by UFC 308 was Saturday Night, headlined by a title fight between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway. This was Topuria’s first title defense since receiving the belt by defeating Alexander Volkanovski in February. The co-main event was Robert Whittaker vs Khamzat Chimaev. Also on the card were Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan, Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige, and Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakić. UFC 308 was a high-stakes card that will undoubtedly lead to potential title fights for some of the fighters. Overall, 308 delivered an exciting night of fights showcasing veterans and rising stars.
Shara Magomedov Vs. Armen Petrosyan
The first fight on the main card in Abu Dhabi was a middleweight bout between Shara Magomedov and Armen Petrosyan. Magomedov is 4-0 in the UFC and Petrosyan 3-3 in the UFC. Petrosyan was landing good hits early in the first round, but Magomedov finished the first round strong. The fight was stopped multiple times in the second round because Petrosyan kicked Magomedov in the cup. Magomedov recovered and landed a double back fist to TKO Petrosyan. After his win, Magomedov called out the former UFC Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
Lerone Murphy vs Dan Ige
The featherweight bout between Lerone Murphy and Dan Ige went all three rounds. In the fight, Murphy was on an eight-fight win streak in the UFC and a 19-fight win streak overall. Ige was coming off a loss at an unexpected step in the fight against Diego Lopes at UFC 303. Ige started round one in control, but it evened out toward the middle of the round. H fired a counter punch after Murphy kicked him and knocked Murphy to the ground. He was able to get up as the round finished. The second round was more technical as both fighters were waiting for an opportunity to finish it. Late in the third round, Murphy took down Ige and landed a couple of sound hits, but Ige was able to get back to his feet. Murphy defeated Ige via unanimous decision, winning all three rounds 29-28. After the fight, Murphy called out Josh Emmett, who has not fought since 2023.
Magomed Ankalaev vs Aleksandar Rakić
The third fight of the main card was a light heavyweight bout between the 20-1-1 Magomed Ankalaev and the 14-5 Aleksandar Rakić. This was a big fight for Ankalaev, as a win would almost guarantee him a title shot in his next fight. Both fighters started the first round aggressively by exchanging kicks. Ankalaev put himself ahead by mixing up his punches to try to stun Rakić. In the closing moments of round two, Ankalaev hit Rakić with a hard straight left to the face. Ankalaev never took his foot off the gas to win the fight via unanimous, with all three rounds being scored 29-28. In the post-fight interview, Ankalaev called out the current light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira. I personally believe that this would be the smart decision for both fighters.
Robert Whittaker vs Khamzat Chimaev
The night’s co-main event was a middleweight bout between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev. Whittaker, the former champion with a record of 26-8, was looking to prove that he can still compete in the division. Chimaev, 14-0 in the UFC, came into the fight looking to leave with a win and a title shot. The five-round fight finished a lot faster than what many would have expected.
The first and only round started with Chimaev taking down the former champ within 15 seconds. Whittaker would never make it back to his feet. Only 3:43 into the round, Whittaker tapped out. Chimaev applied a face crank that may have dislocated Robert Whittaker’s jaw. In the post-fight interview, Chimaev stated that his next fight would be for the belt. Personally, I believe that Sean Strickland should get the next title shot against the current champion Dricus du Plessis. I think that after that fight, Chimaev should fight the winner.
Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway
The main event of the night was a featherweight title fight. The current champion, Ilia Topuria, who has a record of 16-0, took on the challenger, Max Holloway, who has a record of 26-8. The headline fight was Topuria’s first title defense after he knocked out Alexander Volkanovski in February. Holloway came into the fight holding the BMF belt that he won from knocking out Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. The crowd was in support of and chanted for Ilia Topuria.
The first round started with both fighters throwing multiple strikes to try to start something. Topuria knocked Holloway to the ground in the closing moments of round one but could not do anything. Holloway showed off his boxing skills in the second round, but Topuria landed a hook to rattle him. The third round started with a big right-handed hit from Topuria to stun Holloway. Topuria hit Holloway out with a left hook, becoming the first person to knock Max Holloway out. Ilia Topuria won via TKO to keep his featherweight title. Holloway falls to 0-4 in his last four title fights.
So, what’s next for Ilia Topuria? I think that a rematch with Alexander Volkanovski should be the next fight for Topuria. According to Dana White, he doesn’t plan on saying no to a Volkanovski fight. Beyond Volkanovski, I believe Diego Lopes is next in line for a featherweight title shot. Lopes defeated Brian Ortega and was the backup fighter for the Topuria and Holloway fight.
Conclusion
UFC 308 was not only entertaining, but it also set the stage for future title fights within multiple divisions. Ilia Topuria’s successful title defense marks a new era in the featherweight division, and Khamzat Chimaev demonstrated his power within the middleweight division. The card results showed that there are multiple new contenders and that the league veterans are slowly on their way out. With potential title fights in the near future, the outcomes of UFC 308 have intensified the stakes in each weight class.
