UFC 308 results, highlights: Ilia Topuria knocks out Max Holloway to retain featherweight title, becomes the new face of the UFC

Daniel Yanofsky

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UFC 308 results, highlights: Ilia Topuria knocks out Max Holloway to retain featherweight title, becomes the new face of the UFC image

Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

It was a rough night for fan favorites at UFC 308, as Max Holloway and Robert Whittaker lost their fights in Abu Dhabi.

Ilia Topuria took down Holloway to retain the UFC featherweight title while Whittaker got submitted by Khamzat Chimaev. 

Topuria vs. Holloway had a big-time boxing feel, with two of the best facing off in the center of the octagon. They traded shots to the face and body, with Topuria landing takedowns in the first round. However, Holloway landed volume blows and mesmerized many with his significant strike output. Topuria didn't waver and decided to shift and go after the calf of Holloway in the second round.

While Holloway could absorb shots like no other, he felt a sharp right that pushed him back. Topuria then landed combinations and knocked Holloway down. The referee saw enough, and Topuria became the first fighter to knock "Blessed" out. The crowd in Abu Dhabi went wild as Topuria celebrated with soccer star Sergio Ramos.

By taking out Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in 2024, he may have taken Fighter of the Year from Alex Pereira. "El Matador" could face Volkanovski in a rematch next, or Diego Lopes. Holloway's three-fight win streak has come to an end. There is also Conor McGregor, though it is unknown if he will ever fight again.

What is next for the 32-year-old BMF Champion, who must start at the bottom, is unknown.

MORE: Khamzat scores first-round submission victory over Whittaker

It has become rare to see him fight since he burst onto the scene in 2020. However, when Chimaev is healthy, he is dangerous. Chimaev proved that against Whittaker, the former UFC middleweight champion, forcing the Aussie to tap in the first round.

Chimaev was supposed to fight Whittaker in the summer before suffering an illness. He made up for lost time by grabbing Whittaker by the cage right away, holding him down. Whittaker tried to fight out of it, but Chimaev was too much to handle. Eventually, he locked in a rear-naked choke that appeared to break Whittaker's jaw for the quick tap.

It is only a matter of when, not if, that Chimaev fights for gold. For now, Dricus du Plessis defends the middleweight title against Sean Strickland. However, with that performance, Chimaev may have cut the line.

Magomed Ankalaev was told by everyone he needed to step it up to fight for light heavyweight gold, even as the top contender in the rankings. He may not have knocked Aleksandar Rakic out, but Ankalaev used power to beat the latter via unanimous decision. His wrestling wasn't utilized, as Ankalaev proved he could strike whenever needed. 

The Russian has not lost in thirteen straight contests. It is up to UFC matchmakers, UFC CEO Dana White, and Pereira, the UFC light heavyweight champion, who may move in weight, to see if Ankalaev is next. 

Lerone Murphy and Dan Ige competed in an entertaining affair, exchanging shots and takedowns for three rounds. It was a split fight until the third round, where the undefeated Murphy had the edge as the round went on. The 33-year-old could see a move to the top ten at featherweight. He called out Josh Emmett after.

Shara Magomedov opened the main card in brutal fashion, beating a game Armen Petrosyan. "Shara Bullet" was in trouble early as Petrosyan played it close to the vest, not giving him a chance to breathe. The former recovered well and adapted. Eventually, he landed double spinning backfists, the eleventh time a fight ended in the UFC via a backfist.

The Russian has now won four straight in the UFC. He called out some of the top middleweight stars, including Whittaker and Israel Adesanya.  

The Sporting News provided results, analysis, and highlights from UFC 308.

UFC 308 results, highlights

Ilia Topuria puts Max Holloway to sleep 

Round three: Topuria with a jab to open round three. Holloway with a leg kick, and neither fighter look tired. Leg kick by Topuria, while Holloway is landing volume shots. The latter landed a right. A huge right rocked Holloway. Topuria landed combinations and knocked Holloway down. AND OUT! 

SN unofficial scorecard:

Round two: Holloway with a jab and a cracking right. Topuria tried landing leg kicks. He landed combinations and a few more to the face of Holloway. Hook from Topuria connected. Holloway with a jab. Big left hook from Topuria followed by a leg kick. They traded combinations. Topuria went to the head several times. He finally went to the body. Leg kicks connected. Right hand by Holloway, and Topuria landed one of his own. Big right by Topuria. A leg kick connected. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Topuria (19-19) 

Round one: Big fight feel before the first strike. Topuria challenged Holloway to the middle of the octagon, like the latter did against Justin Gaethje. Body kick by Holloway. Kick to the head by Holloway. Combinations from Topuria land. Topuria with jabs and combinations. Holloway with counter jabs. Topuria with a takedown. Holloway got back up but Topuria with another takedown. Topuria landed a counter right. Holloway with a clear jab. They traded leg kicks. Topuria landed combinations and a jab. He is hurting Holloway's legs. They traded shots in the middle of the cage. 

Combinations from Holloway land. He hit an elbow. A hook connected. Topuria forced Holloway to the floor and dragged him by the cage. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Holloway

The fight everyone has waited to see is next, as Ilia Topuria defends the UFC featherweight title against Max Holloway. Can the former champion hold gold again? Or will Topuria prove he is the best the division has to offer?

Khamzat Chimaev runs through Robert Whittaker, ready to fight for gold

How do you not give this man a title shot? 

Round one: Leg kick from Whittaker landed right away. Quick shoot by Chimaev right away and latched onto Whittaker. Whittaker tried to block the rear-naked choke attempt. Chimaev kicked Whittaker by the cage while holding onto him. Whittaker got back up but not for long. Chimaev with a rare-naked choke and Whittaker tapped out. Wow! Whittaker had a dislocated jaw. 

Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev finally face off. A fully healthy Chimaev is scary. Can he topple "Bobby Knuckles" and potentially last for five rounds? Or will Whittaker be the one to end his hype?

Magomed Ankalaev beats Aleksandar Rakic, looks to fight for gold next

Ankalaev won the fight, and hopefully secured a title shot against Alex Pereira. 

3:45 p.m. ET: Round three saw Ankalaev land sharp head shots while pressing forward. Rakic continued to attack the leg of Ankalaev. Body kick from the latter. A straight left to the face of Rakic pushed him back. Rakic tried for a takedown but Ankalaev blocked it. Ankalaev with a knee by the cage and underhooks. They both tried to find an edge by the cage, but Ankalaev had the clear edge. Knees from Ankalaev connected.

3:37 p.m. ET: Rakic started round two with leg kicks. Ankalaev landed a spinning elbow. Right hand by Rakic connected, and another. Ankalaev appeared tentative to go to the floor early. Body shot connected and Rakic appeared hurt. Ankalaev followed it up with leg kicks and combinations. High kick almost connected. Rakic continued to land leg kicks but Ankalaev didn't stop pressing forward. Hard left connected from Ankalaev. 

3:31 p.m. ET: Ankalaev came forward early, knowing he needed to come into the fight aggressive. Rakic with high leg kicks that connected. Ankalaev with a leg kick and Rakic countered. Straight left by Ankalaev connected. Rakic with another head kick. A straight left by Ankalaev connected followed by a body kick. Ankalaev continued to press forward with shots to the face of Rakic. 

Magomed Ankalaev has a chance to prove he finally deserves a title shot against Aleksandar Rakic.

Lerone Murphy recovers, beats Dan Ige in entertaining fight

3:09 p.m. ET: Murphy tried to take Ige down in round three, and managed to land shots to the body and head when Ige blocked the takedown. Ige looked tired. Ige with solid wrestling, and they were scrambling for positions. Back up, Murphy took him down and landed shots to the top of Ige's head. Murphy punished Ige with shots to end the third. Murphy won the fight via unanimous decision. 

3:01 p.m. ET: Murphy with a few right hands and elbows to start round two. A body shot connected from Ige, followed by a left. A jab by Murphy and a spinning kick. By the cage, Ige tried to take control but Murphy reversed. They traded elbows. Murphy took Ige down and tried for a triangle. 

2:55 p.m ET: Ige moved forward and tried to land slick power shots, connecting with combinations. Murphy landed a leg kick but Ige didn't back away. He dropped Murphy to the floor with a takedown. Murphy forced his way back up and landed body shots. He landed a head shot but Ige continued on. A counter shot connected by Ige. By the cage, Ige poured to the head of Murphy. Murphy with a takedown. 

2:50 p.m. ET: Up next, the durable Dan Ige returns to face Lerone Murphy.

So nice, he did it twice: Shara Bullet takes out Armen Petrosyan in brutal fashion

2:33 p.m. ET: Petrosyan continued to play it close to the vest in round two. However, Magomedov appeared to adapt. Shot below the belt and Magomedov needed time to recover. Leg kicks landed from Magomedov. Counter right hands by Magomedov clipped Petrosyan. They traded shots, from punches to kicks. High kick connected from Magomedov. And now Petrosyan got hit with a shot below the belt. Leg kicks from Magomedov. Double spinning backfist by Magomedov and he won the fight. Wow, what a brutal ending. 

2:25 p.m. ET: Petrosyan started the fight right away with kicks, standing possibly too close to Magomedov. He grabbed a kick attempt from Magomedov and landed multiple combinations. An elbow landed followed by an inside leg kick. Petrosyan continued to press forward. High kick by Petrosyan followed by a right hand from Magomedov. Magomedov with left hands that pushed Petrosyan back, something his corner did not want. Both landed side kicks. Spinning elbow for Magomedov. 

2:15 p.m. ET: Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan opens the main card. 

2 p.m. ET: The main card has started. 

1:40 p.m. ET: Aslan with an onslaught of shots and wins the fight without even breaking a sweat. Wow. Turkey stand up! Magomed Anakalev will have to perform like that later to finally earn a title shot. 

1:35 p.m. ET: Ibo Aslan vs. Raffael Cerqueira headlines the prelims. 

1:15 p.m. ET: Geoff Neal vs, Rafael dos Anjos is up next. The knee of dos Anjos gave in as Neal dominated the fight early on. It appeared he couldn't move it after getting dropped. Not a great way to celebrate his birthday.

1 p.m. ET: A Fight of the Night contender took place on the prelims, as Mateusz Rebecki defeated Myktybek Orolbai. Back and forth action took place in this one, with Rebecki bleeding hard and Orolbai not giving up despite suffering significant damage to his eye. Will have to wait for the winner of Topuria vs. Holloway. 

12:35 p.m. ET: Mateusz Rębecki vs. Myktybek Orolbai is up next as the prelims roll on. 

12:30 p.m. ET: Magomedov looked sharp early, landing straight punches that pushed Ferreira back. Late-round combinations landed from Magomedov. Ferreira with a straight punch and a kick that forced Magomedov back in round two. Magomedov landed on top and then transitioned to his back. Back up, Ferreira seemed to have control. It should be 1-1 right now. Magomedov secured a submission in round three to get the win. 

12:10 p.m. ET: Abus Magomedov vs. Brunno Ferreira is next.

It appeared Barnett injured himself when he jumped during fight introductions. 

11:55 a.m. ET: Chris Barnett returned for his first fight in two years to face Kennedy Nzechukwu. He brought the vibes early by dancing to the octagon. Barnett opened southpaw style and utilized kicks. Barnett looked to be limping on his left foot, not ideal after being out due to injury. He could not hold himself together by the cage and lost via TKO. 

11:38 a.m. ET: Hugo almost won from a leglock which would have been something. He started bleeding in the middle of round one. Basharat provided pressure in round two, starting with a massive jumping knee. A few left hooks pushed Basharat back, but he was the more precise fighter. Basharat won via unanimous decision.

11:15 a.m. ET: Farid Basharat vs. Victor Hugo is up next. The fight was at bantamweight but got moved to a new weight after Hugo missed weight. Basharat is not happy.

11:05 a.m. ET: There was no controversy here, as Naurdiev beat Silva, who appeared to be a shell of his former self, now 1-6 in his last seven fights. Naurdiev won via unanimous decision.

10:45 a.m. ET: Ismail Naurdiev vs. Bruno Silva is up next. 

10:30 a.m. ET: Rinat Fakhretdinov defeated Carlos Leal, with many complaining of the 30-27 scorecard in favor of Rinat. In fact, the idea that Rinat beat Leal, who had a complete performance, didn't sit well with anyone.

10 a.m. ET: The first fight of the day is Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Carlos Leal

Hello everyone, and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of UFC 308!

MORE: How to bet on the entire UFC 308 fight card

UFC 308 start time

  • Date: Saturday, October 26
  • Time: 2 p.m. ET (10 a.m. ET for prelims) | 11 a.m. PT | 7 p.m BST | 5 a.m. AEDT
  • Main event start time (approx.): 5:30 p.m. ET | 2:30 p.m. PT | 10:30 p.m. BST | 8 a.m. AEDT
  • Location: Etihad Arena - Abu Dhabi, UAE

The UFC 308 main card starts at 2 p.m. ET on October 26. The prelims start at 10 a.m. ET. The main event should begin around 5:30 p.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.

Where to watch UFC 308

The prelims, starting at 10 a.m. ET will air on ESPN+  in the U.S. You can subscribe to ESPN+ for $11.99 on a monthly subscription and $119.99 on an annual subscription.

The UFC 308 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+ . The PPV price for UFC 308 is $79.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $134.98 for the UFC 308 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.

In Australia, the UFC 308 main card is available via pay-per-view on Foxtel's Main Event, which also requires a subscription. Alternatively, the event can be purchased through the streaming platform Kayo, with no subscription needed. The PPV price for UFC 308 is $59.95.

The prelims, starting at 1 a.m. AEDT (Sunday) will air on UFC Fight Pass and Kayo.

In the U.K., UFC 308 is available via TNT Sports  (￡3.99/month or ￡39.99/year via discovery+).

UFC 308 results

Main Card

  • Ilia Topuria (c) def. Max Holloway via KO for the UFC featherweight title (1:34 into round three)
  • Khamzat Chimaev def. Robert Whittaker via rear-naked choke (3:34 into round one)
  • Magomed Ankalaev def. Aleksandar Rakic via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) 
  • Lerone Murphy def. Dan Ige via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) 
  • Shara Magomedov def. Armen Petrosyan via KO (4:52 into round two)

Prelims

  • Ibo Aslan def. Raffael Cerqueira via TKO (0:51 into round one)
  • Geoff Neal def. Rafael dos Anjos via TKO (1:30 into round one)  
  • Mateusz Rebecki def. Myktybek Orolbai via split decision (28–29, 29–28, 29–28)
  • Abus Magomedov def. Brunno Ferreira via arm triangle (3:14 into round three)
  • Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Chris Barnett via TKO (4:27 into round one)
  • Farid Basharat def. Victor Hugo via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) 
  • Ismail Naurdiev def. Bruno Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) 
  • Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Carlos Leal via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 30–27)

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Daniel Yanofsky

Daniel Yanofsky Photo

Daniel Yanofsky is the Combat Sports Editor for The Sporting News since late 2021. Prior to working for TSN, Daniel provided insight on combat sports for Fightful, FIGHT SPORTS, and Wrestling Inc. A proud Ithaca College alum, when he isn’t working on his golf game, Daniel is advocating for three-minute rounds in women's boxing.

You can follow him on Twitter via @DanYanofsky.