The stage is set for one of the most anticipated main and co-main event pairings in recent UFC pay-per-view history on Saturday as UFC 308 arrives in Abu Dhabi at Etihad Arena.
The long-awaited featherweight title matchup tops the bill pairing Ilia Topuria in his first title defense against former champion and division legend Max Holloway. In the co-headliner, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker tangles with upstart Khamzat Chimaev in a key matchup that could produce the next title challenger.
As we draw closer to this weekend's can't-miss event, let's take a closer look at the biggest storylines.
1. Is Ilia Topuria the next breakout star in global MMA?
It's a question that certainly gained a ton of steam following Topuria's convincing second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski in February at UFC 298 to win the 145-pound title. Topuria, however, has been idle for the last eight months, which somewhat slowed that same momentum. But, with a well-rounded game, crushing power and the fanbase of two countries (his native Georgia and his new home of Spain) behind him, Topuria has all of the ingredients to be the new face of the promotion. He's cocky, smart, speaks multiple languages and appears to have friendships with many top European soccer players. So, what happens next should Topuria do the same thing to Holloway that he did to Volkanovski, who owns three separate wins over the Hawaiian legend? We're likely talking fighter of the year honors, for sure, even with the trio of victories for Alex Pereira, a cemented spot in the top three of the pound-for-pound rankings and a bright future calling out everyone from Islam Makhachev to Conor McGregor, and everyone in between. UFC fans have been waiting a long while to find out who is ready to take McGregor's place as the next breakout star and Topuria might be one more spectacular performance from becoming just that.
2. How many reinventions does Max Holloway have left?
The former featherweight king, who twice knocked out a prime Jose Aldo, is technically still in the midst of one of his greatest career renaissances to date after moving up to lightweight and knocking out Justin Gaethje with one second left at UFC 300 in April. The reigning "BMF" champion will be the underdog once again as he cuts back down to 145 pounds to try and regain his featherweight crown against Topuria. And from a betting perspective, the oddsmakers have shown a ton of respect for the 32-year-old Holloway's chances in this fight, despite being the underdog against such a dangerous champion. But the problem with counting Holloway out in his fight against, possibly, the sport's next big thing is that we have had multiple reasons to do that to "Blessed" in recent years only for him to resurrect his game and focus at the right time. The biggest moment in question, of course, was his one-sided loss to Volkanovski in their trilogy fight in 2022, which saw Holloway bloody and bruised (with some calling for his retirement). What did Holloway do next? He rifled off a current three-fight win streak, which included a competitive decision over Arnold Allen and back-to-back knockouts, of the highlight-reel variety, against Chan-Sung Jung and Gaethje. If anyone can find a way to lean on his experience, guile, high-paced striking and sublime boxing skills inside the Octagon to pull off yet another big upset, it's Holloway. His chin has yet to crack despite a 33-fight career, which began at age 20, and his stingy takedown defense remains strong. Holloway has also not lost at featherweight to anyone not named Volkanovski since 2013 when he dropped a decision to Conor McGregor, years before becoming champion.
3. It's time for Khamzat Chimaev to truly make the leap into middleweight title contention
Ever since he arrived on the UFC scene mid-pandemic in 2020 and rifled off three dominant victories in the span of two months, fans have been waiting to see Chimaev booked in a title fight across two different divisions. The subsequent four years have been extremely up and down for Chimaev who, despite going 4-0 during that stretch, has battled countless injuries and illnesses through a string of canceled fights (not to mention that odd weight miss against Nate Diaz which cost him a PPV main event slot). Now campaigning full-time at middleweight, Chimaev is no longer a prospect on the rise, especially not after defeating former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman on late notice last October at 185 pounds. Chimaev welcomes the former champion Whittaker on Saturday in not only the toughest test to date for the No. 13-ranked UFC middleweight but a fight big enough where a win could very well catapult Chimaev into the next title shot following the eventual Dricus du Plessis-Sean Strickland title rematch. Chimaev's multiple scares with COVID and the fallout side effects have slowed his momentum, for sure. But now, at age 30, it's time for Chimaev to truly back up all of the hype which followed him to this point.
4. Will one more hurdle be enough for Magomed Ankalaev to finally land Alex Pereira?
It was a head-scratching decision by the UFC to match the 32-year-old Ankalaev, who was previously ranked No. 2 at light heavyweight, against Aleksandr Rakic, who is fresh off two stoppage defeats (only to announce Pereira's recent title shot against No. 8 Khalil Rountree Jr. immediately after). Ankalaev is still dealing with the negative PR he received from an unexciting vacant title shot against Jan Blachowicz in 2022 that ended in a disappointing draw while affixing Ankalaev with a somewhat untrue reputation as a boring fighter. In many ways, Anakalev represents the final boss at the end of the video game for Pereira's current (and impressive) title reign. Not only is Ankalaev a powerful finisher, his advantages on the ground could pose a major challenge for the champion. But he's going to need to convincingly defeat an always game Rakic first (and is currently a 4-to-1 betting favorite to do so).
5. Sharabutdin Magomedov is in great need of a convincing victory
Despite hailing from Dagestan, Russia, and looking the part of movie villain with his bright red hair and beard combo, "Shara Bullet" hasn't necessarily lived up to his billing as the next great foreign destroyer ready to take over the Octagon. First and foremost, Magomedov is anything but a dominant wrestler. Instead, the aggressive striker has produced just as many questions as answers about his current stock despite a trio of victories over the past year at 185 pounds. Magomedov certainly makes fun fights but a good deal of that is the damage he takes while inflicting his own. Magomedov, who has only fought for the UFC in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia, is once again receiving celebrity treatment as far as his placement on the card in the PPV opener against slight betting underdog Armen Petrosyan. This has all the makings to be an upset special just as much as it does for Magomedov to deliver the standout performance his short UFC run has needed so far.
