UFC 298. Volkanovski and Topuria will engage in combat in February

In UFC 298, Volkanovski and Topuria are set to engage in a clash, as announced by the President of the UFC, Dana White.

The UFC Featherweight champion, Alex Volkanovski, and Ilia Topuria will headline the UFC 298 event, scheduled for February. The exact date of the event is currently undisclosed. Additionally, it was previously reported that this bout would serve as the main event for UFC 297 in January.

Having accumulated an impressive record of 13 victories and just one defeat, Volkanovski captured the attention of the world's premier mixed martial arts organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and in 2016, he inked a long-term contract with them. He made his Octagon debut in November, securing a technical knockout win over Yusuke Kasuya. This contest took place in the lightweight division, but during a convened press conference, the fighter expressed his intention to transition to the light heavyweight division for future bouts.

In May 2019, Volkanovski secured a unanimous decision victory over former organization champion Jose Aldo, thereby ascending to the top tier of the featherweight rankings. He will make his return following a defeat at the hands of lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 294, where Makhachev secured a knockout victory over Alex.

On October 11, 2020, he made a succinct organizational debut at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen in Abu Dhabi, stepping in for Korean fighter Choi Seung-Woo in a contest against Youssef Zalal. Topuria emerged victorious over the Moroccan with a unanimous decision by the judges. On December 5, 2020, Ilia achieved his inaugural early stoppage win in the UFC, dispatching his opponent in a mere 2 minutes and 38 seconds.

Topuria's most recent bout took place in July, resulting in a unanimous decision victory over Josh Emmett.