Topuria Battles Holloway in UFC 308 Main Event Saturday

Halloween is a time for tips and treats. Subsequent Thursday (or maybe earlier in case your group is one which holds its trick or deal with window forward of the particular vacation,) ghosts and goblins can be knocking in your door begging for sweet whereas carrying numerous costumes.

When you’re the one in your family tasked with shopping for these enjoyable dimension baggage of sweet, ensure to take your cellphone with you to the market, particularly if you happen to’re shopping for the sweet on Saturday afternoon. MMA‘s prime promotion, the UFC, is providing a pre-Halloween deal with to followers of aggressive violence throughout North America.

This weekend, the October slate for the UFC closes out with its second pay-per-view occasion of the month, UFC 308, happening at Etihad Area on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. As a result of eight-hour time distinction between the UAE and the US, Saturday’s premium card takes place a bit of sooner than regular.

Dwell protection begins at 10 am ET/ 7 am PT on ESPN+ with the prelims. Fundamental card motion follows at 2 pm ET/ 11 am PT on ESPN+ pay-per-view.

Topuria Takes on Holloway for Featherweight Gold

All informed, the ultimate model of UFC 308 contains a full 13-fight card. Highlighting the day’s actions would be the battle for the UFC Featherweight Championship within the UFC 308 essential occasion.

Incumbent 145-lb. champion Ilia Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) meets challenger and No. 2 contender, former featherweight titleholder Max Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) for the belt. As with all UFC championship bouts, this one is an marketed most of 5 rounds at 5 minutes per spherical to cap the present.

They actually outdid themselves this time round 🔥@TopuriaIlia’s shorts are ELITE

[ #InAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/O7mVZjIy92

— UFC (@ufc) October 23, 2024

UFC 308 Fundamental Occasion Fighter Comparability and Betting Odds

Heading into the UFC 308 essential occasion on Saturday night time, challenger Max Holloway stands because the taller man at 5-foot-11, in comparison with the 5-foot-7 body of Ilia Topuria. Whereas each the champion and the challenger maintain equivalent 69-inch attain benefits, Holloway owns a five-inch attain benefit (42 inches to 37 inches) over Topuria.

Presently, the oddsmakers have Ilia Topuria as a -250 betting favourite on the cash line, whereas Max Holloway counters as a +205 underdog. When you plan on betting on this or another battle this weekend in MMA or fight sports activities, please wager responsibly.

Topuria Seems to Make First Protection of Title a Profitable One

Ilia Topuria enters the UFC 308 essential occasion having but to lose so far in his MMA profession. Most just lately, he scored a second-round knockout with a proper hook in opposition to Alexander Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) on Feb. 17 throughout UFC 298’s essential occasion in Anaheim from Honda Heart to take the title.

Not too long ago, Topuria talked to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, revealing that he filmed a movement image.

“The concept behind the film was that we didn’t have any Georgian or Spanish world champions,” he started. “I at all times knew that I used to be about to turn into a world champion. I at all times had that self-belief, so we begin with the thought of ‘I wish to present to the world that it doesn’t matter the place you come from. If the place you’re going, you have got a transparent creativeness in your head, you’ll be able to obtain something on this life.’”

Topuria has had his close-ups, each contained in the Octagon and for the film cameras. Will his subsequent close-up for the digicam characteristic him holding the UFC Featherweight Championship for the second time?

Can Holloway Reclaim the Title?

Within the different nook, Max Holloway has posted a mark of 4-1 in his final 5 fights. At current, the previous champion has received three contests in a row.

Again on April 13, Holloway scored a fifth-round knockout with one second remaining on the clock versus Justin Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) throughout UFC 300 to assert the BMF Championship in a light-weight bout. The one nicknamed “Blessed” has fairly the championship pedigree.

He’s beforehand staked declare to the featherweight title, having defended it 4 instances from June of 2017 till July of 2019 after unifying it in opposition to Jose Aldo. Holloway presently sports activities a 5-2 document in divisional championship bouts throughout his time within the UFC, and a 6-2 document in title fights when factoring within the BMF contest this previous April.

This can be a man who’s been down this highway many instances earlier than. Will he drive to victory lane on Saturday night time within the UFC 308 essential occasion?

Evaluation, Movie Research, and Prediction

Stylistically, the UFC 308 essential occasion appears to be like to favor Ilia Topuria, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, in comparison with Max Holloway’s brown belt in BJJ.

Look For Topuria to Fluctuate His Strikes

Ilia Topuria is a well-rounded fighter, one thing that was on show through the second spherical of his battle vs. Alexander Volkanovski in February, the place he hit his opponent with combos, together with photographs to the physique earlier than Volkanovski retreated to the clinch. He timed his photographs fairly effectively, additionally, peppering Volkanovski with leg kicks to provide him a welt to his calf within the course of.

With about 90 seconds to go within the spherical, Topuria moved in on Volkanovski to unload with a barrage of photographs, punctuated by floor and pound, to finish the competition. If Ilia Topuria can preserve Max Holloway guessing within the UFC 308 essential occasion, he can knock the challenger off of his gameplan.

Holloway Can Finish This With One Blow

Within the different nook, Max Holloway has scored half of his wins by knockout. One want look no additional than his battle in August of final yr in opposition to Chan Sung Jung, the latter’s retirement bout.

Proper after the command to battle was given to start spherical three, “The Korean Zombie” unloaded on a barrage of photographs, however Max Holloway fired again with a nasty proper hook to knock Jung out and ship him into retirement. All Holloway must do is discover a residence for as little as one punch sq. and true.