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Former two-division champion and third-ranked Henry Cejudo met second-ranked Merab Dvalishvili in a pivotal bantamweight bout on the UFC 298 main card.  

Cejudo came out of a three-year retirement to face Aljamain Sterling for the 135-pound title in his last outing and came up short losing by split decision.  Looking to rebound and remain in the title picture, Cejudo needed to win.  

Dvalishvili entered the fight riding a nine-fight winning streak.  With his teammate Sterling no longer the champion, Dvalishvili believed that it’s his time to rule the weight class.  

Cejudo landed first with a leg kick.  They two stood at distance looking for an opening.  Cejudo pressed forward.  He landed an uppercut that wobbled Dvalishvili.  Dvalishvili recovered and connected with a leg kick.  Dvalishvili quickly latched onto a leg and took Cejudo down.  Cejudo immediately got back to his feet but ate a right hand in the process.  Dvalishvili landed a right hand that caught Cejudo off balance.  Dvalishvili got aggressive for the takedown and Cejudo gained top position.  

With 90 seconds remaining, Cejudo worked in Dvalishvili’s half guard.  Dvalishvili rolled but Cejudo stayed with him.  Dvalishvili stood but remained in the clinch of Cejudo.  They worked for position along the cage.  Cejudo delivered a knee to the body and separated.  And that’s how the round ended.  MMAWeekly scored the first round for Cejudo 10-9.  

Slow start to the second round before Cejudo landed a left hand.  They exchanged leg kicks.  Cejudo looked for a single leg and briefly had Dvalishvili’s back.  Dvalishvili separated and pressed forward.  He connected with a right hand.  Cejudo looked for a leg and landed a left hand.  Dvalishvili connected with two big shots.  Cejudo just absorbed them.  Dvalishvili grabbed a single leg and took Cejudo down.  Cejudo got back to his feet with two minutes remaining in the round.  

Dvalishvili put Cejudo back on the canvas but Cejudo quickly got back to his feet.  Cejudo went for a leg and Dvalishvili applied a guillotine choke.  He squeezed to tighten it down but the round ended.  MMAWeekly scored the second round 10-9 for Dvalishvili.

Cejudo landed a leg kick to start the third.  He stepped in with a short right hand.  Dvalishvili landed a leg kick and looked to get the fight to the ground.  He settled into the clinch and delivered knees to Cejudo’s legs.  Cejudo turned and separated.  He connected with a leg kick before Dvalishvili looked for a takedown.  Cejudo defended the attempt.  Cejudo connected with a powerful leg kick.  Dvalishvili pressed forward, elevated Cejudo, and slammed him to the canvas with two minutes remaining.  Cejudo got back to his feet but Dvalishvili kept the pressure on.  Dvalishvili continued to work for a single leg inside the clinch.  With 30 seconds remaining Cejudo circled away.  He looked for a takedown but Dvalishvili defended the attempt.  MMAWeekly scored the third round for Dvalishvili 10-9.  

All three judges scored the fight 29-28 for Merab Dvalishvili.

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The fighters competing at UFC Mexico City on Saturday were given a warning from the promotion about drug testing protocols under Mexico’s Federación de Artes Marciales Mixtas, which oversees MMA in the country.

The UFC’s own anti-doping policy remains in place, but the fighters will also be subjected to a separate set of rules from the Mexican MMA commission. Under those rules, fighters will be subjected to a zero-tolerance policy on some substances, which means the presence of the drugs — at any level — would be considered a failure.

The reminder focused on a number of drugs that are banned in-competition, which typically means weigh-in day and fight day, but it added athletes can’t just discontinue use on those two particular days. Instead, the UFC warned fighters they must have “zero presence of these medications in your system on weigh-in day and fight day.”

The UFC also provided suggested cutoff dates for fighters to discontinue use for any of these particular substances.

Stimulants:

Ritalin: Discontinue use 7 days before weigh-ins

Adderall: Discontinue use 7 days before weigh-ins

Solriamfetol: Discontinue use 7 days before weigh-ins

Modafinil: Discontinue use 7 days before weigh-ins

Pseudoephedrine: Discontinue use 7 days before weigh-ins

Concerta: Discontinue use 7 days before weigh-ins

Vyvanse: Discontinue use 12 days before weigh-ins

Narcotics:

Morphine: Discontinue use 7 days before weigh-ins

Oxycontin: Discontinue use 7 days before weigh-ins

Fentanyl: Discontinue use 7 days before weigh-ins

Methadone/Suboxone: Discontinue use 7 days before weigh-ins

Buprenorphine: Discontinue use 7 days before weigh-ins

Tramadol: Discontinue use 7 days before weigh-ins

Glucocorticoids:

Hydrocortisone: Discontinue use 3 days before weigh-ins

Dexamethasone: Discontinue use 5 days before weigh-ins

Betamethasone: Discontinue use 5 days before weigh-ins

Methylprednisolone: Discontinue use 5 days before weigh-ins

Prednisone: Discontinue use 10 days before weigh-ins

Prednisolone: Discontinue use 10 days before weigh-ins

Triamcinolone Acetonide: Discontinue use 60 days before weigh-ins

The UFC also reminded fighters that the promotion does not advocate the use of any illegal recreational drugs, but some of those drugs are also under a zero tolerance policy and prohibited at any level on weigh-in day or fight day.

The promotion has previously warned its athletes about commission protocols prior to traveling, most recently advising them about the California State Athletic Commission’s protocols on marijuana testing and weight-cutting prior to UFC 298. However, the reminder is the first time specific substances and clearing times have been provided to fighters.

The UFC implemented its own drug policy earlier this year after a contentious breakup with U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which managed its drug testing program from 2015-2023.

UFC Mexico City takes place Saturday night from Arena CDMX with the card airing live in the United States via ESPN. Brandon Moreno clashes with Brandon Royval in the five-round main event with Yair Rodriguez vs. Brian Ortega 2 serving as the co-main event.

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Michael Chandler is trying a different tactic to goad Conor McGregor into a fight.

The former three-time Bellator lightweight champion made a surprise appearance in Anaheim on WWE Monday Night RAW — and he used his mic time to cut a furious promo calling McGregor out for their long-discussed yet still unbooked showdown.

Watch Chandler’s handiwork below.

“Hey, what’s up Anaheim! You are now in the presence of the most entertaining UFC fighter on the planet. Hey, now there’s a man from Ireland that’s been making me wait for way too long, and I’ve still got one dude on my mind! Conor McGregor, get your candy ass back to the octagon! We’ve got some unfinished business, boys! God bless. I’ll see you at the top!”

Chandler, 37, has been tentatively linked to a UFC return bout against McGregor since coaching against the Irishman on The Ultimate Fighter 31 in early 2023. After a long and drawn out saga, McGregor announced his comeback fight against Chandler on New Year’s Eve for June 29 at the UFC’s annual International Fight Week pay-per-view. UFC CEO Dana White has since denied McGregor’s claims, however, and maintained that there is no fight on the books for the former two-division champion. White reiterated that sentiment this past weekend after UFC 298, stating that he still does not know when McGregor will return.

McGregor, 35, has not competed since suffering a broken leg in his July 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier, but has repeatedly voiced his displeasure about not being booked by the UFC.

In total, McGregor has fought just four times in MMA since capturing the UFC lightweight title with a 2016 win over Eddie Alvarez, sandwiching a victory over Donald Cerrone between a title loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov and back-to-back stoppage losses to Poirier.

Considering UFC and WWE are two brands now operating under the same corporate umbrella, TKO Group Holdings, Chandler’s latest ploy to coax McGregor back is, if nothing else, a creative way to use the corporate synergy to amplify his rivalry with the Irishman.

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Former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski’s reign atop the 145-pound division came to a sudden a violent end on Saturday in the UFC 298 main event.  

Volkanovski faced the undefeated Ilia Topuria and was knocked out in the second round.  Volkanovski held the title since December 2019.  “The Great” released a video statement following the loss vowing to ‘get that belt back.’

“What’s up guys.  I thought I’d do a video to just let you know I’m all good and obviously to talk about what happened,” Volkanovski said in a video posted to his YouTube channel.  

“This is a crazy game we play.  You can’t win them all.  Sometimes you’re the hammer and sometimes you’re the nail.  Last night I was the nail.  I’ve been the hammer many times.  I’ve ruined a lot of people’s party many times,” Volkanovski continued.  “Ilia got the job done.  I thought I was doing great.  I felt great in there.  I think the judges had me up the first round and I think I was starting to pick it up even more in the second round.  I was ready to go even another level.  I had him missing, starting to touch him, and then I was going to start adding on.

“He did a great job of getting me to the cage where we knew we didn’t want to be with someone like him.  And he got me there and I probably had better options than looking for a counter.  After he backed me up there, he caught me.  He did a great job to find that.  It was a great shot and that’s all you need in his sport, but next time it’ll be different.”  

Volkanovski wants an immediate rematch and believes he deserves one considering how long he held the title.          

“I’m just going to have a little bit of a rest.  I definitely want that rematch.  Spain, what I’m hearing, is going to happen.  Dana [White] wants Spain.  Obviously, Ilia wants Spain.  That probably won’t be until later in the year, so obviously the timing would be perfect for me to spend some time with the fam, rest up a little bit, look after myself, and then we’ll get back in there and we’ll  make it right.  We’ll make it right on my end.  So, I’m going to do everything right for the next one and I’m going to get that belt back.  Mark my words,” he said.  

“All I can say is, I’ll be back.”    

Related: Dana White answers why Conor McGregor hasn’t fought

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“That was totally disrespectful. When I called him out, I called him out very respectfully.”

The rivalry lives on between mixed martial arts (MMA) legends, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Wanderlei Silva.

At 2-2 in their four-fight series, there is still a desire to punch each other in the faces between the PRIDE Fighting Championship staples. Silva bested Jackson in the first two bouts before the tides turned in their most recent Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Bellator encounters.

Silva, 47, hasn’t fought since his Bellator 206 second round knockout loss to Jackson in September 2018. The 45-year-old Jackson has only competed once afterward when he suffered a first round technical knockout opposite Fedor Emelianenko in December 2019. In 2024, Jackson is set to return to action as he currently lined up his boxing debut against Shannon Briggs in Qatar on June 1, 2024. After that, Jackson plans to return to MMA for a United Fight League (UFL) clash with The Ultimate Fighter 10’s (TUF) Darrill Schoonover. He then wants rematches with Rashad Evans and Silva.

Silva recently caught wind of his foe’s intended combat roadmap and responded to by accepting the challenge and saying he “will hang you on the ropes again,” per MMA Fighting. Jackson was not flattered to hear the comments.

“I can’t believe Wanderlei said that,” Jackson told MMA Mania. “I might have to talk to Rashad Evans. I might have to push Wanderlei’s ass whooping up some. I’mma beat his motherf—king ass for saying some s—t like that.

“That was totally disrespectful,” he continued. “When I called him out, I called him out very respectfully. I’m gonna talk to S.D.K. (Suleyman D. Khan) and Hossama [Khan] about getting the fight over in Qatar after I knock the s—t out of Shannon. I’m gonna ask them, ‘Can I beat the f—k out of Wanderlei next after I fulfill my fulfilments with ‘Titties’ (Schoonover)’? I want f—kin’ Wanderlei in Qatar.”

The Jackson-Silva rivalry rekindled right before Silva was announced for UFC’s Hall of Fame at UFC 298 in Anaheim, California this past weekend (Feb. 17, 2024). Jackson wasn’t specific on whether or not he’d want a fifth Silva fight in MMA or boxing, but surely the two mentioned something when meeting inside the Honda Center.

“I want to document that whole training camp,” Jackson said. “I would love to do that training camp in Qatar. I would love to go there, get my mind right, train over there, get familiar with the people and stuff like that then being like Rocky Balboa where they see me running and train through the city. I want the fans behind me there and when I knock Wanderlei out, that will be my biggest accomplishment ever.

“I tied, I got the rubber match, I won, my arch-nemesis, I put him to bed,” he continued. “Then I never ever — ever — want to see him again … Unless it’s on my podcast and he’s next to me and I ask him, ‘How you feel getting knocked out by your arch enemy?’”

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Gabriel Braga is getting bumped to fill a gap on the PFL vs. Bellator card, but Aaron Pico is expected to remain on the event.

Braga, a Season 5 finalist, was expected to face Pico but will now face off with ex-Bellator champ Patricio Pitbull, multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed to MMA Fighting after a report from Ag. Fight.

Pitbull was left without an opponent when ex-Braga foe Jesus Pinedo was forced off the card. Pitbull vs. Braga is expected to serve on the event’s main card.

PFL vs. Bellator takes place Saturday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and airs live on ESPN+ pay-per-view and DAZN.

According to a report Monday from MMA Junkie, Bellator star Pico could stay on the card and rematch Henry Corrales, who knocked him out in 2019 under the Bellator banner, but the fight has not been confirmed. Corrales’ win was a massive upset at the time.

Braga gets his opportunity to face Pitbull after suffering a knockout loss to Pinedo in the finals of the PFL Season 5 featherweight tournament final. Pitbull arrives in PFL on a two-fight skid, having suffered a stoppage loss to Chihiro Suzuki under the RIZIN banner and a decision loss to Bellator bantamweight champ Sergio Pettis.

Pico most recently appeared in the Bellator cage this past September, stopping one-time featherweight title challenger Pedro Carvalho via TKO.

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