UFC 308 is Starting to Add Some Serious Beef Beyond Main Event

September 5, 2024

1 day

Putting together a fight card requires much more thought than getting two fights to sign up for a main event. UFC 308 already has a headliner that should produce great interest among fans who follow MMAfighting latest news. Ilia Topuria will make his first title defense on Oct. 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi against former champion Max Holloway.

Holloway is hot, coming off a legendary knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. Before Topuria won the belt by knocking out long-time champion Alexander Volkanovski, Holloway appeared destined to be a career gatekeeper for prospects seeking the top of the rankings.

While the Holloway-Topuria fight will be the one fight on the card that gets the most buzz, there will be plenty of other action to keep people interested. On Monday, the UFC announced three more fights for the card that featured a co-main event between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev and an exciting heavyweight bout between Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov.

UFC Announced Three More Fights for Card

The Middle East has become a major center for boxing and mixed martial arts over the past few years. With some of the world’s top heavyweight boxers finding opportunities for big fights over there, it’s only natural the UFC would try to get in on that market as well.

That’s why the promotion loaded up UFC 308 with excellent fights. There was a lot of speculation about where Topuria’s first title defense would be. He wanted to have an event in Spain, but the UFC doesn’t

Here’s a look at the other fights that were just added.

Shara Bullet Makes Short Turnaround

Sharabutdin Magomedov is anxious to climb up the ladder to the middleweight rankings. One of the most surefire strategies to continue his pursuit of more difficult fights is to be active. When Magomedov steps into the octagon to fight Armen Petrosyan, it will be his third fight since June of this year.

While some people were disappointed that Magomedov didn’t get a knockout in his last fight, he still came out with a dominant decision victory. Magomedov, who is 14-0, will take a step up in competition when he fights Petrosyan.

Petrosyan is a Russian fighter coming off a submission loss to Rodolfo Vieira. While Petrosyan is 9-3 in his career, he has fought tough competition. Petrosyan has a win over respected power puncher Gregory Rodrigues, though he lost a decision to rising middleweight contender Caio Borralho.

Petrosyan will be under an immense amount of pressure in this match. The crowd will likely be against him. Magomedov may also feel some pressure to finish this fight.

Magomedov hasn’t thrown out enough volume in his last few fights. He may pick up the pace in this contest. Only relying on spectacular strikes and looking for a quick stoppage may not be the best path to victory against Petrosyan.

Rębecki Needs to Show He Learned From Past Mistakes

Mateusz Rębecki learned the lesson that every rising fighter in the UFC eventually has to learn. Rębecki is known for finishing his opponents quickly and doesn’t necessarily have a backup plan for a fight that will go the distance. Following Rębecki’s fight with Diego Ferreira back in May, he ended up in the hospital following a sustained beating.

But Rębecki has healed up and is looking for his 20th professional victory when he takes on Myktybek Orolbai. Orolbai hasn’t lost a fight since 2020. He has only fought twice in the UFC, making his debut with a submission win last November over Uroš Medić.

Orolbai hasn’t tasted much disappointment during his career, compiling a 13-1-1 record in professional fights. Much like Rębecki, Orolbai is a finisher. He has earned 11 stoppages in his victories.

Aslan Has Shown Dynamite in His Hands

Ibo Aslan delivered when he made his debut on the UFC main roster in March. In the third round, Aslan knocked out Anton Turkalj. All 13 of Aslan’s career victories have come via knockout.

MMA breaking news shows that Rafael Cerqueira likely won’t be afraid to engage with Aslan. Cerqueira will be making his UFC debut in this fight. He has impressed on the regional scene. Cerqueira is 11-0 in his career and has collected eight knockouts and two wins by submission.

Can Anyone Steal the Show from the Main Event?

Holloway and Topuria is the kind of fight anyone seeking out the MMA latest updates should be excited about. Topuria has quickly developed into one of the UFC’s top knockout artists. Holloway has never been knocked out and is as impressive a boxer as the sport has.

There’s a lot to like about the Chimaev-Whittaker matchup. Chimaev has been flirting with a shot at the middleweight title for several years. However, injuries and problems with cutting weight have slowed his progress.

While Whittaker, a former champion, is on the backside of his career, he has proven time and time again he is not ready to be done yet. Another fighter to keep an eye on is the light heavyweight fight between Magomed Ankalaev and Aleksandar Rakić.

Ankalaev is still seeking redemption for the light heavyweight title last year. He didn’t lose his fight but fought to a draw with Jan Błachowicz. Ankalaev has to feel like he has a good shot at winning the light heavyweight title against the current champion.

Alex Pereira is the light heavyweight champion and would be at a grappling disadvantage against Ankalaev. But Ankalaev needs to win this fight first if he wants a shot at Pereira.

Here are other fights on the card not mentioned above: