The UFC returns to Abu Dhabi for UFC 308 later this month as the undefeated featherweight champion Ilia Topuria defends his belt for the first time against former champion and current BMF title holder Max Holloway in the main event.
Topping a stacked card, we'll also see the return of Khamzat Chimaev as he takes on former undisputed middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in the co-main event, while the likes of Dan Ige, Aleksandar Rakic, Magomed Ankalaev and Rafael Dos Anjos all compete on the card too.
We'll take a look at the main event and provide you with our best free UFC picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash while watching an incredible fight card.
Learn more about how to bet on the UFC here.
UFC 308 information
- Saturday, October 26th 2024
- Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Featherweight Championship (145lbs limit)
- 5 x 5 minute rounds
- 14:00 ET main card start time
Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway
Topuria comes into this fight with supreme confidence having been undefeated throughout his career, with a 15-0 professional record including eight submission wins and five knockouts.
'El Matador' defeated Youssef Zalal via unanimous decision in his UFC debut, before claiming a stunning knockout win over Damon Jackson in his next bout.
That was followed up with a brilliant knockout win over jiu-jitsu specialist Ryan Hall, before a brief move up to lightweight saw him weather a storm against Jai Herbert to claim another stunning knockout win. That led to a ranked featherweight bout with Bryce Mitchell where he picked him apart with boxing before earning a submission win in the second round.
He followed that outing with another dominant showing against powerhouse Josh Emmett, which convinced the world he is ready for a title opportunity and he took it with both hands. He faced off with long-time champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 and stunned the world when he knocked him out cold in the second round to claim the title and maintain his unbeaten record.
He'll be standing across the cage from the fighter who arguably matches up best with him stylistically however, as Holloway comes into this fight in great form and knowing this is arguably his last chance to regain a title he has held previously.
Holloway comes into the fight with a professional record of 26-7 including 12 knockouts and a run of five wins in his last six outings.
After losing back-to-back title fights with Volkanovski, "Blessed" demolished Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez to unanimous decision victories to earn another title fight, but was beaten again by Volk at UFC 276.
Since then he has got back to winning ways perfectly though, claiming a unanimous decision victory over Arnold Allen, before landing a sensational knockout victory of the Korean Zombie in Singapore where he faceplanted him. Last time out at UFC 300, Holloway moved up to lightweight to fight Justin Gaethje for the BMF Title, and earned knockout of the year with a stunning last second knockout after dominating for five rounds in one of the most iconic moments in the sport's history.
Route to victory
Both men consider themselves to be predominantly strikers, but are not afraid to mix it up on the ground. However, it may be the grappling skills that are the difference in this fight.
Topuria has shown in the past that he has absolutely no problem taking fights to the ground and using his excellent wrestling and jiu-jitsu skills, but Holloway is far and away considered to be one of the fighters with the best takedown defense in the UFC and will no doubt be expecting that type of attack to come his way.
For the challenger, he will be keen to keep the distance and use his height and reach advantage, popping his jab and using low kicks to compromise Topuria's movement. But "El Matador" has shown before that he is capable of getting on the inside quickly and using low kicks himself, while he also has brutal knockout power in his hands.
On the feet, this is a real 50/50 fight because, despite Holloway's boxing abilities, he does get hit a lot and trusts his chin. Topuria prefers to hit and not get hit, but if he struggles to get on the inside, the challenger could begin to pull away on the scorecards.
Neither fighter will take a backward step, so it's all about who will be better defensively and wear their opponent down first.
Check out our review for Bovada sports betting here.
UFC Picks: Topuria to retain
We've recently seen a lot of new champions crowned in the organisation recently, and it seems like a changing of the guard is happening.
While Holloway is still without a doubt one of the very best featherweights in the world, this is Topuria's era and it would be a surprise to see him lose the title against someone we've seen be around for so long at this point.
The masses severely underrate Topuria's grappling game, and should he be able to implement it effectively on Holloway, he'll have a massive advantage. Add to that the fact that in the stand-up he isn't out-gunned either, then there are more routes to victory for the Spaniard to retain his belt.
Expect a high-level five-round scrap, with Topuria to get the nod on the scorecards and remain champion.
Check out our review for BetUS sports betting here.
