Opinions
UFC 298: High Stakes
UFC pay per views don’t have fun names like WWE shows have, but I decided to give this card a name out of pro wrestling. UFC 298 is going down this Saturday night, and I think there is more on the line than just the featherweight title.
I was thinking about these fights coming up, and those on 299 and 300. The next 3 cards are so good, it I’m not sure any of them have as much on the line as 298. Let me explain.
Merab Dvalishvili (16-4, #2) vs Henry Cejudo (16-3, #3)
Stakes For Merab:
Merab is on a 9 fight win streak. He had a clear path to the title but decided not to fight his friend and former champ Aljomain Sterling. Now, if he looses to Henry Cejudo, it may be a while before he gets his chance. Henry certainly could be up for a title shot and already has some beef built up with current champ Sean O’Malley. Then after Henry, it’s Sandhagen. Anyway he will definitely have to earn his way back into title contention
Stakes For Cejudo:
Henry Cejudo has already came out and said, if he looses to Merab, he’s retiring again. We know if he losses this fight, it would be two in a row for him. A path back to the title may be two long for the two division champion. However, if he wins, he’s likely next in line to take on whoever comes out of UFC 299 with the belt. Win - title shot. Loose - done fighting forever. Seems like high stakes to me.
Ian Garry (13-0, #10) vs Geoff Neal (14-5, #8)
Stakes for Ian Garry:
Garry pulled out of his last fight againts Vicente Luque, for what seemed like a legitimate reason to me (Ammonia). However, it was right in the middle of a media shitstorm where his relationship with his wife (and wife’s ex husband) were under fire. If the Irishman comes out and secures a knockout or wins in dominating fashion, everyone probably shuts up and he becomes a title contender. If he loses, he probably won’t survive the next press conference against whoever he’s matched with at that point.
Stakes For Geoff Neal:
If Handz of Steel Neal looses, he will have lost 4 out of his last 6. Not the direction he wants to be going. And to a guy that talks shit and where a shirt with your mugshot around town? Yeah, he wants the win here.
Robert Whittaker (25-7, #3) vs Paulo Costa (14-2, #6)
High Stakes for Robert Whittaker:
It’s as simple as this for Whittaker - last fight you got knocked out by the current champ. He is already lost in the shuffle a bit at the moment after being at the top of the division forever - one more loss he might be forgotten in the shuffle.
Stakes For Paulo Costa:
He barely fights. He can’t show up and loose now - he’s 1-3 since 2020.. a win here and all the sudden he’s at the top of the division. A loss? He may loose favor of the UFC gods for good.
Alexander Volkanovski (26-3, C) vs Ilia Topuria (14-0, #3)
Stakes For Tuporia:
The man has already updated his social media declaring himself as “featherweight champion”. The undefeated man with two countries at his back has basically said Volk will be the easiest fight he’s ever had. The featherweight title is high stakes, and his confidence could be shattered with one Volkanovski hook. He will probably bounce back even if he looses, but he won’t be the same.
Stakes For Volkanovski:
“Volk is to old” they say. “Volk is coming back to soon after his last loss” they say. They say a lot of stuff… are they right? Is this the end of the Volk reign at featherweight? If Volk wins, he reminds the world of his dominance. If Volk loses.. “they" might be right.
All in all, these fighters are putting it all on the line for our enjoyment. Let’s get our popcorn ready and watch it all unfold.
