Shara Magomedov and Armen Petrosyan meet Saturday on the main card of UFC 308 at Etihad Arena in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 2-4
UFC main cards, 2024: 89-81-3

Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan UFC 308 preview

Off to a 3-0 start in his UFC tenure, Magomedov (14-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is yet to taste defeat in his career. A win here would give Magomedov is third win of 2024. … Petrosyan (9-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) is coming off a first-round submission loss to Rodolfo Vieira this past February. Prior to that setback, he’d won two fights in a row.

Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan expert pick, prediction

Despite having fights like Myktybek Orolbai vs. Mateusz Rebecki on the prelims, the matchmakers decided to kick off the paid portion of the card with a middleweight matchup between Magomedov and Petrosyan.

I get that this should be a stand-up affair on paper, I’m just still having a hard time with the fact that the UFC is trying to shove “Shara Bullet” down our throats.

Aside from looking like a James Bond villain who can throw kicks with solid power, there isn’t much to speak of when it comes to well-rounded skills or a depth of process from Magomedov.

Petrosyan, on the other hand, is a more consistent and proven commodity inside the cage.

The Armenian may not wield the same flash or flare as Magomedov, but Petrosyan possesses solid fundamentals that allow him to get off offense at a decent clip.

Petrosyan also appears to be the better grappler by a decent stretch, which is more than enough for me to side with him in this spot.

The pick is Petrosyan by unanimous decision.

Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the more hyped product, listing Magomedov -168 and Petrosyan +136 via FanDuel.

Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan start time, how to watch

As the main card opener, Magomedov and Petrosyan are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 2:15 p.m. ET (11:15 a.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+ pay-per-view.

Lerone Murphy and Dan Ige meet Saturday on the main card of UFC 308 at Etihad Arena in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 2-4
UFC main cards, 2024: 89-81-3

Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige UFC 308 preview

Since fighting to a draw in his UFC debut in 2019, Murphy (14-0-1 MMA, 6-0-1 UFC) has rattled off six wins in a row and remained unbeaten. He’s coming off the biggest win of his career in May, when he won a five-round main event vs. Edson Barboza by unanimous decision in the Fight of the Night. … Ige (18-8 MMA, 10-7 UFC) has a sub-.500 record since 2020, although he remains a tough out when he’s on top of his game. He’s coming off a unanimous decision loss to Diego Lopes this past June, when he took the fight on hours’ notice at UFC 303.

Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige expert pick, prediction

Between not giving Ige the spot he wanted on the UFC’s Sphere show to making him fly across the world to take on an undefeated contender with little-to-no name value, it doesn’t exactly feel like Ige’s getting rewarded for making one of the most gangster walks in the promotion’s history back at UFC 303 earlier this year.

That said, Ige has never been a walkover for anyone, and I suspect he’ll make a good account for himself regardless of the result here.

It would probably serve Ige well to go more to the body and counter in this fight, but I’m betting that the Hawaiian has a solid game plan coming into this contest considering he has Xtreme Couture’s Eric Nicksick in the corner.

Speaking of which, I’m too biased toward the Ige side due to my ties to his camp and corner, so don’t expect too much objectivity from me in this section.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m incredibly impressed with Murphy, who deserves to be the favorite and will likely have a bright future in this sport. I just can’t help but biasedly back Ige in this spot.

Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the English fighter, listing Murphy -300 and Ige +225 via FanDuel.

Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige start time, how to watch

Murphy and Ige are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 2:45 p.m. ET (11:45 a.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+ pay-per-view.

Video Details

Magomed Ankalaev and Aleksandar Rakic meet Saturday on the main card of UFC 308 at Etihad Arena in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 2-4
UFC main cards, 2024: 89-81-3

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic UFC 308 preview

Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) was on a nine-fight winning streak before a pair of odd results in back-to-back fights – first a draw with Jan Blachowicz for the then-vacant light heavyweight title in December 2022 followed by a no contest against Johnny Walker because of an accidental illegal knee in October 2023. But Ankalaev got back on track in emphatic fashion this past January when he knocked out Walker in their rematch. Now he’s out to prove he’s the rightful No. 1 contender at 205 pounds. … Rakic (14-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) enters the bout reeling from back-to-back stoppage losses against Blachowicz and Jiri Prochazka. A serious knee injury in the Blachowicz fight kept Rakic out of action for more than two years.

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic expert pick, prediction

I’m not sure what’s worse: Anakalaev getting skipped over for another title shot or Rakic being booked with the division’s top contender after two consecutive losses and an injury layoff?

Either way, there is some questionable matchmaking under the top two fights of this event.

Rakic is technically 1-0 opposite UFC-level southpaws, beating Marcin Prachnio back on the regional scene. However, it’s difficult to tell what version of Rakic we’ll get given how long it’s been since we’ve seen a dominant performance from the Austrian fighter.

Couple that with the fact that Ankalaev’s wrestling savvy and southpaw stance may limit Rakic’s leg kicks and takedowns, and I can’t help but side with the Russian favorite to roll in this spot.

I like Rakic and wouldn’t mind being wrong, but the pick is for Ankalaev to take a competitive but clear unanimous decision.

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Stipe Miocic doppelganger, listing Ankalaev -385 and Rakic +290 via FanDuel.

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic start time, how to watch

As the featured bout, Ankalaev and Rakic are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 3:15 p.m. ET (12:15 p.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+ pay-per-view.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has demanded “more” leadership from captain Reece James following his return from injury.

The right-back recovered from hamstring surgery to make his first Chelsea start since December 2023 in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat by Liverpool but Maresca has challenged his skipper to show greater “personality”.

“I spoke with him and I expect from him more in terms of leadership inside the changing room,” said Maresca.

“He’s on the way, he’s doing well, he’s progressing but I expect more.

“Most of the time, a player thinks that ‘because I am captain I expect that you [the manager] give me more’.

“No, for me because you are the captain you have to give more. You have to give more than the rest.

“I expect it from Reece and his team-mates expect it from him to give always more in terms of leadership.”

James, 24, has progressed from the Chelsea academy to the first team and was appointed captain by Maresca’s predecessor Mauricio Pochettino before the 2023-24 season.

The England defender was hampered by injury last season, making 11 appearances, before returning to the side at Anfield in his first competitive game under Maresca, who replaced Pochettino in the summer.

“He’s understanding that we’re expecting more from him,” added Maresca.

“He’s our guy from the academy. It’s one of the reasons why he has to show more in terms of personality.

“He’s a reserved guy. But when you don’t have a proper leader, you need to build that. I think we don’t have a proper leader. We need to build them.

“Reece is one who is on the way but he’s not there. He needs to make an effort.”

UFC 308 is finally here!

This Saturday, Ilia Topuria puts his featherweight title on the line against Max Holloway in one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year. On top of that, the co-main event features a big-time middleweight matchup with former champion Robert Whittaker taking on Khamzat Chimaev in what may well determine the next middleweight title challenger. With all that, plus 11 more fights on the docket, let’s dive into the best bets this week.

All odds are courtesy of our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Single Plays

Ilia Topuria by Points (+280)

I have a full written break down of the main event out on MMAFighting.com so check that out for a deeper dive, but to me this fight boils down to Topuria has a stylistic advantage, alongside being younger, more physical, and an ascending talent. Holloway certainly has tools to win, but I favor Topuria to get the job done. That being said, Holloway may actually be impossible to finish at this point in his career, and the value between this bet and Topuria straight at -260 is substantial.

Topuria vs. Holloway Over 3.5 Rounds (-126)

Basically the exact same reason as the above bet: I expect this fight will go long. Holloway has been finished once in his entire career, back in his 5th professional fight when he was 20 years old. Topuria, obviously, has never been finished since he’s never lost. More to the point though, even in wins, Holloway has a tendency to go long. Nine of Holloway’s past 10 fights have gone into the fifth round or to a decision. This looks like good value to me.

Khamzat Chimaev by KO/TKO or Submission (-165)

At this point in his career, the question for Chimaev is not “will he win the fight?” it’s “will he show up?” Every time Chimaev steps in the cage, he gets his hand raised, lately it’s been a matter of getting to the cage. But thus far, it appears Chimaev will make the walk on Saturday, which means Whittaker is in trouble.

Robert Whittaker is a future Hall of Famer, but this is a tough fight for him. Chimaev has shown the ability to rag-doll everyone he’s faced, and given the way Dricus du Plessis big-brothered Whittaker, it seems likely that Chimaev will be able to do the same. Simply put, Whittaker is a great fighter, but Chimaev is better and should cement his title shot on Saturday.

Lerone Murphy by Points (-135)

This is Dan Ige’s first fight since heroically stepping in at UFC 303 on four hours’ notice and I’ll be honest, it’s a puzzler. I thought Ige’s willingness to be a company man would’ve earned him a better opportunity but instead he gets Murphy, a guy who is very good and still pretty unknown.

This should be a straightforward Murphy win as he can out-work Ige on the feet and mix in takedowns as necessary. But like with the main event, Dan Ige is incapable of being finished so instead of taking Murphy straight, go for the Decision prop to increase your value.

Parlay

Geoff Neal (-310)

Neal takes on Rafael dos Anjos in the prelims of UFC 308 and he’s among the fighters I’m most confident in to get a win on Saturday. RDA is a future Hall of Famer, but he’s pushing 40 and has never been a true welterweight. Yes, he’s had success at 170 pounds, but dos Anjos is much better at lightweight where his bully tactics are more effective. Now he’s facing Neal who is still in the prime of his career, substantially bigger, and a very good defensive wrestler. Neal should box RDA’s ears.

Rinat Fakhretdinov (-245)

Originally intended to face Nursulton Ruziboev, instead Fakhretdinov now takes on former PFL fighter Carlos Leal, who steps in on short notice. Fakhretdinov should have the run of play in this one as he can compete on the feet and score takedowns nearly at will. Fakhretdinov is just a damn good fighter and Leal is a bit overmatched in this one.

Parlay these two bets together for -116 odds

Long Shot

Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway to be Won in the 1st Minute of Round 1 or the Last Minute of the 5th Round (+1800)

We haven’t taken a stab on a long shot in a long time but this Saturday demands it. Holloway now has this insanely cool gimmick of pointing to the ground and slugging it out at the end of fights, to the point that Topuria is calling for them to start the bout like that. And while Holloway does not seem inclined to oblige him, if this thing goes late, you know he will.

And the wonderful folks at FanDuel have you covered with this bet that pays out either way. If Max does meet Ilia in the middle to start and the bout ends quickly, electric. And if this thing goes long, that final stretch will be equally electric.

This bet probably won’t cash, but it’s going to be fun.

Wrap Up

Oof. Tough week over in the PFL as we missed every one of our straight plays. Fortunately, that cannot happen this week as we have no straight plays! Almost every fight this week has pretty long odds so instead of picking straight, we had to opt for a bunch of prop bets instead. Hopefully we picked our spots right.

Until next week, enjoy the fights, good luck, and gamble responsibly!

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