UFC 308: Make your predictions for Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 308 event in Abu Dhabi.

MMA Junkie reader predictions: Make your picks for UFC 308

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 308 event in Abu Dhabi.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those reader consensus picks will be part of the main card staff predictions we release ahead of UFC 308 (ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Make your picks below.

Ismail Naurdiev vs. Bruno Silva

Records: Naurdiev (23-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC), Silva (23-11 MMA, 4-5 UFC)
Past five: Naurdiev 3-2, Silva 3-2
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.21.24): Naurdiev -120, Silva +100

What’s your pick for Ismail Naurdiev vs. Bruno Silva?

SuperSurvey.com

Ibo Aslan vs. Raffael Cerqueira

Records: Aslan (13-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Cerqueira (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Past five: Aslan 5-0, Cerqueira 5-0
Division: Light heavyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.21.24): Aslan -120, Cerqueira +100

SuperSurvey

Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Carlos Leal

Records: Fakhretdinov (22-1-1 MMA, 4-0-1 UFC), Leal (21-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Past five: Fakhretdinov 4-0-1, Leal 4-1
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.21.24): N/A

Supersurvey

Farid Basharat vs. Victor Hugo

Records: Basharat (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), Hugo (25-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Past five: Basharat 5-0, Hugo 5-0
Division: Bantamweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.21.24): Basharat -550, Hugo +375

SuperSurvey

Chris Barnett vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu

Records: Barnett (23-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC), Nzechukwu (12-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC)
Past five: Barnett 3-2, Nzechukwu 3-2
Division: Heavyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.21.24): Barnett +400, Nzechukwu -550

SuperSurvey.com

Brunno Ferreira vs. Abus Magomedov

Records: Ferreira (12-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Magomedov (26-6-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC)
Past five: Ferreira 4-1, A. Magomedov 3-2
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.21.24): Ferreira +125, Magomedov -150

SuperSurvey

Myktybek Orolbai vs. Mateusz Rebecki

Records: Orolbai (13-1-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Rebecki (19-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC)
Past five: Orolbai 5-0, Rebecki 4-1
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.21.24): Orolbai -280, Rebecki +230

Supersurvey

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Geoff Neal

Records: Dos Anjos (32-16 MMA, 21-14 UFC), Neal (15-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC)
Past five: Dos Anjos 2-3, Neal 2-3
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: Neal honorable mention
Odds (as of 10.21.24): Dos Anjos +235, Neal -290

Super Survey Maker

Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan

Records: Magomedov (14-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), Petrosyan (9-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC)
Past five: Magomedov 5-0, Petrosyan 3-2
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: Magomedov honorable mention
Odds (as of 10.21.24): Magomedov -175, Petrosyan +145

SuperSurvey.com

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic

Records: Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC), Rakic (14-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC)
Past five: Ankalaev 4-0-1, Rakic 2-3
Division: Light heavyweight
Rankings: Ankalaev No. 4, Rakic No. 11
Odds (as of 10.21.24): Ankalaev -390, Rakic +290

Supersurvey

Dan Ige vs. Lerone Murphy

Records: Ige (18-8 MMA, 10-7 UFC), Murphy (14-0-1 MMA, 6-0-1 UFC)
Past five: Ige 3-2, Murphy 5-0
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: Murphy No. 14, Ige honorable mention
Odds (as of 10.21.24): Ige +165, Murphy -195

Super Survey

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker

Records: Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), Whittaker (27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC)
Past five: Chimaev 5-0, Whittaker 3-2
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: Whittaker No. 4, Chimaev No. 10
Odds (as of 10.21.24): Chimaev -220, Whittaker +180

SuperSurvey.com

Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway

Records: Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC)
Past five: Topuria 5-0, Holloway 4-1
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: Topuria No. 1, No. 4 pound-for-pound; Holloway No. 3, honorable mention pound-for-pound
Odds (as of 10.21.24): Topuria -245, Holloway +200

Supersurvey

UFC 308 fight card (as of Oct. 21, 1 p.m. ET)

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 2 p.m. ET)

• Champ Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway – for featherweight title
• Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker
• Dan Ige vs. Lerone Murphy
• Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic
• Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 10 a.m. ET)

• Rafael dos Anjos vs. Geoff Neal
• Myktybek Orolbai vs. Mateusz Rebecki
• Said Nurmagomedov vs. TBA
• Brunno Ferreira vs. Abus Magomedov
• Chris Barnett vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
• Farid Basharat vs. Victor Hugo
• Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Carlos Leal
• Ibo Aslan vs. Raffael Cerqueira
• Ismail Naurdiev vs. Bruno Silva

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Kamaru Usman is teasing the release of his interview with Belal Muhammad, as long as the UFC champion holds up his end of the bargain.

Muhammad, on his own podcast, recently said that an appearance on Usman and Henry Cejudo’s Pound 4 Pound show went off the rails and that he “verbally broke down Usman” before Usman “tried to get physical.”

According to Usman, Muhammad was one of several guests on that episode, which was recorded in Las Vegas, and he wanted to show respect to the current welterweight titleholder by having him on. He didn’t explain exactly what Muhammad meant by his comments, but said there are plans to release the footage if Muhammad still holds the belt after he fights Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 on Dec. 7.

“In typical Belal fashion, of course, Belal did Belal,” Usman said on his podcast. “So the interview didn’t go as planned. It wasn’t that great of an interview anyways, it wasn’t even that long, but it went the way that it went. That was the biggest moment of his life because that’s all that he seems to want to talk about. I haven’t mentioned it all, because it wasn’t that eventful, but that’s all he seems to want to talk about all the time.

“We hear you, fans, and we will definitely drop the interview if we get really, really low on content, I mean, why not? To be honest, it’s the biggest moment of his life, that’s why he talks about it every second. And if we do drop the interview, it will be the second-biggest moment of his life because it gives him relevance, it gives him a little bit of clout. ‘Look, I was able to maybe tangle with the champ a little bit,’ which wasn’t that eventful. But if he’s able to get through Shavkat Rakhmonov, and we run super, super low on content, why not?”

MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin recently spoke to Muhammad, who said he enjoyed meeting Usman face to face, though he didn’t reveal exactly what went down between them.

“I love anybody that I’m going to get a rise out of because you can tell he takes it personally,” Muhammad said. “He takes everything personally. You’re a champion and you lost your belt, now you’re on a losing streak, now you’ve got that guy that’s better than you, the guy that has the belt, the guy that’s in your division on top and he’s on your podcast that you invited him to.

“Some people, their egos are too big. They can’t sit there and be a professional about it. I think with him, it’s like he’s so used to going back and forth with Colby [Covington], who’s not really good at talking. He’s just stupid, he’s not clever with anything. So when you’ve got somebody that’s intelligent that can treat you and make you look dumb, it’s like, ‘Dang, he got the belt and he got me with words?’ I need to do something to change the rhythm of this whole thing.”

Muhammad and Usman are no strangers to conflict, with Muhammad naming Usman as a potential challenger after defeating Leon Edwards for the welterweight title at UFC 304. Though Usman has lost three straight—including a pair of title fight losses to Edwards—he was a decorated champion in his own right, having successfully defended the 170-pound belt five consecutive times.

However, the UFC eventually announced that the undefeated Rakhmonov would be Muhammad’s first challenger, and it’s a matchup that has Usman intrigued—and ready to face the winner.

“It’s a tremendous fight and I guess rightfully so that’s the fight to make because Shavkat’s a new face,” Usman said. “A guy that’s 18-0, 18 finishes, and has really done the work that you need him to do with the opponents that you put in front of him. So that fight makes sense. We’ve been waiting just for an announcement, just so we can get some movement in that welterweight division and now it seems like we’re finally going to be able to get some clarity.

“As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve got my eye on them. Either one of them, I’ve got my eye on them. Because at some point, either one of them is going to have to come have a conversation with me and I won’t be doing the talking. I’ll be doing the talking in a different way.”

As far as Muhammad is concerned, he still looks forward to the possibility of fighting Usman in the future.

“I hope he does go out there and he fights one of these guys and gets a win because he is a big name in the division, he is a former champion that people look up to and think he’s one of the best to ever do it at welterweight,” Muhammad told MMA Fighting. “For sure, I love fights with build-up like that where I can go back and forth with somebody, making fun of them. There is something there, right?”

Regarding the podcast controversy, Muhammad added, “I think Usman buried it in his backyard or something like that. Somebody needs to dig it up and post it, I don’t know where they’re going with it.”

Kai Kara-France doesn’t think Kai Asakura deserves a UFC title shot.

Former RIZIN champion Asakura (21-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) challenges flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) in the UFC 310 co-main event on Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+).

Asakura received a title shot immediately after signing with the UFC, which top contender Kara-France (25-11 MMA, 8-4 UFC) says is not right.

“They’ve got the wrong Kai,” Kara-France told Sky Sports NZ. “After my fight, I was calling for the title shot, and I was thinking, ‘Sweet, I’ve got it,’ and then I heard they’re bringing in a guy from Japan and his name is Kai. Bro, he hasn’t even fought yet. I don’t think he earns it. You’ve got to at least show your worth or do something for guys who have been grinding for years in the UFC division, fighting the best guys.

“We’ve proved that we belong here, so I don’t know. That’s just how I feel about it. It’s weird that you can come in off no fights in the UFC and get a title shot. But if it’s going to bring in more attention to this flyweight division, you know, a bit of controversy – Does this guy deserve it? – yeah, he can go out there and prove it.”

Kara-France called for a title shot after scoring a first-round TKO over Steve Erceg at UFC 305 in August. He snapped a two-fight losing skid after back-to-back setbacks to Brandon Moreno for the interim title, followed by a close split decision loss to Amir Albazi.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Nottingham-born Gabbiadini started his career with York City, then spent four years with Sunderland between 1987 and 1991 before going on to play in the Premier League with Derby County after a stint with Crystal Palace.

His five years on the books of the Rams – which included 227 appearances and produced 68 goals – was the longest he spent at any one club during his career.

The list of his former clubs include Hartlepool, Northampton, Stoke City and Darlington, with loan spells also spent at Birmingham City and Oxford United.

He now reflects on that extensive career as “easy” compared to the health issues he is going through.

“Sport, that was a doddle,” Gabbiadini said.

“Go out on to the field, knock a few people over and score a few goals. That was easy.”

In his latest interview with the BBC, Gabbiadini has again urged anyone worried about potential symptoms to see a doctor straight away having himself experienced only a “slight issue” in his chest.

“Realistically, I was one of them who could have dropped at any time and that has been quite sobering really to understand that,” he said.

Khamzat Chimaev has game on the wrestleball court.

On the first episode of UFC 308 Embedded, the undefeated Chimaev plays the wrestling-basketball hybrid with teammates ahead of his co-main event with Robert Whittaker. Additionally, Ilia Topuria watches his son train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Rafael dos Anjos hits the shooting range, Max Holloway gets a training session in after doing interviews, Whittaker trains with his father, and more.

Patrick Everson

FOX Sports Betting Analyst

Each week, there tend to be a few bet-a-little-to-win-a-lot parlays that get to the finish line and cash out for bettors. So far in NFL Week 7 odds, there’s either a dearth of winners, or the DraftKings and FanDuels of the world haven’t reported on them yet.

But at one sportsbook in Las Vegas, a bettor wagered a little more than a little and almost won a whole lot. 

“Almost” being the operative word, as it often is in gambling.

Read on for more on that wager, along with other notable big plays from NFL Week 7 betting.

Lost Bet On Jets

On Sunday night, ahead of the New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game, Station Sportsbooks in Vegas posted this on X:

The $5,000 five-leg parlay already had four winners. Georgia moneyline +170 was the semi-surprise of the bunch, as the Bulldogs topped Texas 30-15 on Saturday.

The ticket also had the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles on the moneyline, at even money and -170, respectively. So, like Georgia, the bettor needed those two teams to just win their games.

Kansas City stifled the San Francisco 49ers in a Super Bowl rematch, winning 28-18. And Philly pounded the New York Giants 28-3.

The bettor also needed the Detroit Lions–Minnesota Vikings game to have the Over/Under on total points go beyond 51. That happened in Detroit’s 31-29 victory.

All that remained: New York Jets moneyline -130 vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night.

Add up all those odds on a parlay, and you’ve got +2797. Or just shy of 28/1, for a potential profit of $139,840.40 and a total payout of $144,840.40.

But Aaron Rodgers & Co. weren’t up to the task. The Jets lost 37-15.

Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: Chiefs OL Joe Thuney

I Like Big Bets And I Cannot Lie

Caesars Sports reported a couple of six-figure plays and some notable five-figure wagers in NFL Week 7 odds and college football Week 8 odds:

• $110,000 Commanders -8 vs. Panthers. Washington rolled 40-7, so the bettor profited $100,000 (total payout $210,000)
• $110,000 49ers -1.5 vs. Chiefs. This bet didn’t go so well. San Fran lost outright 28-18.
• $52,500 Falcons -3 (-105) vs. Seahawks. Atlanta gets belted 34-14, so another losing ticket.
• $25,000 Saints moneyline +135 vs. Broncos. Another torn-up ticket, as New Orleans gets drilled 33-10.
• $66,000 Georgia +3.5 vs. Texas. The Bulldogs notch a 30-15 victory, and the bettor profits $60,000 (total payout $126,000).
• $55,000 SMU -16.5 vs. Stanford. The Mustangs roll 40-10, and the bettor profits $50,000 (total payout $105,000).
• $26,182 Florida State moneyline +130 vs. Duke. The Seminoles lost 23-16.

A Michigan customer of Caesars looked to a futures market for a six-figure play: $100,000 on the Baltimore Ravens +325 to win the AFC. If the Ravens reach the Super Bowl, the bettor will collect $325,000 in profit (total payout $425,000).

We’ll wrap it up with betting a lot to win a little. On Friday night, Oregon was an overwhelming 30-point favorite vs. Purdue. That made the Ducks -4000 on the moneyline, to just win the game, regardless of margin.

A Caesars customer put down the unusual sum of $12,043.04 on Oregon moneyline -4000. The Ducks rolled to a 35-0 victory, netting the bettor a profit of … $301.08.

That’s 2.5% ROI. But I guess the logic is that it certainly beats losing 12 grand. 

Enjoy the Monday night double-dip of NFL to wrap up this week!

Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas.

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