UFC 308: Topuria vs Holloway comes to us this week from the Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Legend of the sport Max Holloway looks to regain the featherweight throne as Ilia Topuria tries to write his own chapter of history. In the co-main we get another legend in Robert Whittaker trying to climb his way to the top against the always dangerous Khamzat Chimaev We hit those fights and dig through the rest of the card to give you our UFC 308 best bets. Come check out these UFC 308 picks for Saturday.
Go here for more UFC picks!
UFC 308: Topuria vs Holloway – Predictions & Best Bets
Rinat Fakhretdinov ML (-225) vs. Carlos Leal
Carlos Leal is a guy who belongs in the UFC. He’s tough, has faced a high level of competition, and is really well-rounded. However, the circumstances to this fight are just not good for him. He was training for a fighter with a different style with that fight coming Tuesday on UAE Warriors 55. With only a week to prepare he was pulled to take on Fakhretdinov, who is a tough match for everyone in the division. I don’t think Leal will be able to hang with the wrestling and will likely fight the bulk of this one off his back.
Robert Whittaker ML (+200) vs. Khamzat Chimaev
While I understand why the line is where it is, I just don’t understand why people are trusting the cardio of Chimaev. He’s faded in more than one fight and it usually comes mid-second round. Not only is he now fighting a guy who is hard to get out of there, but one with great cardio. To make matters worse for Chimaev, it’s a five-round fight. Having faded and lost the striking to Kamaru Usman on four days notice, up a weight class – you have to imagine Whittaker will do far worse to him.
Ismail Naurdiev ML (-170) vs. Bruno SIlva
Naurdiev was a surprise to be re-signed as he really didn’t have a great record outside of the UFC. However, one thing you can’t doubt is his ability to wrestle and grab submissions. Bruno Silva is a guy who wants to box and has shown holes in his grappling. I expect Naurdiev to drag things to the ground and make this one ugly. The submission line is sitting at +600, which puts that as a fun flier in my opinion as well.
Abus Magomedov – Wins via Sumbission (+475)
Speaking of submission lines I like, Abus Magomedov’s number is way higher than I expected. Being that he’s fighting a big power puncher, I expect him to do the smart thing and lean on his wrestling – which he did well in his last fight. I also question the cardio of Ferreira as the fight goes on. If this fight winds up on the mat for an extended period of time, he has a far better chance at catching a rear naked choke than this line would suggest.
Myktybek Orolbai – Wins via Inside the Distance (+165)
Since he’s come to the UFC, Orolbai has consistently put a pace on people. He’s got finishes in three of his last four fights, with only the freakishly tough Elves Brenner surviving. Now he’ll fight Mateusz Rebecki, who has notable issues with his cardio. He tends to throw big early and it costs him later. If that pace comes from Orolbai, Rebecki should wilt and not be able to survive the 15 minutes.
Chris Barnett ML (+525) vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
While he has been out of the cage for a bit, I love the big number on ‘Beast Boy’s line. He is always game on his feet and can knock someone out at any point. On the other side of this line is someone who was recently KOed by Dustin Jacoby (who has just two KOs in his last eight fights). Plus, Nzechukwu also completely ran out of gas against Ovince St. Pruex. Now he’ll jump up to heavyweight, which I don’t expect to help his cardio.
If you’d like even more UFC 308: Topuria vs Holloway bets, be sure to check out the MMA Gambling Podcast. The guys are dropping weekly episodes to make you the smartest guy at the bar.
