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UFC 298 Post-Fight Show | Reaction To Ilia Topuria's Knockout Win, UFC 300 Main Event Announcement Feb 18, 2024

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Ilia Topuria talked a big game heading into his UFC 298 main event fight against Alexander Volkanovski, and he sure backed it up with a sensational knockout to become the brand new UFC featherweight champion. What is the ceiling on the 27-year-old featherweight title holder?

Following Saturday's pay-per-view event, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Shaun Al-Shatti, Jed Meshew, and José Youngs react to Topuria's crowning moment, discuss where he goes from here, and what comes next for Volkanovski after his second straight knockout loss. Additionally, they'll discuss Robert Whittaker's hard fought victory over Paulo Costa in the co-main event, takeaways from main card wins from Ian Machado Garry, Merab Dvalishvili, Anthony Hernandez, plus a reaction from Dana White's UFC 300 main event announcement of Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill.

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UFC 298 Watch Party Replay w/ Mike Heck & Conner Burks Feb 18, 2024

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Relive the magic of UFC 298's live watch party with Mike Heck and Conner Burks!

Check out the original UFC 298 Watch Party video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vXKgPfJy6I

Timestamps:

Intro & final two rounds of Lemos vs. Dern (5:45)

Lemos hurts Dern badly (7:25)

Lemos wins decision (19:20)

Anthony Hernandez vs. Roman Kopylov (36:30)

Hernandez stops Kopylov in Round 2 (47:15)

Reaction to Wanderlei Silva Hall of Fame annnouncement (53:55)

Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo (1:09:42)

Dvalishvili wins decision (1:30:45)

Geoff Neal vs. Ian Machado Garry (1:47:55)

Machado Garry wins split decision, calls out Colby Covington (2:09:02)

Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa (2:23:25)

Costa stings Whittaker with spin kick (2:30:05)

Whittaker wins unanimous decision (2:45:02)

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria (3:01:15)

Topuria knocks out Volkanovski in Round 2 to win title (3:15:35)

Reaction to Dana White announcing UFC 300 main event (3:32:55)

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UFC 298 Preview Show | Will Ilia Topuria End The Alexander Volkanovski Era? Feb 16, 2024

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Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria battle it out in the UFC featherweight championship main event of Saturday's UFC 298 fight card in Anaheim, and the stakes are incredibly high. With so many burning questions surrounding the high-level matchup, will Volkanovski continue his incredible run at 145, or will Topuria begin a new era?

Ahead of the pay-per-view event, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Shaun Al-Shatti, and José Youngs preview UFC 298, the headliner between Volkanovski and Topuria, discuss the burning questions, what's on the line for both fighters, and predictions for the bout. Additionally, they'll talk the co-main event between Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa, Ian Machado Garry's toughest test to date against Geoff Neal, Henry Cejudo putting his career on the line against Merab Dvalishvili, plus answer your questions.

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HOAM | Reaction To UFC 298 Press Conference, Final Countdown To Volkanovski vs. Topuria Feb 16, 2024

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UFC 298 is coming fast with a card that is flying completely under the radar, event with a spectacular main event for the UFC featherweight title between Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria.

Join MMA Fighting's Mike Heck for a special pre pay-per-view edition of Heck of a Morning, as he answers all of your UFC 298 questions, reacts to Thursday's press confernce, along with getting your thoughts about the stakes of some of the other big fights on Saturday's pay-per-view card. Additionally, viewer questions include what the main event for UFC 300 will be, the fighter who has the most to gain and lose on Saturday, Paulo Costa's chances against Robert Whittaker, Topuria's potential star power, and much more.

You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.

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BTL | Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria, UFC 298, Still Waiting On UFC 300 Main Event Feb 15, 2024

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The amount of questions surrounding the UFC featherweight championship main event of UFC 298 between Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria are astounding — not just heading into the fight, but the roads both fighters will take based on the result. Can Volkanovski continue his 145-pound dominance, or will the incredibly confident Topuria be put on the rocket ship to superstardom?

On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel will preview Saturday's main event, the stakes involved for both Volkanovski and Topuria, and where the champion goes, win or lose. Additionally, topics include the rest of the UFC 298 storylines, UFC 300 still not having a main event and potentially will be announced at the post-fight press conference on Saturday, along with a special fan Q&A final round.

Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew and Eric "New York Ric" Jackman.

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HOAM | What's Next For Alexander Volkanovski If He Beats Ilia Topuria At UFC 298? Feb 15, 2024

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Alexander Volkanovski will look to pick up his sixth successful defense of his featherweight title against the undefeated Ilia Topuria in the main event of Saturday's UFC 298 card in Anaheim, Calif. Should "The Great" live up to his moniker once again, will he stick around at 145 pounds to add to his impressive number of title defenses, or could he make a permanent move up to 155?

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck discusses the stakes of this weekend's main event, Volkanovski's future with a win, and the impact on Topuria if he does suffer his first loss. Additionally, listener topics include the new main event for UFC Atlantic City between Erin Blanchfield and Manon Fiorot, the UFC 300 main event still being up in the air, the UFC at the APEX moving forward, if Paulo Costa would earn a title shot if he defeats Robert Whittaker on Saturday, Henry Cejudo putting his career on the line against Merab Dvalishvili, and more.

You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.

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No Bets Barred: Is Ilia Topuria The One To Finally End The Reign Of Alexander Volkanovski? Feb 14, 2024

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After a lackluster UFC Vegas 86 card, MMA's leading promotion returns with arguably the first good fight card of the year. UFC 298 is headlined by a featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria and a host of other marquee matchups, and the No Bets Barred boys are back with a full breakdown of all the fights.

Conner Burks and Jed Meshew kick things off with a brief recap of last weekend's card and lamentations about the tough start to 2024 both men had had. Then it's on to UFC 298, with a deep dive into all the fights on the main card, and breakdowns of the rest of the action as well.

Has age finally caught up to Alexander Volkanovski? Is Ilia Topuria the next big superstar? What's at stake between Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa? Is Ian Machado Garry actually "The Future"? And what about Merab Dvalishili vs. Henry Cejudo? All this and more are discussed on this week's episode.

Tune in for episode 78 of No Bets Barred.

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Trocação Franca | UFC 298 + Pitbull esculhamba a PFL Feb 14, 2024

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UFC volta à Califórnia com o recheado UFC 298, e o Trocação Franca recebe o peso-pena Patrício Pitbull para avaliar a disputa de cinturão até 66kg entre Alexander Volkanovski e Ilia Topuria, além de comentar a fusão PFL-Bellator e o que esperar do seu futuro após a luta com Jesus Pinedo, na Arábia Saudita. O podcast traz, ainda, entrevistas com Marcos Pezão, Brendson Ribeiro e Amanda Lemos, que lutam sábado pelo UFC 298.

O melhor do MMA brasileiro no Trocação Franca, toda semana, com o jornalista Guilherme Cruz e convidados.

With UFC returning to California with a stacked UFC 298 lineup, Trocação Franca welcomes featherweight great Patricio Pitbull to break down Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria, which headline the show for the 145-pound belt, and discuss the PFL-Bellator merger and what to expect from his future after he faces Jesus Pinedo in Saudi Arabia. The podcast also features interviews with UFC 298 fighters Marcos Rogerio de Lima, Brendson Ribeiro, and Amanda Lemos.

Listen to Trocação Franca with Guilherme Cruz every week to hear from the biggest names on the hottest topics in the Brazilian combat sports world.

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HOAM | UFC 300 Still Without Main Event, UFC 298 Fight Week Underway Feb 13, 2024

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UFC 300 is still without a main event as we're officially two months away from the historic fight card, and while there may be some options being discussed, the mystery remains as strong as ever. Will the UFC 300 headliner be announced this week before tickets go on sale?

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck discusses the glaring open spot for April's pay-per-view event, his prediction for what will end up getting the slot, and how the conversation has taken on a life of its own. Additionally, listener questions include UFC 298, the main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria, the card not getting the shine it deserves, Amanda Lemos' road back to a title shot ahead of her fight with Mackenzie Dern, Paulo Costa's UFC future, and more.

You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.

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Fighter vs. Writer: UFC 298 Preview, Picks and Predictions Plus Matt Brown Reveals His Favorite and Least Favorite Celebrity Encounters Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

The Fighter vs. The Writer is back with UFC legend Matt Brown and MMA Fighting senior reporter Damon Martin looking ahead at UFC 298 this Saturday.

Alexander Volkanovski defends his featherweight title in the main event against Ilia Topuria but there seems to be a growing narrative that this will be an end to his run as champion, especially after falling to lightweight king Islam Makhachev this past October. Is Volkanovski losing a step or is recency bias really clouding people’s judgment about the viability that the featherweight champion will once again reign supreme?

We’ll also discuss Henry Cejudo publicly firing his head coach Eric Albarracin and what that could mean for his upcoming fight against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298. Brown reveals mistakes he’s made in his own career when splitting with a coach and what that could mean for Cejudo in a do-or-die fight where he’s said a win gets him a title shot or a loss could send him back to retirement.

Brown also offers his assessment of Ian Machado Garry and how far he could go in the welterweight division as he prepares for a matchup with Geoff Neal at UFC 298.

Plus Brown reveals his best celebrity interactions from the past including a meeting with Slayer that he’ll never soon forget. All this and more on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer!

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