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since November 2021.
Lee has landed 19 takedowns in UFC women’s flyweight competition, the third-most in divisional history behind Valentina Shevchenko (39) and Gillian Robertson (21).
Lee is one of 11 fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by triangle-armbar. She accomplished the feat at UFC 262.
Lee’s two fight-night bonuses for UFC women’s flyweight bouts are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Molly McCann (three).
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
