Veteran referee Jason Herzog will oversee the UFC 298 featherweight title bout between champion Alexander Volkanovski and challenger Ilia Topuria, with Ron McCarthy, Derek Cleary, and Sal D’Amato serving as judges.
Guess who’s back in the cage for UFC 298’s main event? A familiar face, that’s who.
Jason Herzog, the veteran referee, is the chosen one. He’ll be keeping an eye on the featherweight title bout. And who’s fighting, you ask? It’s UFC champ Alexander Volkanovski and the undefeated Ilia Topuria.
And the judges? Oh, you know them. Ron McCarthy, Derek Cleary, and Sal D’Amato. Familiar names, aren’t they?
When’s all this happening? This Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Be there or be square.
Who’s behind the event’s judging and referee assignments? The California State Athletic Commission, that’s who. They gave the scoop to MMA Fighting on Thursday.
Volkanovski, 35, is on a mission. He wants to be the oldest champ in UFC history under 170 pounds to successfully defend his title. And he’s up against Topuria, 27, in the night’s main event. Volkanovski (26-3) has defended his belt five times and boasts an unbeaten 11-0 run at featherweight in the promotion. But, he’s had a bit of a rough patch, dropping two of his past three bouts to Islam Makhachev in failed attempts at the UFC lightweight title. Topuria (14-0), on the other hand, has been on a roll. He’s won all six of his UFC appearances and last dominated Josh Emmett in a June title eliminator.
And there’s more. Referee Mike Beltran is set to oversee UFC 298’s co-headlining bout. It’s a face-off between former champ Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa. And the judges? Ron McCarthy, Eliot Kelly, and Michael Bell. They’ll be judging the middleweight matchup.