##~!*Here's Way To Watch!# Junior Tafa vs Marcos Rogerio de Lima Live Free Broadcast
The one of the most dominant champions in the UFC today returns to face another elite contender, as Alexander Volkanovski travels from his home in Australia to defend his featherweight crown against Spain's Ilia Topuria in the main
event of UFC 298 at Anaheim's Honda Center on February 17.
Unbeaten in 14 fights, Topuria has scored six of those wins in the UFC, and now he will look to become Spain's first world champion when he meets one of the best 145-pounders of all-time, "Alexander the Great," in the Octagon. Plus, middleweight action heroes collide when former champ Robert Whittaker takes on Brazilian bomber Paulo Costa in the co-main event.
In the main event, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) and unbeaten challenger Ilia Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) were the first two fighters to weigh in and hit their championship marks with confidence and focus.
Paulo Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC), who fight in the co-feature, also weighed in early in the window without issue.
Minutes prior to the official weigh-ins window, promotion officials informed MMA Junkie and other reporters the heavyweight prelim between Marcos Rogerio de Lima and Justin Tafa was canceled due to an injury to Tafa.
However, Tafa’s brother Junior Tafa stepped in to face de Lima on one day’s notice with contracts configured during the official weigh-ins window.
The early weigh-ins took place at the UFC host hotel in Irvine, Calif., and preceded the ceremonial weigh-ins for the fans, which take place at 8 p.m. ET at Honda Center in nearby Anaheim. The same venue hosts Saturday’s event (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
How to watch and live stream UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria. How to catch the latest bout of MMA action promotions
Defending UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovsky will put his title on the line against challenger Ilya Topuria in a headline bout at UFC 298 this February, unfolding from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, USA.
City, the promotion's tenth visit to the O.C., and the first since 2022 when it plays host to UFC 270 at the same venue, pitting the #3 pound-for-pound champion against his challenger in his first defense since unifying the title against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290. will stand against
Volkanovsky is coming off the back of a loss at UFC 294 though, where he stepped up to a lightweight contest against Islam Makhachev at short notice, and will be keen to get a statement win under his belt when he returns to the Octagon.
Topuria, however, brings an undefeated record to the table, and the Spaniard will be looking to maximize his title shot against a veteran opponent in his 15th professional mixed martial arts contest.
One of the most dominant champions in the UFC today returns to face another elite contender, as Alexander Volkanovski travels from his home in Australia to defend his featherweight crown against Spain's Ilia Topuria in the main event of UFC 298 at Anaheim's Honda Center on February 17.
Unbeaten in 14 fights, Topuria has scored six of those wins in the UFC, and now he will look to become Spain's first world champion when he meets one of the best 145-pounders of all-time, "Alexander the Great," in the Octagon. Plus, middleweight action heroes collide when former champ Robert Whittaker takes on Brazilian bomber Paulo Costa in the co-main event.