Preview: UFC 297, UFC 298 & More in 2024
UFC fans have plenty to look forward to in 2024 with thrilling championship bouts, grudge matches and other exciting contests on the cards.
This year served up some incredible mixed martial arts action, and we cannot wait to lap up more over the next 12 months.
Following the release of the fight calendar for 2024, we dive into the year’s biggest match-ups at UFC 297, UFC 298 and more.
UFC 297 – Sean Strickland vs Dricus du Plessis – January 20
The controversial Sean Strickland rose through the middleweight ranks to earn himself a championship fight against Israel Adesanya.
He upset the odds by finishing the Nigerian to take the belt and now faces the man who was originally scheduled to face Adesanya – Dricus du Plessis.
Many people doubted the South African’s credentials, but he put those thoughts to bed with an impressive win over Robert Whittaker in his last fight.
Du Plessis has the punching power and wrestling background to make it a difficult match for the champion, while Strickland will bring his relentless pressure and assured striking.
The co-main event sees veteran Raquel Pennington take on Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt holder Mayra Bueno Silva.
UFC 298 – Alexander Volkanovski vs Ilia Topuria – February 17
Former pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski will put his featherweight gold on the line against fast-rising Georgian hitman Ilia Topuria in Anaheim in February.
Volkanovski will be desperate to bounce back from his first-round defeat to Islam Makhachev in Abu Dhabi. He has the chance to make the perfect return with a massive win against one of the hottest prospects in the UFC.
Volkanovski brings his wealth of experience and technical striking to the battleground against a hard-hitting Topuria, who lands with deadly efficiency.
The undefeated Topuria also has a wrestling background, and it will be intriguing to see how that works, knowing Volkanovski’s impressive takedown defence and prowess on the ground.
UFC 298 boasts a stacked card beyond the main event. This includes former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker taking on Paulo Costa in a rematch that will be a brawl.
Whittaker, who made his name by running through formidable opponents such as Yoel Romero, Marvin Vettori, Kelvin Gastelum and Darren Till, will be trying to recover from the defeat to Du Plessis.
The New Zealand star faces Costa, who has struggled with injuries. Costa pulled out of his highly-anticipated bout against Khamzat Chimaev and now has to take this fight with the Swedish brawler moving on to other opponents.
Whittaker versus Costa will be one of the most exciting clashes knowing their bullish styles. This one should be a genuine rumble between two monsters, and you can place your bets on this being a fight-of-the-night contender.
Geoff Neal and Ireland’s Ian Machado Garry will also trade strikes inside the octagon. Garry, an impressive grappler, will look to build on his seven-fight winning streak in the UFC.
The best UFC betting sites will be offering juicy odds on Garry claiming the win, but he faces a formidable foe as he puts his record on the line against Neal, who was beaten earlier in March by Shavkat Rakhmonov via a rear naked choke.
Adding another layer of excitement to the roster, highly-touted Georgian Merab Dvalishvili will test the legendary Henry Cejudo’s comeback hopes.
Sambo master Dvalishvili has built a reputation in the 135lbs section following wins against Petr Yan and Jose Aldo.
In the way of Dvalishvili’s upward trajectory stands former flyweight and bantamweight champion Cejudo, who is recovering from his loss to Aljamain Sterling.
This duel is one with the potential to be talked about for years and is could have sports bettors wagering heavily on it being the fight of the night.
Other Big Fights to Anticipate in 2024
March brings UFC 299 to Miami, where Sean O’Malley puts his recently won bantamweight title on the line for the first time as he renews his rivalry with Marlon Vera.
O’Malley knocked the smack out of Sterling during their August clash to win the Performance of the Night award and fulfil Dana White’s dreams of seeing the deceptively powerful pink-haired striker with the strap.
He faces a familiar foe in Ecuadorian Jiu-jitsu specialist Vera, who put the only dent in Sugar Sean’s 12-fight UFC run.
April sees UFC 300 in Las Vegas, with a main event to be announced. However, eccentric Czech Republic star Jiri Prochazka returns to the battlefield to face Aleksandar Rakic following the loss of his light heavyweight belt to the scary Alex Pereira.
Prochazka will be looking to bounce back from his fourth defeat against Rakic, who has not fought since his March 2022 loss to former champion Jan Blachowicz after suffering a knee injury during the fight.
Rakic and Blachowicz were supposed to rematch in January, but the latter suffered an injury, setting up the fight with Prochazka.
There is also a bantamweight showdown between recently defeated Sterling and the impressive Calvin Kattar, who is looking to put behind a string of disappointing losses.