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topicnews · October 24, 2024

UFC 308 tips, odds and predictions

UFC 308 tips, odds and predictions


This article is part of our UFC Picks series.

The UFC travels to Abu Dhabi, Dubai for UFC 308 on Saturday, October 26th. In the main event, the featherweight title is up for grabs as Ilia Topuria defends his belt for the first time against Max Holloway.

Below I share my UFC 308 predictions, including a betting favorite, underdog, prop and two-fighter contest. All UFC odds come from DraftKings Sportsbook and are accurate at the time of publishing this article.

Weight class: middleweight

Ismail Naurdiev (23-7) vs Bruno Silva (23-11)

Ismail Naurdiev is back in the UFC after going 2-2 in the welterweight promotion from 2019 to 2020, with his last fight being a decision loss to Sean Brady.

Naurdiev has had mixed results since leaving the UFC, but this is a good matchup against Bruno Silva, who is on a three-fight losing streak.

Naurdiev should be able to outdo Silva here. While he’s on his feet, he also has solid shot defense. Silva, meanwhile, is ready to get hit. Naurdiev should be able to use his fierce style to win a decision here.

UFC 308 bet: Ismail Naurdiev (-170)

Weight class: middleweight

Robert Whittaker (26-7) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (13-0)

As an underdog, I love Robert Whittaker as an underdog in a five-round co-main event against Khamzat Chimaev.

Whittaker is coming off a clean sweep over Ikram Aliskerov, while Chimaev hasn’t fought in a year as he battles illness again. One knock against Chimaev was his cardio training, and he will now be booked against Whittaker, who is known for his pace and cardio training.

The first or second round could be difficult for Whittaker. Until he’s done, I want him to keep the fight going and land the better punches. He will ultimately overtake Chimaev in the final three rounds and win a decision.

UFC 308 bet: Robert Whittaker (+200)

Weight class: Featherweight

Ilia Topuria (15-0) vs. Max Holloway (26-7)

To support myself, I’m taking part in the main event, but I won’t be picking a side in the Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway fight.

Instead, I pick up the fight and start round 4 at (-150). According to UFC Stats, Holloway has one of the best chins in the UFC, having never been officially dropped. He’s also not a particularly good finisher, so I expect it to be an impressive fight and for him to carry on into the later rounds, if not the distance.

We also saw Josh Emmett training Ilia Topuria for 25 minutes as he was able to get through his power shots and Topuria showed he has 25 minutes of cardio. I expect Topuria to win a decision here, but for me this is a close fight so I’ll play it safe and take the fight to start round 4.

UFC 308 bet: Ilia TopuriaMax Holloway to start round 4 (-150)

Weight classes: welterweight and lightweight

Rinat Fakhretdinov (23-2-1) vs. Carlos Leal (21-5)
Myktybek Orolbai(13-1-1) vs. Mateusz Rebecki (19-2)

For my entry at UFC 308, I’m taking Rinat Fakhretdinov and Myktybek Orolbai to raise their hands.

Fakhretdinov takes on UFC newcomer Carlos Leal, who accepted the fight on about a week’s notice. Fakhretdinov’s cardio was an issue, but I like him to be able to outwork Leal, keep him on the ground, and get a decision win. Fakhretdinov is averaging 4.43 takedowns per 15 minutes and he should rely heavily on his grappling to get the win.

At the end of the game I support Orolbai to beat Mateusz Rebecki. Rebecki suffered a disappointing defeat against Diego Ferreira as he gassed and was exhausted. Orolbai, meanwhile, is relentless and should be able to follow a similar game plan to Ferreira. He probably lands too late as Rebecki gets tired in the third round.

UFC 308 bet: Rinat Fakhretdinov & Myktybek Orolbai Parlay (-127)

The best UFC bets

Here’s a roundup of my top UFC picks for this weekend’s UFC 308 card.

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