UFC 308 Predictions: Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway & Main Card Picks

Hearing all the hype around the 15-0 featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and “one of the best of all time” Max Holloway going at it for the belt in Abu Dhabi? Need to know who’s set to fight at UFC 308 and what picks are available?

Lock in for the UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway main card predictions and projections from PrizePicks below.

UFC 308 is set to be an electrifying night, with the title fight between Featherweight champion Topuria and current holder of the BMF belt Holloway headlining. The main card is set to start at 2 p.m. ET, with the Topuria vs. Holloway fight expected to start around 4:10 p.m. ET, depending on the other fights.

Below, we’ll cover who’s fighting in UFC 308, the picks and analysis for each main card fight, plus PrizePicks projections for the big fights on Saturday night.

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UFC 308 Card, Start Times, Projections: Topuria vs Holloway

The prelims for UFC 308 will start at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, October 26, while the PPV main card is expected to start at 2 p.m. ET. Times are subject to change, but expect the main event fight between Topuria and Holloway to start around 4:10 p.m. ET.

Projections are via the PrizePicks MMA board as of Friday at 5 p.m. ET but are subject to change.

Here’s the UFC 308 main card schedule, in reverse order.

Ilia Topuria (c) vs. Max Holloway: Main Event

• Bantamweight title fight
• Expected start time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Fight TIme projection: 21 minutes (PrizePicks)
• Ilia Topuria projections: 86.5 Significant Strikes, 115.5 Fantasy Score, 1.5 Takedowns
• Max Holloway projections: 94.5 Fantasy Score
• Topuria vs. Holloway Prediction & Preview

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev 

• Co-main event
• Middleweight
• Expected start time: 3:40 p.m. ET
• Fight Time projection: 12.5 minutes (PrizePicks)
• Robert Whittaker projection: 42.5 Significant Strikes
• Khamzat Chimaev projections: 51.5 Significant Strikes, 3.0 Takedowns, 96.5 Fantasy Score
• Whittaker vs. Chimaev Prediction & Preview

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic

• Main card
• Light Heavyweight
• Expected start time: 3:10 p.m. ET
• Magomed Ankalaev projections: 52.5 Significant Strikes, 89.5 Fantasy Score
• Aleksandar Rakic projection: 43.5 Significant Strikes
• Ankalaev vs. Rakic Prediction & Preview

Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige

• Main card
• Featherweight
• Expected start time: 2:40 p.m. ET
• Lerone Murphy projection: 62.5 Significant Strikes, 82.5 Fantasy Score
• Dan Ige projection: 51.5 Significant Strikes
• Murphy vs. Ige Prediction & Preview

Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan

• Main card
• Middleweight
• Expected start time: 2:10 p.m. ET
• Sharabutdin Magomedov projection: 83.5 Significant Strikes, 88.5 Fantasy Score
• Armen Petrosyan projections: 77.5 Significant Strikes
• Magomedov vs. Petrosyan Prediction & Preview

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Ilia Topuria (c) vs. Max Holloway: Prediction & Preview

Both of these men are coming off of a fight that won them a belt. Topuria’s win meant a little more, given it was for the UFC Featherweight champion. Holloway’s belt however, the BMF belt, proved far more viral. 

In a fight against fellow banger Justin Gaethje, Holloway pointed to the ground, demanding they duke it out in the final ten seconds of the fight — despite Holloway being up in the scorecards. Holloway threw caution to the wind, but proved he was worthy of the BMF belt. 

He caught Gaethje on a hook and delivered a signature buzzer-beater knockout with just one second left in the fight.

Topuria’s last fight, while not to be forever immortalized in knockout compilation videos, was very impressive. In the second round he caught and folded the former champion Alexander Volkanovski with a short hook that generated ungodly power for a Featherweight.

Picking a winner for this fight is tough. Holloway, considered by many a GOAT of the sport, has managed to look better every time we see him, aging like a fine wine. Even with that in mind, his opposition, Topuria, is favored. 

Topuria is super well balanced and scary from everywhere, with five KOs and eight Sub finishes. In the last five years, Holloway’s kryptonite has been Volkanovski, with his only three losses being to the man who as you know Topuria beat to steal the title away.

Both men are as elite as they come on the feet, though Topuria does have an edge on the mat if he can takedown Holloway, who boasts a 83.5% takedown defense (7th all-time among Featherweight). Holloway may have the edge in volume, but Topuria’s power is no joke.

Ilia Topuria (c) vs Max Holloway Pick: Topuria MORE than 21 Mins Fight Time

No one has ever knocked out Holloway early, and he has only been submitted once in his career. His chin holds up. Topuria also looks too good and well rounded to be on the receiving end of a finish. I think this one ends in a decision.

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev: Prediction & Preview

The fight that has been a long time in the making is finally going down. In one corner you have long-time UFC fan favorite and veteran Whittaker, and in the opposing corner you have undefeated rising phenom Chimaev.

Chimaev entered the UFC winning his first three fights without absorbing a single strike and seemingly without breaking a sweat. The UFC then threw him to the lions against Kamaru Usman, and he survived and came out hungrier. In just a few years time he’s beaten the likes of Kevin Holland, Gilbert Burns, and Kamaru Usman, proving he isn’t a fluke.

Now the 13th-ranked Middleweight matches up with Whittaker, the 3rd-ranked fighter in the division. Whittaker has seen it all in his 12-year UFC tenure, and for good reason is the public’s favorite underdog of the card.

Chimaev is going to look to blitz, pressure, and pour it on early. He did things to Usman that no one has ever done in the grappling and wrestling department. However, Whittaker has striking power that could grant him respect that Usman lacked. 

One punch from Whittaker is all it takes, just ask the 11 people he’s knocked out. If Whittaker can survive the early onslaught, Chimaev will find himself in unfamiliar territory heading into Rounds 4 and 5, which is exactly where the veteran could do his best work on his seemingly endless gas tank.

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev Pick: Whittaker MORE than 42.5 Significant Strikes

This is one of those less thans on PrizePicks you take only if you hate the guy. I do not hate Whittaker.

Chimaev absorbed this many strikes or more against both Usman and Burns, and I see Whittaker doing the same, especially now with two full camps of prep for this specific fight under his belt. 

Whittaker knows his best way to get out of the early dangerous waters will be too threatening to be taken advantage of. I see a world where through two rounds he has already cleared this projection. 

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Magomed Ankalaev vs Aleksandar Rakic: Prediction & Preview

In Rakic’s last outing he was put to bed by Jiri Prochazka. This was after a nearly two-year layoff after being put to sleep by Jan Blachowicz. Outside of a draw and no contest, the last five years have been smooth sailing for Ankalaev.

One thing is for certain, Rakic is going to absolutely blast Ankalaev with leg kicks. The problem here though is he can't sit back and let Ankalaev come forward because he will get dominated, but he doesn't have enough huge threatening power to use on Ankalaev even if he does catch him. 

This fight is the one that Ankalaev, as the No. 1 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter, has to prove he is ready for the title shot in — as man handling a waning Johnny Walker in his last outing wasn’t quite enough.

Magomed Ankalaev vs Aleksandar Rakic Pick: Ankalaev MORE than 89.5 Fantasy Score 

Ankalaev was “pretty much told” this is his fight to win to get the title shot. He will be extra motivated to put on a show at the expense of Rakic, and while I'm not sure how or when he’ll end it, Ankalaev will come to impress. 

Lerone Murphy vs Dan Ige: Prediction & Preview

Lerone Murphy is red hot. He has won six UFC fights in a row and is now 14-0-1 in his professional career. In his last fight, he posted an eye popping 220 significant strikes.

Dan Ige on the other hand is 18-8, but has seen far more competition, skill, and variation in his UFC tenure starting in 2018. Ige has now been the co-main event to a fight card six times to Murphy's one occurrence as the main event. 

I give the edge to Murphy here in what should be a close fight due to his momentum. His stock is rising quickly and that confidence boost could be just enough to get him over the hump. Ige has seen opponents similar to the likes of Murphy however and shouldn’t be caught off guard by anything he throws. 

Murphy should be a little faster and dynamic in his footwork, and this fight should showcase some great boxing.

Lerone Murphy vs Dan Ige Pick: Murphy LESS than 2.5 Takedowns

Murphy has a takedown average of 1.59 per 15 minutes in the UFC. If anything, I actually see it more likely Ige wants to make this sloppy and get to the ground if he’s in trouble, as Murphy should have the edge in the standup department. 

Ige has a takedown average of .99 per 15 minutes, so it may be most likely that both men are satisfied with keeping it standing even if it goes the distance.

Sharabutdin Magomedov vs Armen Petrosyan: Prediction & Preview

Shara, who has trouble fighting in the United States due to commission rules around being blind in one eye, has quickly become a local favorite to the Abu Dhabi crowd. Often being compared to other areas “golden boys” such as Paddy Pimblett, it seems as though the UFC wants to keep him in the win column.

This is certainly the strongest opponent he’s been granted, with Petrosyan biggest weakness being the ground game, having only one takedown in the UFC versus being taken down 12 times.

Thankfully, Shara breaks the Dagestan mold and has no interest in keeping it on the mat. In what should be a striking affair, I don’t see Shara being able to get a knockout on a guy in Petrosyan who’s gone to decisions with the likes of Caio Borralho and beat RoboCop out of there.

Sharabutdin Magomedov vs Armen Petrosyan Pick: Sharabutdin Magomedov MORE than 82.5 Significant Strikes

Shara was one away from clearing this in his UFC debut, and the fight ended 2.5 minutes early. In his next fight he cleared in with ease at 97. In what I see going to a decision via a stand-up battle, Shara should clear this projection once again.

Pick Your UFC 308 Fighters on PrizePicks

With only a day until UFC 308, make sure you’ve locked in your Lineups on PrizePicks, the easiest way to get real money action on UFC DFS. Just pick two or more projections from above — or anything else on the MMA board — and lock in your Lineup.

With a stacked card and a title fight along with many undefeated rising stars fighting, it will be an electrifying night of fights in the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Head to the PrizePicks app, pick more or less on two or more fighters, lock in your picks, and get ready for the sweat during UFC 308.

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