Having a likely main event already in place, the latest addition to the Pay-Per-View show is a heavyweight affair pitting New Zealand’s Justin Tafa (7-3, 1NC) against Brazilian Marcos Rogerio de Lima (21-9-1).

“Pezao” de Lima confirmed the booking following an initial report by MMA Fighting.

Tafa, 29, goes by the nickname “Bad Man” and has proven to be just that, securing a finish by KO/TKO in all seven of his professional victories. Most recently, he picked up a win over Austen Lane in his second fight with the Contender Series alum, after the first ended in a No Contest due to an accidental eye poke.

Marcos Rogerio de Lima will be looking to bounce back from a stunning loss at the hands of Derrick Lewis this past July. That setback snapped a two-fight win streak.

Though not officially announced by the promotion, rumors of UFC 298 being hosted in both Los Angeles and Australia have made the rounds. Promotion president and CEO Dana White previously revealed that featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski would defend his 145lb title against Ilia Topuria in February, a fight almost certain to headline the UFC 298 card.

Thus far, only three fights have been reported for the event set to take place on February 17, 2024. They are:

Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs. Ilia Topuria — for the UFC Featherweight Championship
Danny Barlow vs. Yusaku Kinoshita
Marcos Rogério de Lima vs. Justin Tafa

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Volkanovski (26-3) has been widely expected to defend his featherweight title against Topuria (14-0), with talk of the fight swirling even before the Australian champ stepped up on short notice against lightweight champ Islam Makhachev last month.

While a January date had been floated for Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria, a head kick KO loss at the hands of Makhachev appears to have set the fight back a month. No matter. White’s Monday announcement almost certainly means the Volkanovski vs. Topuria will headline UFC 298, which does not yet have a location, venue, or broadcast plan officially announced.

No other bouts have been announced or reported for the event. There’s a chance the fight will be held in Australia, however, with February trips down under a common occurrence for the UFC, who visited Perth in Feb. 2023.

Between losses to Makhachev, Volkanovski successfully defended his 145lb title against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 in July, capping off International Fight Week 2023.

Topuria, meanwhile, remains undefeated through his professional career. After going 2-0 in 2022, he fought just once this year, defeating Josh Emmett in the main event of UFC on ABC 5 this past June.

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