Tag: Max Holloway

Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway prediction, pick: How UFC 308 headliner could end inside the distance

Will Ilia Topuria be first to knock out Max Holloway, or will the UFC 308 title fight end the other way around?

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC 308 main event between featherweight champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] and former champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag].

Ilia Topuria UFC 308 preview

Staple info:

  • Record: 15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC
  • Height: 5’7″ Age: 27 Weight: 145 lbs. Reach: 69″
  • Last fight: Knockout win over Alexander Volkanovski (Feb. 17, 2024)
  • Camp: Climent Club (Spain)
  • Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
  • Risk management: Good

Supplemental info:
+ UFC featherweight champion
+ Regional MMA title
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ Grappling and wrestling base
+ 5 KO victories
+ 8 submission wins
+ 9 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Good footwork and cage-cutting
+ Superb boxing technique
^ Jabs, bodywork, shoulder rolls
+ Solid wrestling ability
^ Defensively and offensively
+ Excellent transitional grappling
^ Dangerous from front-headlock position

Max Holloway UFC 308 preview

  • Record: 26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC
  • Height: 5’11” Age: 32 Weight: 145 lbs. Reach: 69″
  • Last fight: Knockou win over Justin Gaethje (April 13, 2024)
  • Camp: Gracie Technics/Legacy Muay Thai (Hawaii)
  • Stance/striking style: Switch-stance/kickboxing
  • Risk management: Good

Supplemental info:
+ Former UFC featherweight champion
+ BMF belt holder
+ Regional MMA titles
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt
+ 12 KO victories
+ 2 submission wins
+ 3 first-round finishes
+ Building pace and pressure
+ Solid feints and footwork
+ Excellent shot selection
^ Variates well to the body
+ 84 percent takedown defense
+ Deceptively counters clinches
^ Strikes well off of the breaks
+ Underrated ground game
^ Slick submissions in transition

Ilia Topruia vs. Max Holloway point of interest: The best boxers in MMA

Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Max Holloway (blue gloves) fights Justin Gaethje (red gloves) during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The main event for UFC 308 features a featherweight title fight between two of the best boxers you will find in MMA today.

An aggressive fighter who came out of the gates as more of a bull than a matador, [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] is developing an elite striking game before our very eyes.

Typically looking to cut off the cage, Topuria will initially display a lot of the right ideas you’d like to see from forward-moving fighters. From small feints that accompany Topuria’s pressure to the tight distances he likes to keep on the feet, the Georgian fighter’s style ensures high temperatures in his fights.

Although Topuria isn’t the tallest or longest fighter in his division, he has a knack for punching with his opponents in order to meet them in the middle. The 27-year-old is also good about flowing into left hooks, particularly down low to the liver.

Against Josh Emmett, Topuria demonstrated the ability to focus his aggression for the better part of 25 minutes in what was a boxing masterclass opposite a devastating puncher.

Aside from solid footwork and a beautiful jab, Topuria quietly incorporated some slick shoulder rolls to protect his chin and take some power off of Emmett’s shots. This tactic and the spirit of Topuria’s movement, in general, also feed right into the Georgian’s patent pull counters (which come with a Conor McGregor-Esque swagger in tow).

Topuria also has some underrated calf kicks that will likely have some play in this fight, but making any sort of hay on [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] is usually easier said than done.

Displaying solid striking and footwork fundamentals since storming onto the UFC scene (as one of the promotion’s youngest signees, no less), Holloway, who was already improving from fight to fight, turned a big corner in his career after his encounter with Cub Swanson.

Since then, we have witnessed a technical evolution unfold from the Hawaiian, who embraces his creativity and range with a diverse arsenal of attacks. Whether Holloway is shifting his stance mid-combination or adjusting his timing on the fly, the former featherweight kingpin makes for a hard read on the feet.

When feeling in stride, the 32-year-old looks to pay off his previous bodywork by punctuating his presence with everything from spinning sidekicks to digging left hooks to the liver. Coupled with his ability to counter effectively from either stance, Holloway can hypothetically take a fight in many different directions.

That all said, it is the building nature of the champion’s game that makes him stand out from the rest of the UFC stable.

Embodying a fighter archetype that I like to refer to as “a builder,” Holloway will not only build on his output, but his understanding of the fight’s traffic will also increase as he intelligently takes tools from his opponent and incorporates them into his game.

Nevertheless, offensive volume – no matter how clever – comes with a price.

Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway breakdown: Potential grappling threats

Jun 24, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Josh Emmett (red gloves) fights Ilia Topuria (blue gloves) in a featherweight bout during UFC Fight Night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

Between the potential for chaos on the feet to Topuria’s on-paper advantages in the grappling department, no one should be shocked if this party touches the mat this weekend.

A dangerous submission grappler who grew up with jiu-jitsu, Topuria has proven to be a top-level black belt with his finishing prowess on the floor.
A demon from the front-headlock position, Topuria can seamlessly transition into his favored anaconda choke like it’s second nature. Topuria is also a solid wrestler and superb scrambler – an area where his athleticism particularly shines through in the way in which he floats positions.

Still, I’ll be curious to see how much Topuria respects the grappling of Holloway in this fight.

Holloway’s superb striking may hallmark a large part of his brand, but the Hawaiian has quietly made consistent improvements to his counter grappling, maintaining an impressive 84 percent takedown defense rate.

Even when having his takedown defense tested by some of the best wrestlers in the division, Holloway has been able to snuff out a large majority of the shots sent his way (even smoothly re-wrestling his way to ride positions of his own on occasion).

Not only does Holloway display the balance and defense to stuff takedowns, but he also shows an excellent awareness of how to conduct his hips and grips in close. Deceptively hand-fighting to counter clinches and grappling efforts, Holloway demonstrates a knack for striking off the breaks, something that could be worth watching for in this fight.

More importantly, whether Holloway is conducting himself from the clinch or inside the chaos of transition, he has always prioritized protecting his neck and head by either maintaining an upright posture in close or keeping his hands in the proper neighborhood to defend grasps.

Even back in his controversially scored loss to Dennis Bermudez, Holloway showed the defensive habits of defending chokes (that often weren’t coming his way) in transit, which tells me that this habit is deeply hardwired into his system. That said, Topuria will still be but one scramble or front choke away from potentially changing the complexion of this fight.

Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway odds

The oddsmakers and public are siding with the sitting champ, listing Topuria -250 and Holloway +190 via FanDuel.

Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway prediction, pick

As someone who has been high on Topuria since prior to his UFC debut, I can understand the excitement and high projections that come in tow with the current champion. From his technical savvy that appeals to hardcore fight fans and analysts alike to the undeniable swagger that makes him likable to the Gen Pop, Topuria looks to be the total package thus far in his young career.

That said, for as impressive as Topuria has looked, it’s hard to say just how much he’s proven given the overall length and range of his sample size, particularly in comparison to someone like Holloway. And despite everything from age to arguable cage craft being against Holloway, I still think that there is a lot to like about the underdog side of this equation from a stylistic perspective.

First off, I believe that a majority of the avenues that outline this matchup are potent two-way streets (which is why this fight is so rich from an analytical standpoint). Whether we’re talking about jab or calf kick openings, similar-themed criticisms can be lobbied at both parties. As far as the footwork battle is concerned, I suspect that the dynamic could be much more complicated than many expect.

The basic thought is that Topuria’s high-temperature, cage-cutting approach will be able to reliably funnel Holloway into the sitting champion’s win conditions – with some even suggesting that we might see the first knockout loss in Holloway’s career.

Although such a scenario is sadly on the table in this game, I believe that Holloway’s lateral movement and circling sensibilities have some play in this fight. Holloway may not utilize the same footwork fundamentals as Jose Aldo or may not be as flashy as T.J. Dillashaw when it comes to his pivots or shifts, but the Hawaiian has consistently shown solid ring awareness throughout his career.

Even in this latter stage of Holloway’s striking evolution that sees him sitting down harder on his punches and kicks alike (something I was saying in breakdowns before picking him in his last fight), the 32-year-old still shows good reactions in the heat of the fire and is prompt about getting back on the clock in regards to circling back to the center and resetting.

That said, Holloway will undeniably be playing with fire if he outfights around the inner-black octagon lines against some like Topuria, who – akin to Robbie Lawler – comes to life whenever anyone enters his preferred kill zone.

Whether Holloway’s getting his kicks countered or is being heavily pressured, he can be pushed back to the fence to his detriment. Topuria knows this, so both he and his backers seem to believe that it’s basically hook, line and sinker this Saturday.

But as I pointed out before UFC 300, Holloway’s kicks and counters off the backfoot have been extra potent since his last loss to Alexander Volkanovski.

When going back to look at Holloway’s recent fights since said loss, you can see that – for whatever success his opponent had pushing him backward – the former champ was able to answer right back with even more impactful blows (continuing his career-long theme of looking better the more aggressive his opposition gets).

Whether Holloway is unleashing counter hooks (from either side) or is intercepting opponents with stupidly accurate spinning assaults, the Waianae native has proven to have many answers for pressure up his proverbial sleeve. Holloway has even gotten better at using everything from double-hand traps to crafty clinch frames and tactics to help further stymie the pressure coming his way.

And though Holloway has one of the best chins in the history of this sport, the 14-year pro continues to demonstrate stellar defensive adjustments on the fly (as seen below in the way in which he’s immediately able to slip and circle off the very same attacks that previously cleaned his clock just moments prior).

Whereas Topuria, even in an impressive victory over Josh Emmett, proved to be more defensively susceptible as the fight went deeper. More specifically, Topuria demonstrated specific openings that could be problematic against someone like Holloway and his shot selection.

As stated in my prior breakdowns of Topuria, left-sided strikes (landing on Topuria’s right side) are the champion’s common culprit by a clear margin. And aside from Holloway quietly hurting a lot of his foes with his lead hand, I believe that the Hawaiian also has the southpaw card up his sleeve if he wants to play it.

Although Holloway never stays in one stance the whole time, I can’t imagine there would be a fight where fighting southpaw makes more sense than this one.

Not only does the open stance dynamic take away the jabs and calf kick from Topuria (who you’ll be hard-pressed to find a lot of samples of meaningful jabs thrown, much less landed, by Topuria in open stance looks), but the Spaniard’s style doesn’t seem to vibe well when opposite of this stance given how he tends to revert to selling out from his power side.

Whereas Holloway, no matter the dynamic at hand, is a consistent jabber and bodywork from both stances.

Everything from Holloway’s uppercuts to his spinning side kicks will be live from his orthodox stance due to Topuria’s dipping propensities, but I genuinely believe that Holloway will find success with head kicks and crosses if he meaningfully commits some stretches to southpaw in this fight.

Add in Holloways ridiculous durability and the fact that he’s the more proven and effective fighter over five rounds, and I’ll happily take a flier on “Blessed” to survive the early scares in order to pull away down the stretch for a stoppage win in Round 4.

Prediction: Holloway inside the distance

Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway start time, where to watch

As the main event, Topuria and Holloway are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 4:45 p.m. ET. The fight streams live on ESPN+ pay-per-view.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev prediction, pick: Will ex-champ hand rising star first loss?

Can former champ Robert Whittaker stay in the hunt and take out undefeated middleweight threat Khamzat Chimaev on his home turf?

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC 308 co-main event between Khamzat Chimaev and former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker.

Khamzat Chimaev UFC 308 preview

Staple info:

  • Record: 13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC
  • Height: 6’2″ Age: 30 Weight: 185 lbs. Reach: 75″
  • Last fight: Decision win over Kamaru Usman (Oct. 21, 2023)
  • Camp: ADMA Academy (Abu Dhabi)
  • Stance/striking style: Switch-stance/kickboxing
  • Risk management: Fair

Supplemental info:
+ National champion in freestyle wrestling (SE)
^ Won multiple years and weight divisions
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt
+ Amateur MMA accolades
+ 7 KO victories
+ 5 submission victories
+ 8 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Steadily improving striking and footwork
^ Solid jab from both stances
+ Favors front kicks from open stance
+ Superb wrestling ability
^ Offensively and defensively
+ Excellent transitional grappling
^ Good positional awareness and punishing process

Robert Whittaker UFC 308 preview

  • Record: 27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC
  • Height: 6’0″ Age: 33 Weight: 185 lbs. Reach: 73.5″
  • Last fight: Knockout win over Ikram Aliskerov (June 22, 2024)
  • Camp: Gracie Jiu-jitsu Smeaton Grange (Australia)
  • Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
  • Risk management: Good

Supplemental info:
+ Former UFC middleweight champion
+ Hapkido and karate black belt
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ Australian National Wrestling Championships gold medal
+ 11 knockout victories
+ 5 submission wins
+ 7 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Consistent pace and pressure
+ Good footwork and distance management
^ Quick blitzes and deceptive tempo changes
+ Accurate jabs and hooks
^ Coming forward or off the counter
+ Excellent wrestling ability
^ Defensively and offensively
+ Improved overall grappling

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker point of interest: Straight shooters

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev

The co-main event for UFC 308 features an important matchup between two top-ranked middleweights who are no strangers to operating off of linear offense.

Despite coming from a wrestling base, [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] appears to be comfortable striking from both stances.

The Chechen fighter can fire off snappy jabs from either side, which, in turn, help him follow up with power shots.

Unless his opponent carries a decent grappling pedigree, Chimaev usually wastes little time extending striking exchanges before looking to change his level and wrestle. However, in recent outings, we’ve seen Chimaev play a bit more with open-stance looks on the feet.

Whether he’s throwing his favored front kick or looking to line up a wicked right hand, Chimaev seems to be gaining a taste for open-stance affairs. That said, Chimaev’s skills don’t exactly shine through in the defensive department, so the 30-year-old will need to make sure he’s respecting what’s coming back at him this Saturday.

Enter [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag].

Coming from a traditional martial arts base, Whittaker has developed into one of the most unique striking stylists at 185 pounds.

Using a combination of speed, accuracy and a fluid economy of movement, the Australian will deceptively blitz off different angles. Like many karate-based strikers, Whittaker will feint or show a certain speed to draw his opponent into a false sense of security, only to disrupt the perceived timing with off-beat strikes.

https://twitter.com/DanTomMMA/status/1382169527027261440

As we’ve seen in multiple fights, Whittaker often will assert himself through rear-legged front kicks that he uses to launch himself into variations of left hooks and shifting overhand shots. The former champ also has no issue when it comes to sticking to his fundamentals, building offense off of deceptive jabs and feints.

https://twitter.com/DanTomMMA/status/1397627348489424896

That said, Whittaker is not beyond being taxed for his sometimes low-handed approach and will need to be on his best behavior – particularly early.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker breakdown: Winning the wrestling

Russia’s Khamzat Chimaev (black) and Nigeria’s Kamaru Usman (white) compete in their Middleweight bout during the Ultimate Fighting Championship 294 (UFC) event at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 21, 2023. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

Considering the arguable crux of Chimaev’s game, winning the wrestling will remain paramount for both parties.

Wrestling since the age of five, Chimaev has seemingly adapted to the grappling arts like second nature. From a lightning-fast shot to incredible wherewithal within the clinch, Chimaev seems to have it all from a wrestling perspective.

The 30-year-old displays a lot of the freestyle (and even Greco) looks that you would associate with his part of the world, yet also demonstrates a lot of the positional rides that traditionally come easier to American folkstyle wrestlers. And when Chimaev took the back of Li Jingliang at UFC 267, the Chechen fighter showed off some very competent jiu-jitsu to close to show via rear-naked choke.

From early in his regional career to his more recent battle with Gilbert Burns, Chimaev has shown solid submission and wrestling defense in multiple scenarios. Whether someone is looking for Chimaev’s legs or attempting to re-guard, the product from the Allstars Training Center typically gives his opposition very little to work with – all while staying busy with offense of his own.

That said, Whittaker has proven to be much more difficult to control than many presumed he would when initially moving up to 185 pounds.

Aside from the fact that Whittaker’s footwork makes it difficult for his opponents to set up their shots, the Australian also shows the small technical intricacies that make him hard to ground or hold down when grasped.

For example, while most fighters are reliant on more traditional defenses such as sprawls or battles for under-hooks, they typically end up losing out to superior grapplers since these defensive tactics involve a commitment to contact (which in turn begets more grappling).

Whereas Whittaker, though capable of using those defenses, does not rely on them. Instead, “The Reaper” prefers to head off takedown attempts at the pass.

Already possessing a strong base and balance, Whittaker’s hip and grip awareness also have improved through the years.

Not only does Whittaker utilize grip breaks and wrist controls, but the 33-year-old is also disciplined about consistently circling out to his opponent’s weak side, which helps dissuade re-shots and takedown chain adjustments from his foes. Even Romero had difficulty grasping or chaining off his initial attempts due to Whittaker’s persistence to fight hands.

What is even more impressive is Whittaker’s ability to go from thwarting takedown attempts to striking off the breaks (which will also likely keep Chimaev honest in exchanges with him).

Still, if Whittaker does find himself on the bottom in this fight, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt will need to be extra careful with his propensity to look for underhook getups given Chimaev’s front-choke acumen.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker odds

Robert Whittaker def. Ikram Aliskerov, UFC on ABC 6 (via UFC)

The oddsmakers and the public are siding with the Chechen fighter, listing Chimaev -250 and Whittaker +198 via FanDuel.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker prediction, pick

Between the bookmakers loving undefeated fighters to the promotional hype that’s been put on Chimaev, seeing him installed as a moderate favorite doesn’t shock me in the slightest.

Speculation about his health aside, Chimaev is absolute hell on wheels for the first 5-7 minutes of a fight.

However, after that point, the prospect-turned-contender starts to look incredibly human. And as Arnold Schwarzenegger said in the film PREDATOR, “If it bleeds, we can kill it.”

Chimaev may not have been healthy for his last outing opposite Kamaru Usman, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’ve yet to see Chimaev convincingly win a third frame, much less a fourth or fifth.

Whereas Whittaker, who is very familiar with five-round affairs, traditionally does well over 25 minutes due to his consistent output and ability to adjust.

Add in the fact that Whittaker usually excels against grapple-first fighters, and I can’t help but side with the more proven product at plus money.

I’ll officially pick Whittaker to survive the early storms en route to a stoppage via strikes that come late into Round 3.

Prediction: Whittaker inside the distance

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker start time, where to watch

As the co-main event, Chimaev and Whittaker are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 3:45 p.m. ET. The fight streams live on ESPN+ pay-per-view.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Video: UFC 308 cold open features Max Holloway’s surge toward Ilia Topuria

The UFC returns to Abu Dhabi on Saturday with a superstar atop the lineup in an attempt to recapture a title that used belong to him.

The UFC returns to Abu Dhabi on Saturday with a superstar atop the lineup in an attempt to recapture a title that used belong to him.

The UFC has released the UFC 308 cold open video. The card features a featherweight title fight between champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and former champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC).

The video is narrated by actor and regular UFC voice-over narrator Ron Perlman and has a backdrop soundtrack of “Unleash The Power” by Hidden Citizens, featuring Rayelle and Sam Tinnesz. That song recently was featured in Netflix’s series “Blue Eye Samurai.”

The cold open also looks at the co-main event middleweight title eliminator between the unbeaten [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and former champ [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC).

Check out the UFC 308 cold open video above.

UFC 308 (pay-per-view, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 2 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway – for featherweight title
  • Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic
  • Dan Ige vs. Lerone Murphy
  • Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 10 a.m. ET)

  • Rafael dos Anjos vs. Geoff Neal
  • Myktybek Orolbai vs. Mateusz Rebecki
  • Brunno Ferreira vs. Abus Magomedov
  • Chris Barnett vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
  • Farid Basharat vs. Victor Hugo
  • Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Carlos Leal
  • Ibo Aslan vs. Rafael Cerqueira
  • Ismail Naurdiev vs. Bruno Silva

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

UFC 308 ‘Embedded,’ No. 5: Max Holloway examines history of Ilia Topuria rivalry with broadcast team

Max Holloway sits down with the UFC 308 broadcast team to talk Ilia Topuria – and brings receipts to his case for himself.

The UFC is back in Abu Dhabi for UFC 308, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 308 (pay-per-view, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.

In the headliner, featherweight champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) puts his title on the line for the first time when he takes on former champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC). In the co-feature, [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) meets former champ [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC) to determine the next top contender at middleweight.

The fifth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Max Holloway and Robert Whittaker sit down with the UFC 308 commentating team; Champion Ilia Topuria starts his weight cut; Fans gather to see the stars of UFC 308 at the official press conference.

Previous UFC 308 ‘Embedded’ episodes:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

UFC 308 video: Max Holloway nods through Ilia Topuria’s chatter in final title fight faceoff

The final faceoff between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway before Saturday’s UFC 308 title fight will give you goosebumps.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] and [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] won’t have to wait much longer to settle their differences following their final faceoff at Friday’s UFC 308 ceremonial weigh-ins.

After making weight earlier in the day, Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) got a last look at each other in front of the fans, media and the world watching ahead of Saturday’s highly anticipated featherweight championship contest at Etihad Arena on Yas Island (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN+).

Topuria talked nonstop while Holloway merely nodded. It appeared Topuria said, in part: “I’m the best in the world. … I’m the best in the world. … I work my ass off. … I’ve got something for you. … Let’s go, boy. … I’m going to be the first one to knock you out – trust me.”

Topuria claimed the 145-pound belt in February when he scored a stunning knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. He has endlessly claimed he will run through “Blessed” with an early knockout, but Holloway clearly thinks otherwise. The Hawaiian looks to regain the belt he lost in December 2019 following the momentum of his unforgettable knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in April.

There is a tremendous amount at stake between the two athletes, and the intensity of the moment was clear from Topuria and Holloway during the final staredown, which can be seen in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

UFC 308 weigh-ins: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway title fight official after both hit marks

Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway have made weight for UFC 308, locking in one of the most anticipated title fights of the year.

ABU DHABI – One of the most anticipated title fights of the year is now official after [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] and [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] made weight for the UFC 308 headliner.

Reigning featherweight titleholder Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and former champion Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) had no issues on the scale on Friday at the UFC host hotel, locking in Saturday’s main event at Etihad Arena on Yas Island (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN+).

Topuria registered at 145 pounds during his weigh-in, while Holloway was also 145 pounds.

Check out the video above to see Topuria and Holloway make weight for their UFC 308 title fight.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

UFC 308 ‘Embedded,’ No. 4: ‘You all know what el matador does with the bull’

Ilia Topuria’s confidence is sky high ahead of UFC 308, but will it come crashing down when he faces Max Holloway?

The UFC is back in Abu Dhabi for UFC 308, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 308 (pay-per-view, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.

In the headliner, featherweight champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) puts his title on the line for the first time when he takes on former champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC). In the co-feature, [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) meets former champ [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC) to determine the next top contender at middleweight.

The fourth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Dan Ige gets a call from his son; Max Holloway has a training session in the hotel; UFC 308 athletes make their Media Day rounds; Robert Whittaker, Khamzat Chimaev; Max Holloway, and champion Ilia Topuria attend open workouts for UFC 308.

Previous UFC 308 ‘Embedded’ episodes

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

UFC 308 video: Max Holloway teaches Ilia Topuria about etiquette after being interrupted

Max Holloway didn’t appreciate how Ilia Topuria conducted himself, so he let him know about it.

ABU DHABI – Typically during UFC fight week press conferences, opponents like to shout and talk over each other. Such was the case Thursday during the UFC 308 pre-fight press conference, but [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] didn’t allow featherweight champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag]’s actions to go unchecked.

A hot topic heading into their title fight is whether or not one of them will point to the center of the cage to invite an exchange of haymakers. When a reporter asked Holloway about this, Topuria interrupted right away and started talking trash.

That prompted a back-and-forth between Topuria and Holloway, who remained cool and collected as he repeated “let me talk” while Topuria talked over him. When the reporter followed up by asking Topuria a question, Holloway sat there in silence – until Topuria finished.

“See what I did there?” Holloway said. “I let you answer like an adult. That’s what you do in these things.”

You can watch the exchange in the video above.

The time for talking between Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) will come to an end in just two days when they headline UFC 308 (ESPN+ pay-per-view) on Saturday at Etihad Arena.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

UFC 308 full press conference faceoffs video: Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev, more

The entire UFC 308 main card, including Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev, faced off at the pre-fight press conference in Abu Dhabi.

ABU DHABI – The stars of UFC 308 main card athletes came face to face for the first time during fight week following Thursday’s pre-fight press conference.

With fight week festivities rolling on, the athletes for the card took the stage to answers questions from the media, then engaged in staredowns ahead of Saturday’s event, which takes place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN+).

In addition to the [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] featherweight championship main event, the anticipated five-round middleweight co-headliner of [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag], as well as main card bouts of [autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag], [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] and [autotag]Shara Magomedov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Armen Petrosyan[/autotag] also were in attendance and participated in faceoffs.

Watch the video above to see the full pre-fight press conference faceoffs ahead of UFC 308.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

UFC 308 faceoff video: Ilia Topuria does all the talking with Max Holloway at press conference

Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway brought some intense energy to their faceoff at the UFC 308 pre-fight press conference.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] and [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] brought some intense energy to their faceoff at the UFC 308 pre-fight press conference.

After exchanging words in front of fans and media at Etihad Arena, which also hosts Saturday’s event (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN+), reigning featherweight champion Topuria and BMF titleholder Holloway got a chance to square up.

The tension between Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) has grown as fight night approaches. During their first faceoff, Holloway simply stared while Topuria appeared to be the one doing all the talking.

Check out the video above to see Topuria and Holloway have their first official UFC 308 fight week faceoff.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.