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UFC 298 goes down this weekend from Anaheim, California, and for a number of fighters on the card, the pressure is on.
For these fighters, losing is simply not an option – otherwise, their UFC careers could be on a real slide. Whether they can recover from a defeat this weekend would be seriously questionable, and so naturally, they will hope that it doesn’t happen.
Here are five fighters who cannot afford to lose at UFC 298.
#5. Robert Whittaker – former UFC middleweight champion
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It’s fair to say that former UFC middleweight champ Robert Whittaker is in an odd spot right now compared to where he was going into his last fight.
Before that fight, which saw him knocked out by current titleholder Dricus du Plessis, ‘The Reaper’ was firmly out of contention thanks to two defeats to the then-champ Israel Adesanya.
However, with Adesanya now on a hiatus from the promotion and du Plessis holding the title, the Australian could well climb right back into contention, but only if he can win this weekend.
A win over Paulo Costa would prove that Whittaker can still compete at the top level, and one more win could well earn him a second crack at du Plessis.
If ‘The Reaper’ were to lose, though, awkward questions would have to be asked about his future. Whittaker has been in the UFC for over a decade now and at the age of 33, he isn’t getting any younger. If he were to be stopped by Costa, then it’d be hard not to see him as a fighter on the wane.
Sure, unless he were to choose to retire, it’s unlikely his octagon career would end with a loss this weekend. However, his position of relevance to the 185-pound division could be on the line, making this a must-win for him.
#4. Mackenzie Dern – UFC strawweight contender
Like Robert Whittaker, it’s unlikely that Mackenzie Dern’s spot on the UFC roster is on the line this weekend. However, like ‘The Reaper’, her relevance to the title picture in her division may well be at risk instead.
Dern has looked like the kind of fighter who could develop into a genuine title threat at 115 pounds since her octagon debut back in 2018. However, she hasn’t quite reached that stage just yet.
The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace has definitely had her chances, but by losing to Marina Rodriguez, Yan Xiaonan and most recently, Jessica Andrade, she’s always fallen at the final hurdle.
More worrying was the way in which she lost to Andrade, choosing to brawl with her standing rather than look to force her to the ground into her own domain.
If Dern drops this weekend’s fight to Amanda Lemos, particularly in the same fashion, it’s hard to imagine her ever reaching the top of the mountain at strawweight. Therefore, this fight is definitely a must-win situation for her.
#3. Ian Machado Garry – UFC welterweight contender
Welterweight prospect Ian Machado Garry is undoubtedly one of the hottest fighters in the UFC at 170 pounds right now.
‘The Future’ has won all six of his bouts in the octagon thus far, finishing three of his opponents, and he’s ranked at No.10. A loss this weekend to Geoff Neal, who is ranked above him, wouldn’t normally be the end of the world for his future title hopes.
So why does it feel like the Irishman simply can’t afford to lose this weekend? Put simply, his career with the promotion or his chances of title contention aren’t on the line, but his credibility might be.
Not only has Garry made his rivalry with Neal needlessly personal – producing t-shirts with his foe’s mugshot on them – but the controversy around his wife Layla Machado hasn’t helped matters.
After becoming embroiled in a war of words with then-champion Sean Strickland over this issue, Garry then withdrew from UFC 296 on late notice, causing some fans to question his integrity.
With all of this in mind, it’s pretty clear that ‘The Future’ is at a key point in his career this weekend. Win, and he could become the welterweight division’s new big heel.
Lose, though, and his credibility would be crushed, leaving his career needing a largely self-inflicted rebuild. Put simply, then, he needs to win, and win big.
#2. Henry Cejudo – former UFC bantamweight champion
Former flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo will undoubtedly go down as one of the UFC’s all-time greats. One of just five fighters to simultaneously hold two titles in different weight classes, ‘Triple C’ is a living legend.
However, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist may have made a huge error by stepping away from the octagon at the peak of his powers, between 2020 and 2023.
Cejudo’s self-imposed retirement saw him vacate his bantamweight title, and while he pushed then-titleholder Aljamain Sterling upon his return last year, he definitely seemed rusty.
At the age of 37, then, Cejudo will return this weekend to face off with top contender Merab Dvalishvili. If ‘Triple C’ wins, then it’s highly likely another title shot will be within his reach.
If he loses, though, then he may have reached the end of the road. ‘Triple C’ has already stated that UFC 298 is “all or nothing” for him and that he may retire if he loses, and so if that’s the case, it’s hard to imagine him sticking around if he falls.
Essentially, then, this fight is a must-win scenario for Cejudo, and everything is on the line. In fact, this may well be as big as a title fight for the Olympian.
#1. Paulo Costa – UFC middleweight contender
Even though Henry Cejudo has teased retirement if he loses at UFC 298, the fighter with the most to lose this weekend is almost certainly former middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa.
‘The Eraser’ was once the hottest fighter in the division, destroying the likes of Uriah Hall and Yoel Romero en route to a 2020 title shot at then-champion Israel Adesanya.
However, since then, the Brazilian’s octagon career has taken a major turn for the worse, and not in the sense that he’s taken a string of losses.
In fact, taking a string of losses wouldn’t have been possible for Costa, who has only fought twice since that 2020 loss to ‘The Last Stylebender’.
In the meantime, he’s pulled out of numerous fights, bringing into question his desire to continue to compete at the top level at all.
Essentially, then, this weekend’s bout with Robert Whittaker – which has already fallen apart on more than one occasion due to Costa withdrawing – is probably the last chance saloon for him.
If ‘The Eraser’ can win, all of his momentum would return, but if he loses, it’s likely that his future in the UFC is null and void – meaning he cannot afford to let that happen.
