*Ilia Topuria blasts Josh Emmett with a brutal right hand. Credit: Sports Illustrated.*

The UFC returns to Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, to host another outstanding pay-per-view card. The entire card is filled with numerous exceptional matchups and exciting scrappers, all looking to climb the ladder of their respective divisions. In the co-main event, we finally get the long-awaited matchup between perennial title contender Robert Whittaker and the seemingly unstoppable Khamzat Chimaev. In the main event, we’ll witness the newly crowned Featherweight king Ilia Topuria look to defend his gold against all-time great and former champion Max Holloway. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyana

*Shara Magomedov lands a wild spinning kick on Antonio Trocoli. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Middleweight Bout

Shara Magomedov: 14-0-0, 11 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Armen Petrosyan: 9-3-0, 6 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Magomedov is undefeated and has UFC victories over Bruno Silva (23-11-0), Antonio Trocoli (12-4-0), and Michal Oleksiejczuk (19-9-0). He’s a devastating, diverse striker with a fantastic arsenal of kicks. He’s constantly moving and switching stances, never remaining in one spot for long. Magomedov is excellent at range, peppering his opponent with lead leg attacks before blitzing in to throw bombs. Training at GOR MMA, he rarely initiates grappling exchanges, often accepting position on his back and throwing strikes. He regularly looks to land spinning attacks, particularly elbows and backfists. Magomedov has scored three finishes in less than a minute and always comes out guns blazing.

*Armen Petrosyan stuns AJ Dobson with a cracking right hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Petrosyan has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Gregory Rodrigues (16-5-0), AJ Dobson (7-3-0), and Christian Leroy Duncan (10-2-0). A former professional kickboxer, he held a record of 70-22-1 with 27 wins by knockout. He’s an excellent technical striker who possesses both speed and power. Training at Academy MMA, Petrosyan has great timing and accuracy with his strikes, often able to land shots and slip out of the pocket without taking damage. He does a great job mixing kicks into his combinations, attacks the head and body evenly, and provides opponents with a steady dose of leg kicks. He’s not likely to initiate grappling exchanges but has shown a solid ability to get off his back and return to his feet, where he’s most comfortable. Petrosyan pushes a heavy pace throughout the fight and has outlanded all his UFC opponents.

#12 Lerone Murphy vs. #14 Dan Ige

*Lerone Murphy fires off a head kick at Edson Barboza. Credit: Unanimo Deportes.*

Featherweight Bout

Lerone Murphy: 14-0-1, 7 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Dan Ige: 18-8-0, 6 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Murphy is undefeated and has UFC victories over #15 ranked Featherweight Edson Barboza (24-12-0), Douglas Silva de Andrade (29-6-0), and Gabriel Santos (11-2-0). He’s a well-rounded scrapper with solid power in his hands. He’s in perpetual motion, regularly feinting and staying at range before blitzing in with looping hooks and overhands. Murphy is patient on the feet, constantly looking for openings before firing combinations with no tell or load-up. He is averaging over one takedown landed and nearly one submission attempted per fifteen minutes. Training at Manchester Top Team, he’s strong in the clinch, never accepts position on the mat, and has excellent scrambles. Murphy’s striking sets up his grappling and vice versa, and he’s never predictable inside the cage.

*Dan Ige cracks Diego Lopes with a left hook. Credit: Fighters Only.*

Ige has won three of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #15 ranked Featherweight Edson Barboza (24-12-0), Andre Fili (24-11-0), and Damon Jackson (23-7-1). He is a brawler with serious power inside the pocket and excellent technical boxing. He has great footwork and constantly varies his attacks, going to the head and body evenly. While Ige primarily uses his hands to land damage, he also possesses powerful kicks, often throwing them naked or at the end of combinations. He throws every shot with power and deadly intent and has one-shot knockout ability. Although more known for his striking, he has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has landed at least one takedown in seven of his ten victories in the UFC. Ige has also shown great defensive grappling and is always active on the ground, never staying in one spot for long.

#1 Magomed Ankalaev vs. #5 Aleksandar Rakić

*Magomed Ankalaev brutally drops Johnny Walker with a punch. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Light Heavyweight Bout

Magomed Ankalaev: 19-1-1, 11 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Aleksandar Rakić: 14-4-0, 9 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Ankalaev has won three of his last five outings with a draw and a No Contest and holds victories over #6 ranked Light Heavyweight Nikita Krylov (30-9-0), #8 ranked Light Heavyweight Volkan Oezdemir (20-7-0), and #9 ranked Light Heavyweight Johnny Walker (21-9-0). He holds the rank of Master of Sport in Combat Sambo and is a highly experienced grappler. Despite this, he only averages about one takedown landed per fifteen minutes and is comfortable in a striking battle. Ankalaev is very patient, typically throwing single shots with few combinations, but he makes up for his lack of volume with massive power. He constantly presses forward and throws every shot with purpose, with his pace increasing as the fight continues. Training at Gorets, he does an excellent job of holding the center and often looks to counterstrike. When Ankalaev takes the fight to the mat, he has smothering pressure in top position and will constantly look to posture up and land brutal ground and pound.

*Aleksandar Rakić attempts an impressive flying knee on Anthony Smith. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Rakić has won two of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #12 ranked Light Heavyweight Anthony Smith (38-20-0), Devin Clark (14-9-0), and Thiago Santos (22-13-0). He’s a powerful, technical striker with excellent distance management and footwork. He’s constantly looking to draw a reaction out of his opponent and land counterattacks. Rakić favors power to volume, regularly throwing single shots and naked kicks from range. Training at American Top Team, he remains technical throughout, never telegraphing shots or getting sloppy. He’ll often lunge forward and throw long, heavy, straight shots before returning to distance and throwing kicks. Rakić has seven first-round knockouts and can produce a flash finish anytime.

#3 Robert Whittaker vs. #13 Khamzat Chimaev

*Robert Whittaker lands a powerful right hand on Kelvin Gastelum. Credit: CGTN.*

Middleweight Bout

Robert Whittaker: 27-7-0, 11 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Khamzat Chimaev: 13-0-0, 6 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Whittaker has won three of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #6 ranked Middleweight Marvin Vettori (19-7-1), #7 ranked Middleweight Jared Cannonier (17-8-0), and #10 ranked Middleweight Paulo Costa (14-4-0). He is an excellent, technical striker in perpetual motion, constantly bouncing and throwing everything in combination. Utilizing his karate background, he has fantastic lead leg attacks and throws all his shots tight and straight. Training at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu SG, Whittaker varies his shots well, attacking the head and body evenly and never overextending or getting sloppy. He’s elusive, never staying in one spot for long, and always keeps his head off the centerline. He does an excellent job mixing kicks into combinations, making them extremely hard to predict or see before they land. Whittaker has great cardio and remains composed throughout, easily able to push a heavy pace for 25 minutes.

*Khamzat Chimaev looks to take the back of Kevin Holland. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Chimaev is undefeated and has UFC victories over #2 ranked Welterweight Kamaru Usman (20-4-0), #8 ranked Welterweight Gilbert Burns (22-8-0), and Kevin Holland (26-12-0). He is a prolific finisher, having only absorbed a single strike in his UFC career prior to his meeting with Gilbert Burns. He has one-punch knockout power, is willing to eat a shot to land one, and is exceptionally well-rounded. Training at Allstars Training Center, Chimaev is a powerful wrestler, using devastating ground and pound and heavy top pressure to punish his opponent on the mat. He’s a lengthy fighter and makes excellent use of it, often landing power shots at range and using his striking to set up his wrestling attack. He’s never been taken down in the UFC and averages nearly four takedowns landed per fifteen minutes, almost always dictating where the fight occurs. Eight of Chimaev’s eleven finishes have come in the first round, but he’s also shown solid cardio, making him always dangerous.

(C) Ilia Topuria vs. #2 Max Holloway

*Ilia Topuria puts Alexander Volkanovski out with a flurry of punches. Credit: The Independent.*

Featherweight Title Bout

Ilia Topuria: 15-0-0, 5 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

Max Holloway: 26-7-0, 12 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Topuria is undefeated with UFC victories over #1 ranked Featherweight Alexander Volkanovski (26-4-0), #8 ranked Featherweight Josh Emmett (19-4-0), and #13 ranked Featherweight Bryce Mitchell (16-3-0). He uses a boxing style on the feet, staying composed and fighting behind his jab while evenly mixing up his attacks between the head and body. He has big-time power in both hands and can produce flash knockouts anytime. Training at Climent Club, Topuria is an excellent grappler, holding a black belt in BJJ and landing, on average, nearly two takedowns per fifteen minutes. He has fantastic wrestling, regularly using double-leg takedowns to bring his opponent to the mat before looking to advance position or land ground and pound. He does a great job of staying aware of any submission attempts thrown his way while often pursuing submissions of his own, typically chokes. No matter where the fight goes, Topuria will relentlessly pursue a finish by any means necessary.

*Max Holloway calls for Justin Gaethje to meet him in the midde. Credit: The Ringer.*

Holloway has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #3 ranked Lightweight Justin Gaethje (25-5-0), #4 ranked Featherweight Yair Rodríguez (16-5-0), and #6 ranked Featherweight Brian Ortega (16-4-0). One of the most respected fighters in the sport, he’s a fantastic striker capable of astronomical volume. He pushes a heavy pace and remains technical throughout, fighting behind his jab and never wasting energy. Holloway has excellent distance management and footwork, remaining in perpetual motion and landing damage without receiving much in return. Training at Gracie Technics, he has a solid submission game and has defended 84% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC, but he rarely goes to the ground. He’ll constantly look to counterstrike, slipping his opponent’s attacks before landing his own. Holloway has a granite chin and has never been knocked down in the UFC, always coming forward and engaging the fight wherever it goes.

Best Bets

Murphy vs. Ige to Go the Distance: Although the entire main card is excellent, this matchup has not received the attention it deserves. Both men have proven their ability to put on bangers, especially recently, and both are coming off of highly entertaining fights. On top of their abilities to produce great fights, they’ve proven highly durable; Murphy is undefeated, and Ige has never been finished. They’re both very well-rounded, and this fight could end practically anywhere, but considering the toughness and technicality of these fighters, I expect it to go all three rounds.

Robert Whittaker Moneyline: I will be entirely honest: I am not a fan of Chimaev whatsoever, thanks to his ridiculous antics and constant need to pull out of fights. Beyond my dislike for him, though, I genuinely believe Whittaker has the tools to defeat him. While he’s well known for his excellent striking and punching power, his grappling is often underrated. Across 22 UFC fights, Whittaker has defended 82% of takedowns attempted on him and has beaten prolific grapplers such as Jacare Souza, Yoel Romero, and Derek Brunson. He has also now had two full training camps specifically for Chimaev due to the previous cancellation of this matchup, so I’m sure he’s been wrestling non-stop. Whittaker is the more technical striker of the two, and if he can survive the early onslaught and keep the fight standing, he has a distinct advantage on the feet. Whether through his grappling or his striking, I believe Whittaker will be the first man in MMA to defeat Chimaev.

Topuria vs. Holloway to Go the Distance: After much thought, I cannot pick a winner in this fight. I love both fighters and believe they are truly the best in the world at 145 pounds. Both have distinct advantages in this matchup, and both have looked unbeatable as of late. While these fighters don’t have much in common, one thing they share is exceptional durability. While Holloway’s chin practically has its own UFC legacy, Topuria has also shown an incredible ability to eat shots and recover, particularly in his fight with Jai Herbert. Holloway hasn’t been finished since his UFC debut in 2012, and Topuria is undefeated. Not many things about this matchup are predictable, but I’m confident this fight goes all five rounds.

UFC 308 Preview