UFC 308 main card predictions: Max Holloway to hand Ilia Topuria his first-ever loss and Khamzat Chimaev to fall short

This Saturday, one of the best UFC events of the year will take place from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi as Ilia Topuria defends his featherweight title against Max Holloway in the blockbuster main event.

The UFC 308 main event is one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year as it features a tantalizing stylistic matchup between the power puncher, Ilia Topuria and the volume striker, Max Holloway.

Not only is the main event a great match, but the co-main event also features two of the best middleweights in the world as Khamzat Chimaev looks to earn the biggest win of his career to date when he takes on former champion Robert Whittaker . .

Without further ado, let's dive into our top chart predictions.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Shara 'Bullet' Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan – Middleweight Bout

Opening the main card is budding UFC star, Shara “Bullet” Magomedov, as he takes on striker, Armen Petrosyan in a middleweight bout.

Since signing with the promotion, Magomedov has shown his extremely versatile skillset, making him dangerous no matter where the fight takes place. This will be the first time the Russian has been included on the main card of a major PPV event, showing that the UFC has high expectations for him.

Petrosyan is best known for his kickboxing, but unfortunately for him, 'Bullet' is the more technical striker in this matchup and has greater striking variety. Moreover, Magomedov is the most dangerous fighter on the ground.

I see the 30-year-old getting his fourth win under the UFC banner, moving him closer to the top 15.

Prediction: Shara “Bullet” Magomedov via decision

Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige – Featherweight bout

After competing against Diego Lopes on just a few hours notice at UFC 303 last June, Dan Ige has become a fan favorite despite falling short of the victory.

In Lerone Murphy's latest outing, he picked up the biggest win of his career to date by defeating Edson Barboza in a tough five-round fight.

Like the rest of the fights on the main card offering, this is an extremely intriguing matchup as both fighters stylistically hold the keys to addressing the other issues.

'50k' Ige undoubtedly has the power advantage in this matchup, while Murphy is the more athletic fighter. Ige can certainly cause 'The Miracle' problems with his underrated boxing, but I think Murphy is probably the sharpest and most well-rounded of the two featherweights.

The only problem with picking Murphy in this matchup is that he tends to start slow at times, and in a three-round fight against Ige, the judges' eyes may be on Ige's power shots.

Prediction: Lerone Murphy via decision

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic ​​– Light Heavyweight Bout

There's a lot at stake for Magomed Ankalaev on Saturday night when he takes on Aleksandar Rakic ​​in a huge 205-pound fight.

Earlier this week, Dana White told the Russian that he needs to make an exciting fight against Rakic ​​if he wants to secure the title shot against Alex Pereira.

Standing in the way is 'Rocket' Rakic, who wants to recover from two disappointing defeats and possibly steal the title fight from Ankalaev, who has already had twelve undefeated fights.

Rakic ​​​​is an extremely explosive and unorthodox striker who could cause problems for Ankalaev, especially knowing that he cannot simply come into this fight and control the Serbian against the cage or on the ground.

That said, I can see a situation where Rakic ​​overexerts himself in the first round and Ankalaev comes on strong in the second and secures a submission victory, ultimately securing a title shot.

Prediction: Magomed Ankalaev via submission

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev – Middleweight bout

Khamzat Chimaev returns to the Octagon for the first time in over a year, taking on former champion Robert Whittaker.

When this fight was originally scheduled to take place last June, it was highlighted as a potential number one contender's bout, with the winner likely to face Dricus Du Plessis.

Despite Dana White recently claiming that Sean Strickland will fight for the title next, he walked back his comments and stated that he will wait for the climax of Chimaev vs. Whittaker to decide who is next.

'Borz' looked completely different this fight week, showing a calm and respectful demeanor, possibly highlighting the changes he has made during his fight camp.

However, Whittaker is undoubtedly his toughest test yet, and considering it's a five-round fight, I think it favors 'The Reaper'. If Chimaev is unable to impose himself on Whittaker within the first few rounds and do some real damage, he may find himself looking for a second wind as the fight heads into the fourth and fifth rounds.

I see Whittaker's experience and champion mentality paying off in this fight.

Prediction: Robert Whittaker via decision

Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway – Featherweight title fight

The most intriguing bout of the year finally takes place this Saturday as 'El Matador' looks to become the first fighter ever to knock out Max Holloway.

Since losing his title to Alexander Volkanovski in 2022, 'Blessed' Holloway has been reminding fans that he's still that guy, picking up three incredibly impressive wins and earning another shot at the 145-pound title.

Despite seemingly being around forever, Holloway is still in his prime fighting years and has the chops to show young Topuria something he hasn't seen yet.

The feud between the two has continued to heat up throughout fight week, which has only added to the intensity of the occasion.

Topuria is unsurprisingly confident that he will go in there and knock out Holloway within the first round by starting a brawl in the center of the Octagon. Despite that and Holloway's tendency to get involved in an all-out brawl, I can see a calm and methodical approach to 'Blessed'.

I see the 32-year-old's length and volume giving him the edge in this fight. As he showed against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, he has the ability to mix up his game plan, and I see him entering this fight with a hard-hitting approach to try to nullify the power of 'El Matador'.

Prediction: Max Holloway via decision

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