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The 2024 calendar year has been a great one for the UFC, and it is only getting better. Yet another fantastic fight card is right around the corner, as UFC 308 will feature some of the best fighters in the sport. Most notably, a championship bout between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway is taking place.
The 145-pound bout with the belt on the line is between arguably the two best fighters in the best weight class in the UFC. It is far from the only banger of a fight, though. In this article, we will detail everything that you need to know about UFC 308.
When and where is UFC 308?
For UFC fans in the United States of America, you will have to wake up a little earlier than normal to watch your favorite mixed martial artists. UFC 308 is in Yas West, United Arab Emirates, which means the prelims will start at 10 a.m. ET. The main card starts at 2 p.m. ET. The event will take place at Etihad Arena. Fight night is Saturday, Oct. 26.
How to watch UFC 308
UFC 308 is a pay-per-view event, meaning the main card can be streamed exclusively through an ESPN+ PPV purchase. The prelims, however, can be viewed on ESPN+ without PPV.
Date: Saturday, Oct. 26 | Time: 2 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: Etihad Arena — United Arab Emirates
How to watch: ESPN+ PPV
Odds: Topuria -245
UFC 308 fight card
Main event:
Featherweight: Ilia Topuria (C) vs. Max Holloway (BMF), championship bout
Middleweight: Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev
Featherweight: Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige
Light Heavyweight: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic
Middleweight: Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan
Prelims:
Welterweight: Geoff Neal vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
Lightweight: Mateusz Rebecki vs. Myktybek Orolbai
Bantamweight: Said Nurmagomedov vs. Daniel Santos
Middleweight: Abus Magomedov vs. Brunno Ferreira
Heavyweight: Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Chris Barnett
Bantamweight: Farid Basharat vs. Victor Hugo
Middleweight: Ismail Naurdiev vs. Bruno Silva
Welterweight: Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Nursulton Ruziboev
Light heavyweight: Ibo Aslan vs. Rafael Cerqueira
Main event
Max Holloway is arguably the greatest featherweight in UFC history. He has beat just about everyone at 145 pounds except for Alexander Volkanovski, who beat him three times. Volkanovski lost to Ilia Topuria, though, so there is a new 145-pounder on the throne.
Holloway, who most recently collected one of the best knockout victories in UFC history at UFC 300, is the BMF belt holder. He has claimed that the UFC refused to pair his upcoming opponent and he up so that Topuria could rise to the top and become a star. After all, Topuria has been compared to Conor McGregor.
Now, fans will get to see if the long-time veteran can re-establish himself at the top or if the up-and-comer's hype is real. Holloway has a claim as the best boxer in UFC history. He is not only the all-time leader in significant strikes landed (3,378), but it is just as hard to land punches on him. The fighter nicknamed Blessed has not only never been knocked out, but he has never even officially been knocked down.
Topuria has extreme power, though, as was evidenced when he won the Featherweight Championship. He is just as deadly as a wrestler and grappler, too. Topuria, who is the only UFC champion in his 20s, has the potential to become a UFC legend, but few rising stars have even challenged Holloway in fights against him.
Main card
Before the main event even takes place, UFC 308 will feature some of the best fighters in the company. Shara Magomedov is fighting in the first bout on the main card. The Dagestani doesn't fight like most of his comrades. Despite being from the same place as the Nurmagomedov clan, Magomedov isn't a sambo sambo expert.
Instead, the Russian with a distinct look is known for his entertaining striking. The Pirate only has one functioning eye, but he flies all over the cage and uses a variety of unique kicks and punches. Magomedov, who is currently 14-0, has his toughest challenge yet against Armen Petrosyan.
Magomed Ankalaev is also fighting on the main card. Everyone assumed that the number one ranked light heavyweight would get a title shot against Alex Pereira, considering he has a 12 fight non-losing streak, but Khalil Rountree instead was given a shot at UFC 307. Luckily, Rountree and Pereira put up a classic fight, but now Ankalaev has a chance to ensure no one else can take on Pereira next.
Ankalaev is arguably the best wrestler at 205 pounds, and he will be taking on a great striker in Aleksandar Rakic. Rakic does have an 85% takedown defense, too.
Dan Ige, who the UFC wanted to reward after stepping up on incredibly short notice for UFC 303, is actually taking on an incredibly tough opponent. Lerone Murphy has never lost an MMA bout, and he is slowly rising up the ladder at featherweight. Ige has the heart of a lion, which was evidenced when he gave Diego Lopes a run for his money despite stepping up just hours before the fight, but he has lost five of his last eight fights.
The other blockbuster bout on the main card is Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev. Whittaker, who some felt deserved a championship fight after he beat Ikram Aliskerov, is taking on yet another huge name. The former champion has done a lot of winning over the years, and he has proven himself against dangerous fighters before. A win would assure a title shot for Bobby Knuckles.
Chimaev certainly qualifies as a dangerous fighter. Borz was once viewed as the biggest up-and-coming star in the UFC. He won his first three UFC fights within a two-month period. Ever since then, though, Chimaev has struggled with weight cuts and health issues, which has forced him to pull out of a number of bouts. Hopefully, those issues are a thing of the past with Chimaev now fighting exclusively at 185 pounds. He still has the talent to become a megastar, and he hasn't been all that challenged inside of the UFC octagon thus far.
Prelims
UFC 308's fight card is so stacked that there are even a number of intriguing fights in the prelims. The most notable is a 10 vs. 15 bout between Geoff Neal and Rafael Dos Anjos. Neal is called “Hands of Steel” for a reason, as he has deadly knockout power. Dos Anjos might not be the fighter he once was, but he is a former champion nonetheless.
Said Nurmagomedov is fighting in the prelims as well. Despite sharing a last name, Nurmagomedov actually isn't related to Khabib, Umar, or Usman Nurmagomedov. Khabib finished his career 29-0 and is one of the greatest UFC fighters ever, Umar is currently undefeated and will likely contend for the UFC Bantamweight Championship next, and Usman is the current Bellator Lightweight Champion.
Overall, six fighters on the UFC 308 card are undefeated. In addition to Topuria, Chimaev, Murphy, and Shara Magomedov fighting without a blemish on their resume, Rafael Cerqueira and Farid Basharat will put their undefeated records on the line on Oct. 26.
