Early autumn and late October are when dreams will be made for both some fans and fighters in the UFC. The UFC 308 event will be one of the best events in recent memory, headlined by an amazing duel between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway. The former will be looking to defend his title against one of the most decorated UFC fighters of the last decade. The Featherweight division was always one to watch, and this bout promised a lot of good fighting.
While this fight will have the eyes of the world on itself, this is not all that UFC 308 has to offer. The co-main event is also an interesting fight, where Robert Whittaker is going to take on Khamzat Chimaev. UFC decided to make this October event one of the best events before winter as other names on the card include the likes of Ankalaev, Volkov, and Gane. If you’re interested in this event, and you already know that you can’t miss it for anything in the world, all fights will be streamed live at Stake where you’ll also find some of the best betting options out there.
UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway—Date and Location Details
The UFC is continuing its expansion towards the Middle East, and that’s why we have another United Arab Emirates event on our hands. The popularity of Yas Island is on the rise, and it will be the home to another amazing UFC event. October 26 is the date and the home venue is Etihad Arena. Sunday can’t come fast enough, right? For all of you interested, the main event is scheduled to start at 7 am NZST.
The Top Names on UFC 308 Card
As we already said, UFC is not joking with its upcoming event. The UFC 308 night will hold some heavy hitters, and the fans are already gearing up for a night of quality fighting. Let’s see who are the names headlining this event, and others that will fill the card.
Ilia Topuria
These days, when it comes to featherweight division, Ilia Topuria is the name on everyone’s lips. The Georgian/Spanish fighter was inspired by his idol Conor McGregor, and he similarly rose through the ranks. You won’t find a better grappler in the featherweight division who can combine this skill with some top-notch heavy hitting. Because of this unique combo of skills, Topuria remains undefeated in his career so far. Ilia is currently standing at 15-0 and will be looking to extend his winning streak after the bout with Max Holloway. So far, he managed to beat the likes of Josh Emmet, Alexander Volkanovski, and Bryce Mitchell. The title was won by Topuria after a second-round knockout, cementing his legacy as one of the most dominant fighters in the division. His finishing rate is on a top level, as he only won 2 out of his 15 matches by decision.
Max Holloway
Holloway made a name for himself in the featherweight division in the years before Ilia Topuria’s ascension. Back in 2019 he lost the title for the first time in the hands of Alexander Volkanovski and failed to retrieve it against the same fighter in the two following duels. Despite this, Max is still one of the best fighters in the division, holding the records for most significant strikes landed in a single match and the competition overall. Holloway is entering this match after winning the BMF belt with a win against Justin Gaethje managing to get a title shot via that win. Blessed showed his value and strength in a five-round bout against Justin managing to knock him out finally in the fifth round. We are certainly hoping that Max and Ilia are going to provide us with a similar outcome match. If you want to take a look at how Max sees his career so far and the upcoming bout, please check out as Holloway shares his thoughts about the UFC 308 with Stake.com.
Robert Whittaker
Holloway and Topuria are not the only fighters having something on the line at UFC 308. Robert Whittaker looks to regain his footing in the middleweight division as we speak. In recent months, he lost the bouts against Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis. Not that there’s any shame in losing to these fighters, but he still believes that there’s plenty of fuel left in his tank and that a title bout should be on his card in the foreseeable future. Robert’s resume speaks for itself and most recently he took aim and won against the likes of Vettori, Costa, Aliskerov, and Cannonier. At the moment Whittaker stands at 26- score and with his most recent bout ending in a win via knockout he will be looking for more of the same.
Khamzat Chimaev
Chimaev is one of the names on the rise in the current UFC, and at the moment he looks unstoppable. Khamzat debuted four years ago and since then he has won all of his matches, taking opponents on short notice every time. Chimaev is one of the fighters who are still to taste defeat in their professional career, and the likes of Kamaru Usman, Kevin Holland, and Gilbert Burns all failed to take him down. The only downside to Khamzat Chimaev’s career is that he has more than a few health issues. Because of this he missed a few events with a couple of delays and canceled fights. This time around, we believe he’s up to the task and that we’re going to see the best version of Khamzat.
Fight Card & Betting Odds
Now that you know the biggest names that will grace the stage at UFC 308 let’s talk about the bouts that will be the main and co-main events at the Yas Island. The Etihad Arena will be the host to the following matches on October 26th:
Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway
Each year, the UFC has some fabulous title matches, and this one is certainly one of them. The featherweight title will be decided between Illia Topuria and Max Holloway. Fans are eagerly expecting the end of the month to witness this historic bout. Ilia remains undefeated in his UFC career and after taking the belt from Volkanovski he will be looking to retain it a bit more against one of the biggest names in the industry. Topuria’s strength lies in his high-end grappling paired with some of the most elite boxing in the featherweight division. Pair that with his elite vision and head movement, and you get an almost perfect fighter with immeasurable strength to bout.
On the other side, we have Max Holloway who has been struggling against the same opponents Topuria was easily taking on. Alexander Volkanovski was an obstacle that Holloway couldn’t overcome. After two defeats against the Australian fighter, Max finally managed to get his career back on track after a sensational KO win against Justin Gaethje which gave him the BMF belt. If you’re looking solely at the MMA odds and the latest UFC betting markets, Max enters this match as an underdog. The number of matches where he was not favored to win is quite a low one, and Holloway shouldn’t be underestimated this time around, too.
Co-Main Event – Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev
This is one of the rare instances where the co-main event is equally interesting as the main one. As we already mentioned, Chimaev has had some health issues, and this match was originally booked for June. After a health scare, it was delayed, and now we’re finally going to have Whittaker vs. Chimaev. Robert wasn’t swayed by Khamzat canceling the match, and he took on and won against Aliskerov in June raising confidence levels for UFC 308. If Chimaev remains healthy, we’re going to have one of the best co-main events in the history of the UFC. Whittaker only has losses to top dogs in the division and Khamzat will have a chance to prove if he’s one as he’s been favored to win this one.
While Chimaev is still undefeated and has started his career on a high note, injuries derailed what appeared to be a great start to a career. With a bout against Robert Whittaker, he has a chance to prove all doubters wrong, increase his win tally, and get his name into the title conversation. Chimaev has done enough in his career so far to be favored against Robert Whittaker, and it remains to be seen if he can withstand the odds.
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakić
While featherweight and middleweight bouts took all the attention at UFC 308 we shouldn’t look away from the heavyweight division. Ankalaev vs. Rakic has all the makings of a big fight. Magomed is currently standing at 19-1-1 in his MMA career with a nice 10-1-1 UFC score. His opponent will be the less decorated Rakic who has a 14-4 MMA score with a mixed 6-3 UFC career but plenty left to prove. The two heavyweights will score off at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, and the fans can’t wait to witness this heavyweight bout.
Ankalaev started his UFC career with a defeat to Pau Craig in 2018 but hasn’t looked back since then, winning all of his matches and only drawing against Jan Blachowicz. On October 26th, he will be looking to continue his winning streak, and Rakic looks like a beatable opponent.
At the same time, Rakic is desperate to bounce back after some heavy defeats he suffered in recent times. He showed skill in fights against Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos but was also knocked out by the likes of Jan Blachowicz and Jiri Prochazka. This was the first time in Rakic’s career that he’s lost two consecutive matches. That’s why he’s desperate for a win against Magomed. Not only would he win against a decorated fighter but he will also put his name into the mix for a title challenge.
How to Place Your Bets for UFC 308: Understanding UFC Bet Types
Betting on UFC and MMA in general is quite a straightforward process. Even if you’re a rookie in this field, there will be no issues betting on Holloway vs. Topuria or Whittaker vs. Chimaev. For one, the majority of reputable online sportsbook outlets offer guides on betting. Read on, and get yourself acquainted with the rules and norms of MMA betting. Once you’ve done that, the rest is done in a few easy steps we have below:
- Choose a reputable online sportsbook, create an account, and log in.
- Put a deposit forth to make the MMA sports betting a reality. You can’t place a bet without having funds tied to your account.
- Open the website or the app of your selected online sportsbook and navigate your way towards their MMA section. There, you will be able to pick the events such as UFC 308 and any particular fight to bet on.
- If you’re unsure of who to bet on, you need to look for UFC picks in your sportsbook and see what the professionals who know the sport have to say. Take any help in selecting picks you can get.
- Now’s the time to pick your betting market and enter your stake. This is where the betting process is almost over.
- If you’re still not prepared to lie down your bet, it is wise to use the calculator to make a bet that will align with your budget and result in a win that suits you.
- Place your bets and wait for the event to start, with all hopes lying in the picks of your choosing.
UFC 308 is around the corner, and this is the best time for you to get into the world of MMA and spice it up with a tad bit of sports betting.