After a daring — however finally disastrous — try to unseat Islam Makhachev on tremendous quick discover at UFC 294 again in Oct. 2023, Alexander Volkanovski seems to show he’s nonetheless the cream of the crop at 145 kilos when he battles Ilia Topuria inside Honda Heart in Anaheim, Calif., this weekend (Sat., Feb. 17, 2024).
UFC 298 additionally sees Paulo Costa make his first look since 2022 in opposition to Robert Whittaker (we hope) and Merab Dvalishvili welcome Henry Cejudo again to the Octagon in a 135-pound showdown that might determine the subsequent Bantamweight contender.
We’ve acquired 4 extra UFC 298 “Prelims” undercard bouts to look at (checkout the primary batch right here), all of them on ESPN+/ESPN. Buckle up and let’s take a look …
115 lbs.: Amanda Lemos vs. Mackenzie Dern
A 7-1 run — capped by back-to-back finishes of Michelle Waterson-Gomez and Marina Rodriguez — earned Amanda Lemos (13-3-1) a title shot in Aug. 2023. Although she managed to final the space, that proved her solely achievement as Zhang Weili overpowered her for 25 minutes.
Her 11 skilled finishes embody eight knockouts.
As soon as 6-1 within the Octagon, Mackenzie Dern (13-4) now finds herself 2-3 in her final 5. Her two-fight 2023 marketing campaign noticed her demolish Angela Hill in a career-best efficiency earlier than succumbing to Jessica Andrade’s energy six months later (watch highlights).
She steps in for Tatiana Suarez on round one month’s discover.
Although I perceive Dern’s need to bounce again from that tough efficiency in opposition to Andrade, this seems much more like repeat than redemption. She doesn’t have the takedowns to recreate Zhang’s wrestling clinic, so if she needs to place Lemos on her again, she’ll need to overwhelm her with energy and quantity.
And that’s not the perfect technique in opposition to a tank of a Strawweight with related (or higher) energy in her palms.
Each girls are inconsistent sufficient that Dern nonetheless has an opportunity — I vividly keep in mind Lemos gassing out after one in opposition to Hill and struggling to determine the a lot smaller Waterson-Gomez’s placing. Nonetheless, Dern’s protection is simply too leaky and her wrestling too restricted for me to choose in opposition to “Amandinha.” In the long run, Dern falls to 1-2 in UFC in opposition to Amandas after operating headlong right into a fight-ending proper hand.
Prediction: Lemos by way of first spherical technical knockout
265 lbs.: Marcos Rogerio de Lima vs. Justin Tafa
After alternating wins and losses for half a decade, Marcos Rogerio de Lima (21-10-1) lastly discovered his footing with a 4-1 run. His efforts earned him a essential card slot on UFC 291, the place Derrick Lewis handed him his first (technical) knockout loss in additional than 10 years by way of 33-second flying knee (watch it right here).
“Pezao” will take pleasure in an inch of top and attain on “Dangerous Man.”
New Zealand’s Justin Tafa (7-3) entered the Octagon on the heels of three straight wins, solely to drop three of his first 4 on the earth’s largest blended martial arts (MMA) promotion. Undeterred, he went unbeaten in his subsequent 4, although he did grow to be the primary UFC Heavyweight to overlook weight within the course of.
All seven of his skilled wins have come by way of knockout within two rounds.
“Pezao” is a really fascinating specimen — few fighters are more proficient at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory (save maybe Ion Cutelaba and Michael Johnson). He has some ways to win this, whether or not by taking down Tafa and brutalizing him on the bottom or simply slugging it out. The second choice is dangerous, certain, however Tafa’s greatest win came to visit Austen Lane and de Lima is a good bit extra fearsome than that.
He may simply as simply bungle it, whether or not by leaving himself weak like he did in opposition to Lewis or someway contriving to search out his method onto his again. I simply suppose he’s acquired an excessive amount of expertise and too many weapons. Briefly, de Lima bullies Tafa to the mat within the opening minutes and mauls him from there.
Prediction: de Lima by way of first spherical technical knockout
135 lbs.: Rinya Nakamura vs. Carlos Vera
Rinya Nakamura (8-0) capped off his dominant “Street to UFC” run by smoking countryman Toshiomi Kazama in 33 seconds on the Finale. His sophomore effort pitted him in opposition to DWCS vet Fernie Garcia, whom Nakamura dominated on the mat en path to a clear sweep on the scorecards.
He’s knocked out 5 professional foes and submitted one different.
Ecuador’s Carlos Vera (11-3) rode a four-fight win streak into The Final Fighter (TUF) home, the place he represented Group McGregor. Like most of his teammates, his tenure proved a brief one, dropping a unanimous choice to Brad Katona within the opening spherical.
He replaces Brady Hiestand on lower than one month’s discover.
Vera’s lack of takedown protection proved his undoing on the present and he’s up in opposition to a borderline Olympic-level wrestler right here, so the writing’s on the wall for this one. I can’t think about him maintaining the battle standing for any significant size of time and even when he does, he has Nakamura’s nuclear left hand to cope with.
His solely actual likelihood lies in catching Nakamura in a guillotine because the latter shoots in, however whereas Nakamura remains to be pretty early in his skilled profession, he’s too sharp to fall right into a entice that apparent. When the mud settles, Nakamura both blows him away in opposition to the fence or grinds his solution to a simple win.
Prediction: Nakamura by way of unanimous choice
205 lbs.: Zhang Mingyang vs. Brendson Ribeiro
Zhang Mingyang (16-6) put a 2-3 skid behind him to beat China’s Heavyweight scene with eight consecutive first spherical finishes. He entered his 2022 “Street to UFC” showdown with George Tokkos as a big underdog, however wanted lower than two minutes to cease Tokkos and declare a UFC contract.
He fights for the primary time in practically two years after a pair of deliberate debuts fell by in 2023.
Again-to-back, ground-and-pound finishes earned Brendson Ribeiro (15-5) a spot on Contender Collection, the place he took on heavily-favored Legacy Combating Alliance (LFA) champion, Bruno Lopes. “The Gorilla’s” energy finally received out, incomes him a UFC contract and his eleventh first-round end. All of his wins have come inside the space, 9 of them by way of knockout.
Although he developed in a small pond, Zhang has the potential to be one in all China’s higher MMA exports. He’s a formidable athlete and exhibits off some spectacular veteran savvy for a 25-year-old; by my reckoning, his ceiling is considerably increased than Ribeiro’s.
The query, in fact, is whether or not he’s higher now.
I believe so as a result of Ribeiro doesn’t have a lot depth to his standup apart from jabs and crosses and is hopeless on the bottom. He undoubtedly has an opportunity to clip Zhang, however the ease with which “Mountain Tiger” absorbed Tokkos’ greatest photographs means that Ribeiro’s the likelier of the 2 to fall from a stray shot. Zhang smokes him with a straight proper within the opening minutes.
Prediction: Zhang by way of first spherical knockout
Now this? UFC 298 is a correct card. See you Saturday, Maniacs.
Present Prediction Report for 2024: 16-11
LIVE! Watch UFC 298 PPV On ESPN+ Right here!
WORLD FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP! Final Combating Championship (UFC) returns to Honda Heart in Anaheim, Calif., on Sat., Feb. 17, 2024, for the primary time in additional than two years with its newest pay-per-view (PPV) present. Within the ESPN+-streamed PPV essential occasion, reigning Featherweight roost-ruler, Alexander Volkanovski, will defend his 145-pound strap in opposition to undefeated surging Spanish contender, Ilia Topuria. As well as, former Middleweight kingpin, Robert Whittaker, will lastly sq. off with mercurial mauler, Paulo Costa, in UFC 298’s co-feature. UFC 298 will even function the returns of Ian Garry, Geoff Neal, Henry Cejudo, Merab Dvalishvili and a lot extra!
Don’t miss a single second of EPIC face-punching motion!
Do not forget that MMAmania.com will ship LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow protection of the whole UFC 298 battle card proper right here, beginning with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches on-line, that are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET), earlier than the pay-per-view (PPV) essential card begin time at 10 p.m. ET (additionally on ESPN+).
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