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.
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.
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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)
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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Parlay these two bets together for -116 odds
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Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
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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.
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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!
All information in this article is provided to readers of MMA Fighting for entertainment, news, and amusement purposes only. It is the responsibility of the reader to learn and abide by online gambling laws in their region before placing any online sports betting wagers.
MMA Fighting has UFC 308 results of the Topuria vs. Holloway fight card, live blogs for the entire main card, and more from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday afternoon.
In the main event, UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will make his first title defense against former UFC champion Max Holloway. Topuria (15-0) has never tasted defeat in his pro career, while Holloway (26-7) has won four of his past five fights.
The UFC is back in Abu Dhabi for UFC 308, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.
UFC 308 (pay-per-view, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.
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In the headliner, featherweight champion Ilia Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) puts his title on the line for the first time when he takes on former champ Max Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC). In the co-feature, Khamzat Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) meets former champ Robert Whittaker (27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC) to determine the next top contender at middleweight.
The sixth and final episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:
Khamzat Chimaev sheds the last few pounds ahead of UFC 308 official weigh-ins; Athletes step on the scale to make their UFC 308 bouts official; Crowds gather to see final face-offs between fighters at the UFC 308 Ceremonial weigh-ins.
Previous UFC 308 ‘Embedded’ episodes:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
Manchester United hold talks with managerial candidates to replace Erik ten Hag, Kevin de Bruyne could leave Manchester City for Major League Soccer, Eintracht Frankfurt set price for Liverpool target Omar Marmoush.
Manchester United have already held talks with several managerial candidates as further pressure mounts on Dutchman Erik ten Hag, with Xavi Hernandez and Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim among them. (Daily Mail), external
Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, 33, could be on the move to Major League Soccer with San Diego FC as the Belgian’s contract expires in June. (GiveMeSport), external
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Eintracht Frankfurt have set a value of between 50-60m euros (£41.6m-50m) for 25-year-old Egypt forward Omar Marmoush, whose representatives have held talks with Liverpool. (Sky Germany), external
Arsenal have drawn up a shortlist of world-class striker targets and Newcastle and Sweden striker Alexander Isak, 25, is top of the list. (TeamTalk), external
West Ham is a possible destination for Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell, 27, as the Englishman continues to struggle for playing time under Enzo Maresca. (Metro), external
Inter Milan are interested in Athletic Bilbao’s 24-year-old Spanish attacking midfielder Oihan Sancet, who has also been linked with Aston Villa. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external
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Tottenham are determined to prevent 25-year-old Spanish right-back Pedro Porro from joining Manchester City, who see him as a replacement for England defender Kyle Walker, 34. (Football Insider), external
Liverpool and Arsenal are contenders to sign Spain and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, 17, as the La Liga club could be forced to sell their teenage forward amid ongoing financial difficulties. (Miguel Delaney via TeamTalk), external
Brazil winger Raphinha, 27, says he considered leaving Barcelona more than once in his first two seasons with the club following his move from Leeds. (ESPN), external
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.
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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.
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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.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
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.
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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.
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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.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
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