Feb 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Ilia Topuria celebrates his championship victory towards Alexander Volkanovski throughout UFC 298 at Honda Middle. Necessary Credit score: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Photos UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria returns to the Octagon for the second time this yr, reverse Max Holloway, the previous champion and present ‘BMF’ champion, in the primary occasion of UFC 308 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
Topuria (15-0 MMA) has shortly entered the UFC scene, successful all seven fights since making his promotional debut in 2020. He received the belt in February towards then-champion Alexander Volkanovski (26-4 MMA), changing into the primary Georgian UFC champion. He’s now joined by newly minted UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA), who can be from the area.
“It is gonna be precisely the identical,” Topuria stated. “I am gonna take his lights out within the first spherical. I took (Volkanovski’s) lights out within the second spherical; however, on this case, it is gonna be a bit of bit completely different. I am gonna do it within the first spherical.”
Holloway (26-7 MMA) earned the title shot after upsetting former interim light-weight champion Justin Gaethje (25-5 MMA) at UFC 300 in April with a fifth-round KO. It was his third straight win since dropping to Volkanovski in July 2022 at UFC 276. It was the pair’s third struggle in 31 months. Earlier than his fights with Volkanovski, Holloway had held the featherweight title since June 2017, efficiently defending the belt 4 instances.
Holloway, 32, stated he’s enthusiastic about probably changing into the primary man to beat Topuria whereas regaining his belt. Holloway has fought for the promotion since 2012, competing towards a number of the sport’s finest, together with Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Anthony Pettis.
“I would not be right here if I did not (suppose I may win), brother,” Holloway stated. “We get to seek out out come Saturday evening, my man. Tune in.”
The co-main occasion is a five-round non-title eliminator between former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (27-7 MMA) and Khamzat Chimaev (13-0 MMA). Whittaker is contemporary off a first-round KO victory towards Ikram Aliskerov (15-2 MMA) in June, a part of a 3-1 stretch in his previous 4 fights.
In the meantime, Chimaev returns to the Octagon for the primary time since final October, when he defeated former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (20-4 MMA) by determination. Usman reportedly accepted the struggle after Chimaev’s authentic opponent, Paulo Costa, withdrew resulting from an elbow an infection.
UFC 308 options 13 fights, starting at 10 a.m. ET for the prelims on ESPN+ and ESPN Information and persevering with with the primary card at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
Under is the primary card bout order:
–Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway, featherweight — Topuria’s UFC featherweight title
–Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev, middleweight (5 rounds)
–Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic, gentle heavyweight
–Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige, featherweight
–Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan, middleweight
–Discipline Stage Media