From top to bottom, UFC 308 is stacked with many jaw-dropping fights – headlined by a featherweight title fight between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway
Ilia Topuria will be looking to successfully defend his featherweight title for the first time against former world champion Max Holloway at UFC 308.
The blockbuster pay-per-view event is scheduled to take place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi in what promises to be an epic night of fights for MMA fans. From top to bottom, the card is stacked with several big names.
While the main event will see two featherweight giants go toe-to-toe, many will also be intrigued by the co-main – which sees Robert Whittaker take on undefeated sensation Khamzat Chimaev. Britain’s Lerone Murphy is also in action as he’ll be looking to keep his perfect record intact when he takes on Dan Ige. Here’s all you need to know about the confirmed fights…
Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway – 10pm
With an undefeated record of 15-0, Topuria has established himself as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters on the planet since signing with the organisation. A dangerous knockout artist, ‘El Matador’s’ sharp and crisp boxing has only improved since his first fight under the UFC banner – a unanimous decision victory over Youssef Zalal. Despite having to work his way up, Topuria finally announced his name on the world scene after submitting Bryce Mitchell in 2022 before going on to dethrone Alexander Volkanovski earlier this year. As for Holloway, ‘Blessed’ has much more experience on his side and knows exactly how it feels to win a UFC title. The former featherweight champion is unbeaten in his last three fights and comes into the showdown off a knockout win over Justin Gaethje.
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Robert Whittaker vs Khamzat Chimaev – 9pm
Barring any late drama, MMA fans will finally see these two middleweights killers go head-to-head in the cage. The pair were due to fight earlier this year, but Chimaev was forced to pull out due to illness. A former champion in the division, Whittaker is arguably a lot better now than when he was with the belt around his waist. He’s improved drastically since his first loss to Israel Adesanya and comes into UFC 308 off a devastating knockout win over Ikram Aliskerov. Despite jumping up and down weight classes, it seems as if middleweight will be Chimaev’s home for the foreseeable future. It’s ‘Borz’s’ first fight since picking up the biggest win of his career against Kamaru Usman last October.
Lerone Murphy vs Dan Ige – 8.30pm
Lerone Murphy finally has the chance to showcase his talent on a pay-per-view main card. It’s been a long journey so far for the 33-year-old – who is unbeaten in 15 professional fights. A dominant win over Edson Barboza earlier this year proved that he is ready to take on the big boys at 145. That said, Dan Ige is no slouch and will prove to be a tough test for the Mancunian. Despite coming off a loss against Diego Lopes, ’50K’ has great experience at the top level and will no doubt cause Murphy some issues in the cage.
Magomed Ankalaev vs Aleksandar Rakic – 8pm
This fight could possibly have huge implications for the light-heavyweight division. The winner of this contest will likely be next in line for a showdown with Alex Pereira. Magomed Ankalaev has already fought for the title before, but could only secure a draw Jan Blachowicz. The 32-year-old brutally knocked out Johnny Walker in his last outing. As for Rakic, the Austrian ‘Rocket’ will be desperate to get back in the win column having suffered defeats to Blachowicz and Jiri Prochazka in his last two fights.
Sharabutdin Magomedov vs Armen Petrosyan – 7.30pm
Opening up the main card is an exciting middleweight showdown between Sharabutdin Magomedov and Armen Petrosyan. Magomedov – who is yet to be beaten in his career so far – has gone from strength to strength since signing with the UFC last year. A win over Michal Oleksiejczuk back in August earned him a shot at Petrosyan – who comes into the clash off the back of a defeat to Rodolfo Vieira earlier this year.
Preliminary card
Ibo Aslan vs Raffael Cerqueira – 6.30pm
Geoff Neal vs Rafael dos Anjos – 6pm
Mateusz Rebecki vs Myktybek Orolbai – 5.30pm
Abusupiyan Magomedov vs Brunno Ferreira – 5pm
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs Chris Barnett – 4.30pm
Farid Basharat vs Victor Hugo – 4pm
Ismail Naurdiev vs Bruno Silva – 3.30pm
Rinat Fakhretdinov vs Carlos Leal – 3pm
