White gushes about record-setting night in Anaheim
The UFC made its 10th show in Anaheim a historic one.
Returning to the Honda Center for the first time in more than two years, UFC 298 proved to be a recordsetting night, highlighted by Ilia Topuria dethroning featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski in the main event.
With an attendance of 18,186 and an announced live gate of $7,264,734, which included Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg sitting front and center cageside, UFC CEO Dana White said UFC 298 was the highest-grossing live event in Honda Center history and the highest-grossing MMA event in California history.
“It’s good to be back. This arena has been very good to us for a long time,” White said. “We like the guys who run this place and we look forward to it. They have big plans for around here too, they’re building a good experience here. So, happy to be back with these guys.”
The UFC has been holding events at the Anaheim arena since April 15, 2006, when UFC 59: Reality Check featured Tim Sylvia winning the heavyweight title from Andrei Arlovski at the then-Arrowhead Pond. and I’m only getting better, as you guys see. Every fight, it looks so much easier, and really tonight I wasn’t even breathing heavy. I was very comfortable and this is only the beginning.” else. You don’t give the mic to Cejudo tonight. Tonight was Merab’s night.”
It’s safe to say White wasn’t thrilled with Cejudo’s first retirement. After his TKO victory over former titleholder Dominick Cruz to defend the bantamweight title at UFC 249 in May 2020, Cejudo shocked the MMA world and announced he was hanging it up in his postfight interview.
Some speculated it was a contract negotiating ploy. If it was, it played out for three years before Cejudo unretired in May and came up short in a split-decision title-fight loss to Sterling at UFC 288 in May.