Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway collide for the UFC featherweight championship on Saturday. It’s among the best fights booked in mixed martial arts this year, buoyed by a strong undercard.
Topuria defends the UFC featherweight title against former 145-pound champ and reigning BMF titleholder Holloway atop the marquee. The pay-per-view main is strengthened further by a substantial main card. Undercard highlights include middleweight and light heavyweight bouts with title implications and a violent clash between great strikers.
Let’s take a closer look at three fights worth your attention at UFC 308.
Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev
UFC CEO Dana White originally announced Whittaker vs. Chimaev as a title eliminator for June. Whittaker instead knocked out Ikram Aliskerov after Chimaev fell “violently ill” two weeks before the bout. The promotion wasn’t forthcoming about the stakes of their rebooking, but the winner joins Sean Strickland on the shortlist of middleweight title contenders. Chimaev looked like the next big thing after finishing two opponents in 10 days and absorbing one lone strike in his four fights. Unfortunately, Chimaev’s reputation shifted from remarkably reliable to terribly inconsistent due to illness and injury. He’s fought four times since his 2020 debut year but can make himself undeniable with a win on Saturday.
Chimaev is among the UFC’s best grapplers, has power in his hands and does not fear damage. The Whittaker fight is one the fans have long called for. The former UFC middleweight champ is incredibly well-rounded. Whittaker blends accurate strikes, strong defensive sensibilities and one of the MMA-influenced wrestling styles. It’s an appropriate test for both men, one that UFC champion Dricus du Plessis should pay close attention to.
Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige
The featherweight division has arguably the best collection of strikers. Murphy and Ige are doing their part to give the weight class that reputation. Ige and Murphy pack serious heat with enough technical prowess to go 15 minutes. Ige most recently lost to top featherweight contender Diego Lopes at UFC 303 but gets a pass for saving the co-main event on a few hours notice after Brian Ortega fell ill. Murphy is undefeated in 14 fights and most recently took elite striker Edson Barboza to a unanimous decision in their Fight of the Night headliner. The winner sets themselves up for a solid follow-up in 2025.
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic
Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. was an incredible expression of technical striking and the human spirit. Objectively, however, it wasn’t the meritocratically earned fight for the title challenger. Ankalaev is currently ranked No. 2 in the UFC’s official light heavyweight rankings and is undefeated in 12 straight fights. Instead of fighting Pereira, Ankalaev was booked against Rakic. White claimed an impressive win against Rakic, whose coming off consecutive losses to former champs Jiri Prochazka and Jan Blachowicz, will earn him a title shot. Truthfully, Ankaalev deserves the shot no matter how he wins. Many consider Ankalaev the toughest challenge for Pereira at light heavyweight. His offensive wrestling is sometimes overstated, but Ankalaev can arguably mix it up better than anyone who challenged Pereira for the 205-pound title. If Ankalaev looks good, expect him to fight the champ next.
Honorable mentions: Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan, Geoff Neal vs. Rafael dos Anjos
