MacMally’s UFC 298 Preview
The UFC is about to land in Anaheim for UFC 298. There are some key matchups on this card that our man MacMally would like to verbally dissect. Let’s dive in!
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo
Merab Dvalishvili, with a pace that makes the Energizer bunny look lazy, against Henry Cejudo, whose accolades are so heavy they might just weigh him down. Often times when we see two elite grapplers fight we see it turn into a sloppy slobber knocker on the feet. Maia vs Askren. Colby vs Kamaru. Kamaru vs Burns etc. Merab is 16 takedowns away from matching GSP’s UFC record of most takedowns in history of 90. The type of cardio Merab brings to the table is unmatched. Henry may be the more well-rounded fighter of the two, and his striking and speed may be enough to get Merab in trouble on the feet in the early rounds. We’ve seen Merab get rocked before but rally and fight through leaning on his incessant pressure. I think we will see Merab and Henry both shoot a couple of takedowns with varied success before we see them throw the ground to the wind and start striking. The real question here: Can Merab’s relentless pressure crack the Olympic gold medalist’s poise, or will Cejudo send a message that class is in session? I’ll lean on the 35 plus curse and take Merab.
Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa
I’m reluctantly going to break down this matchup despite Paulo’s history of not showing up. LMAO. I think he’ll show up this time so let’s go. Picture a chess master playing against a wrecking ball. That’s Whittaker vs. Costa. Whittaker, the tactician, with moves so smooth they could be in a ballet, faces Costa, a man whose strategy is less about finesse and more about whether the octagon can withstand his power. It’s finesse vs. ferocity, and while Bobby Knuckles might dance around the power shots, Costa’s plan is to end the dance early, possibly by turning the dance floor into rubble. The fact is when it comes to this one, it’s bro science. Is Whittaker on the downside of his career or is Paulo Costa still ascending? Prime Whittaker should beat Paulo Costa every day of the week. Have the miles caught up to him or will he be able to pick apart the relentless beast in Paulo Costa? I’ll take Costa just cause YOLO.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria
And then there’s Volkanovski vs. Topuria. This is the equivalent of a rock-solid fortress (Volkanovski) being assaulted by a one-man army wielding a bazooka (Topuria). Volkanovski, the king of control, doesn’t just win fights; he dominates them with the precision of a Swiss watch. Topuria, on the other hand, brings the kind of unpredictable power that could turn lights out from any angle, making him the ultimate wildcard. Volkanovski set the bar for featherweights. He is excellence. Forget the Makhachev rematch. This is back in his home at 145. Ilia presents interesting threats however. Dude has the chin of a Greek god and nuclear power in his hands like a cold war submarine. People also don’t seem to realize his base was in grappling and he won his first 8 fights by submission before realizing he could demolish people on the feet after integrating boxing into his game. I look at his insanely lopsided fight against Emmett as the most relevant for comparison to Volk. Obviously different fighters but the way he dealt with that range and the explosive power of Emmett tells me I’m going to lean a certain way in this one. I think Ilia Topuria can walk the walk of the talk he talks. Going against Volk is a terrible idea but I just got a feeling in my plums. Will Volkanovski’s fortress withstand the barrage, or will Topuria find a crack to blast through?
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As these gladiators prepare to clash, remember, in the world of UFC, anything can happen. But one thing’s for sure: UFC 298 is set to deliver excitement, adrenaline, and maybe a few laughs. LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE.