Max Holloway takes on Ilia Topuria at UFC 308 with DraftKings bonus

Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway

Ilia Topuria’s recent win over Alexander Volkanovski opened the door for Max Holloway to get back into the featherweight title conversation. Topuria is an undefeated force in the UFC. With an abundance of knockout power and skilled submissions, he increased his record to 15-0He proves to be a dangerous opponent for anyone who stands in his way. After an impressive string of fights, including a career-defining win over Justin Gaethje and a knockout over Chan Sung Jung, Holloway appears to be one of the most feared featherweights in the UFC.

While Holloway statistically has a much higher rate of significant strikes per minute than Topuria (7.17 to 4.4), Topuria has a power advantage. Holloway’s endurance is legendary as he has never been stopped by strikes, and his takedown defense is elite at 84%, meaning Topuria may have difficulty finishing him with strikes or submissions. The fight will likely be a five-round slugfest, with Holloway’s ability to wear down his opponents competing with Topuria’s knockout potential.

Prediction: Holloway by decision

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev

There are some concerns about Chimaev given his recent history of inactivity and possible long-term COVID health issues. In the last two years he has only competed twice, most recently with a loss Kamaru Usman. While there is still great belief in his dominance, Chimaev’s inactivity raises questions about whether he has already reached his sporting peak, especially considering he has only just turned 30.

The key to this fight against Robert Whittaker will be Chimaev can consistently secure takedowns. His accuracy is decent at 46%, but Whittaker’s takedown defense at 83% could make life difficult for Chimaev to take control of the fight on the ground. Whittaker has only been defeated a handful of times in recent years, and even the most skilled wrestlers like Yoel Romero end up having trouble controlling him. Whittaker is a strong striker and Chimaev’s chin hasn’t been tested enough, so the exchange will be crucial.

It’s hard to predict the fight as both men could easily finish it, but it’s more than likely to go the distance. With Chimaev’s potential demise and a near-even matchup, it’s difficult to predict a winner with confidence. The over/under is currently set at 2.5 rounds, and considering both fighters will likely test each other out early in the fight, the over seems to be the better bet.

Prediction: Whittaker by decision

Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige

Lerone Murphy looked outstanding last time, stunning Edson Barboza for the best win of his career. Dan Ige is past the bizarre situation where he replaced Brian Ortega to fight Diego Lopes on fight day. Ige held his own against Lopes, but that was partly because Lopes was having a bad night.

When they met, Murphy put one on Master class in distance fighting against Barboza and marked him with 220 significant hits, 78% of which were to the head. It wasn’t long before his relentless left jab, followed by a piston-like right jab, drained Barboza’s power and allowed him to eke out a five-round victory. Murphy was a beast in the clinch in this fight too.

If he fights Ige like this, he will have a lot of success. He was able to overtake Barboza despite his two-inch reach disadvantage; he will have a two-inch lead over Ige. He’s also a bit taller, which could be helpful in a clinch.

Murphy also landed takedowns in the Barboza fight (4-6), in fact he used them to break rounds. Ige has good takedown defense, but did his best in that regard against Bryce Mitchell and Nate Landwher. He might have a hard time defending against takedowns from Murphy, who takes advantage of them once he establishes his attack. Murphy should be able to keep Ige’s mind occupied with evasive strikes before using them for his takedowns.

Prediction: Murphy by decision

Magomed Ankalaev vs Aleksandar Rakic

Magomed Ankalaev enters his duel with Aleksandar Rakic ​​​​as the heavy favorite, having just knocked out Johnny Walker with an uppercut. Ankalaev was strong overall after taking part in his strange “no contest” and drawing a nine-fight win streak with Jan Blachowicz. His only career loss remains a submission Paul Craig in his UFC debut. Rakic, on the other hand, suffered a technical knockout defeat against Jiri Prochazka and last competed two years ago due to a knee injury. Before the injury, Rakic ​​​​earned victories over Thiago Santos and Anthony Smithbut he dropped a somewhat controversial split decision in favor of Volkan Özdemir.

Given Ankalaev’s power and versatility, this fight seems more favorable for Rakic. Ankalaev is dangerous both on the feet and on the ground, while after some serious injuries and layoffs, it might be difficult to keep up with the pace and pressure Ankalaev applies in the cage. It seems that Ankalaev’s knockout power should be too much for Rakic, and even if it goes to a decision, Ankalaev is likely to dominate.

Ultimately, this fight feels straightforward for Ankalaev, with either a technical knockout or a clear decision victory in sight. The point spread bet is attractive and Ankalaev looks capable of winning convincingly.

Prediction: Ankalaev by KO/TKO/DQ

Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan

In August, Magomedov set his undefeated record 14-0 against Michel Oleksiejczuk with a solid but unspectacular victory. Most of the time he fought at range, which provided ample opportunity to showcase his flashy but measured striking against an opponent who just wanted to stand and trade. Magomedov will also have a similar matchup in his upcoming fight against Armen Petrosyan. First, Petrosyan is primarily a striker and very few takedowns have been attempted, making him another ideal opponent for Magomedov’s skills.

However, Petrosyan is by no means a slacker when it comes to defenseeither. Petrosyan proved to be tough after a first-round submission loss to Rodolfo Vieira and was barely able to absorb 2.90 significant hits per minute with a strike defense of 56%. He also did solid work in previous fights, holding Christian Leroy Duncan and Gregory Rodrigues to fewer than 60 significant strikes.

This may seem like another showcase fight for Magomedov, but given Petrosyan’s good defense, it could take a lot of work to finish. This also means the points spread could be a popular bet considering this fight could go the distance and Petrosyan could carry some momentum.

Prediction: Magomedov by decision