Ilia Topuria will face Max Holloway in the main event at UFC 308. The fight is for Topuria’s UFC featherweight championship belt. Topuria (-210) is the favorite to win the fight. But Holloway (+170) is an extremely dangerous opponent who can’t be underestimated. Check out our latest UFC betting picks below, where we tell you who will win the fight.
UFC pay-per-view events seem to be coming around quicker and quicker as we head towards the Christmas break. By the time UFC 308 takes place at the end of the month, there will have been three PPV events since mid-September.
Anyway, we’re certainly not complaining. The action has been out of this world. And with Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway headlining the next event, that theme looks set to continue.
Ilia Topuria is unbeaten in MMA. He is the current UFC Featherweight champion.
When he steps into the Octagon in Abu Dhabi to face Max Holloway, Topuria will be defending his title for the first time.
Max Holloway needs little to no introduction. Holloway is a former champion in the 145-pound division. And he is also the holder of the symbolic BMF title after his ridiculous last-gasp KO of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in April.
No matter who wins this fight, one thing we are almost certainly guaranteed is entertainment.
In the latest UFC Vegas Betting Odds, Ilia Topuria is the -210 betting favorite to win on the money line. Max Holloway is +170 to cause an upset and win back his previously held featherweight title.
The prop bets for this fight are yet to go live.
More Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway betting options from our recommended UFC betting sites can be found on our odds table.
Ilia Topuria has a MMA record of 15-0.
The breakdown of his wins is eight by submission, five by KO, and two by decision. In the UFC he is 7-0.
Born in Georgia, 27-year-old Topuria is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu who fights out of an orthodox stance.
As you have probably gathered by his fight record, he is just as comfortable on the mat as on his feet.
Although perhaps more tellingly, four of his seven wins in the UFC have come by KO – including his most recent victory over Alexander Volkanovski, in the fight that saw him crowned UFC Featherweight champion.
The champion lands 4.4 significant strikes a minute. His accuracy rate is 46%. On the flip side, he absorbs 3.35 significant strikes per minute, with a defense percentage of 65.
On the mat, Topuria has a takedown average of 1.92 per 15 minutes. His takedown accuracy stands at 56 percent, with his defense measured at an impressive 92 percent.
Topuria’s most recent fight was his second-round KO of Volkanovski to win the featherweight title in February 2024. The fight was significant as not only did it win Topuria the Performance of the Night award, but it also ended Volkanovski’s four-year reign as champion.
Max Holloway has a career MMA record of 26-7. In the UFC, his record reads 22-7.
Three of Holloway’s defeats have come at the fists of Alexander Volkanovski. Holloway lost his featherweight title to the Australian at UFC 245 in 2019 and has failed on two occasions to win it back from the former champion.
Holloway first fought in the UFC in 2012. He is a veteran within the franchise. His 22 wins in the organization have come by 11 knockouts, nine decisions, and two submissions. Six of his seven losses have come by decision, with one by submission.
Holloway has never been knocked out in his 33-fight MMA career. And in his 29 fights in the UFC, he has never even been knocked to the mat.
Part of the reason for this is his extraordinary work rate. Throughout his career, Holloway has broken endless records in the UFC for his striking rates.
His percentages dwarf those of Topuria. Holloway lands 7.17 significant strikes per minute, with an accuracy of 48%.
Holloway also absorbs more hits at 4.72 per minute – this is probably down to his no-holds-barred fighting style. His defense percentage sits at 59. Slightly less than his opponent.
Holloway also has a poorer record than Topuria in grappling. His takedown average is 0.25 per 15 minutes. He defends 84% of takedown attempts.
Holloway is on a three-fight winning streak. Since his third loss to Volkanovski, Holloway has defeated Arnold Allen by unanimous decision, Jung Chan-sung by KO, and most recently, Justin Gaethje by KO in that stunning win at UFC 300.
Ilia Topuria doesn’t look to have any weaknesses and at 27 years old, he has five years on his opponent. Holloway can’t be written off, though. If he is to win, we say it will be by KO.
The smart money has to be on a win for the champion. Topuria almost certainly wins if the fight goes the distance. But don’t rule out a KO either. Holloway isn’t getting any younger. It would be a shock to see him finally stopped. But it could be that Topuria is the man to do it.
For our betting pick, we will play safe, and just back Ilia Topuria to win the fight by any method.
See below the best online betting sites in USA 2024, where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
