The UFC 308 odds for this card show two favorites at the top of the list. Ilia Topuria and Khamzat Chimaev are expected to win, but I’m sure Max Holloway and Robert Whittaker will be eager to prove the bookies wrong!
The event will take place in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, October 26, starting earlier in the day in North America. I’ll break down the UFC 308 betting odds for these fights and give you my betting picks and predictions at the end of each section. I’ve also added a couple of UFC 308 parlays, for good measure.
The UFC 308 odds for this card come from Bovada, and you can find them by navigating to Sports > All Sports > UFC/MMA > UFC > UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway.
Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway Odds, Prediction, and Betting Pick
- Ilya Topuria: -240
- Max Holloway: +200
Ilia Topuria (15-0) opened as a normally priced favorite for a champion, and he was anywhere from -170 to -190 to start with. Even as of October 11, the featherweight champ was -260, but the price dropped to -290! As of October 23, “El Matador” is -240. On the other hand, Max Holloway (26-7) opened at around +150, and was all the way up to +240, but he sits at +200 now.
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You can get juicy returns on Holloway, who was the champion at 145 pounds from June 2017 to December 2019.
However, Topuria might be the next featherweight great, following in the footsteps of Jose Aldo, Holloway, and Alex Volkanovski. Topuria knocked out Volkanovski within two rounds in February 2024, and a win over Holloway would cement his spot atop the featherweight rankings.
Still, these UFC 308 betting odds are a little disrespectful to Holloway, a bona fide UFC legend!
Tale of the Tape and Fighting Styles
| ILIA TOPURIA | FIGHTERS | MAX HOLLOWAY |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | AGE | 32 |
| 15 | WINS | 26 |
| 0 | LOSSES | 7 |
| 5’8” | HEIGHT | 5’11” |
| 145 LBS | WEIGHT | 145 LBS |
| 69” | REACH | 69” |
| ORTHODOX | STANCE | ORTHODOX |
Topuria is a well-rounded mixed martial artist who has won five of his fights by knockout and eight by submission. He is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but recently, the 27-year-old has been relying on his striking.
Topuria has fantastic power for a 145-pounder. The Georgian/Spanish fighter also has a sterling 93% takedown defense, but he won’t need that against Holloway.
His opponent is one of the purest strikers in all of MMA. His 12 knockouts put him third all-time in the UFC, and he claims to be the best MMA boxer ever.
“Blessed” is long for a 145-pounder, and his 3,378 significant strikes are the most in UFC history, over 1,300 more than second-place Sean Strickland. Holloway throws with volume and venom, every time he steps into the Octagon.
Recent Performance and Form
Topuria’s Last Five Fights
Topuria made short work of Ryan Hall, both standing up and on the ground, to announce his arrival into the rankings. He did the same thing to Jai Herbert, slamming him to the mat.
Herbert battled back, but Topuria put him down with a right hand in the second round. “El Matador” then showed his submission chops, making Bryce Mitchell tap in the second round of their match.
Topuria continued his march to the top, pummeling Josh Emmett for five rounds in a unanimous-decision win. Next was Volkanovski, who was the featherweight champion.
Topuria thoroughly showed that there was a new king in town, frustrating Volkanovski with his striking. Another thundering right hand put out Topuria’s opponent’s lights out, ending Volkanovski’s reign.
Holloway’s Last Five Fights
- WIN vs. Justin Gaethje via KO, April 13, 2024
- WIN vs. Jung Chan-sun via KO, August 26, 2023
- WIN vs. Arnold Allen via Unanimous Decision, April 15, 2023
- LOSS vs. Alexander Volkanovski via Unanimous Decision, July 2, 2022
- WIN vs. Yair Rodriguez via Unanimous Decision, November 13, 2021
Holloway has always been one of the most entertaining fighters in the UFC. After losing the first round to Yair Rodriguez, Holloway stormed back to dominate the rest of the fight, which put him into his third fight with Volkanovski. “Blessed” failed for the third time to beat his rival, who took the belt from Holloway in July 2020.
While Holloway lost the title in a close split decision, the other two losses to Volkanovski were comprehensive. He recovered to defeat a game Arnold Allen by unanimous decision, and then Holloway was earmarked for Chan Sung Jung’s final fight. The Hawaiian won by knockout in the third round in Singapore.
Holloway’s most recent fight was classic as he took on Justin Gaethje for the “BMF” belt at UFC 300. He was winning the fight, but Holloway asked Gaethje to swing for the fences for the final ten seconds.
Holloway put Gaethje’s lights out with one second left in the fight for an incredible ending. This fight will be in the running for “Fight of the Year” by the time 2024 ends.
Topuria vs. Holloway Betting Pick
I give Holloway a lot of credit, and I do think he has a chance to win this fight. His last three losses were to Volkanovski, then he lost to Dustin Poirier at lightweight. No one has ever knocked Holloway out, and he took some massive shots from Gaethje, one of the heaviest hitters in the game.
Still, the old guard eventually has to make room for the new school. Topuria has more ways to win this match, as he can win with his striking or take Holloway to the mat.
I love Max Holloway, but I’m betting on Ilia Topuria at UFC betting sites to prove to everyone he is the featherweight king and will be for a long time. Keep an eye on the betting markets ahead of the fight as one of my UFC 308 best bets would be Topuria to win by decision, which you can find at Bovada at +275. Holloway is notoriously durable, and fighters’ chins tend to go in a hurry, but he is yet to show signs of a decline.
Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev Fighter Odds, Prediction, and Betting Pick
- Robert Whittaker: +210
- Khamzat Chimaev: -250
Khamzat Chimaev (13-0) has been a wrecking ball since he joined the UFC, or at least, when he’s active. Various ailments have kept Chimaev on the sidelines for lengthy spells, but he is still the favorite, according to these UFC 308 odds.
The betting lines on Chimaev opened up around -195, went up to -210, then down to -165, and back up to -185. However, as of October 23, Chimaev’s UFC 308 odds have taken a massive jump to -250!
Robert Whittaker (26-7), like Holloway, will go down as a legend in the UFC. The former middleweight champion continues to be in the mix at 185 pounds, but his title window is closing quickly. Whittaker is a +210 underdog at UFC 308, and he was +160 just a short week ago.
A win over Chimaev might get him a shot at current champion Dricus du Plessis after Whittaker lost to the current champ by TKO in a title eliminator in July 2023.
Tale of the Tape and Fighting Styles
| ROBERT WHITTAKER | FIGHTERS | KHAMZAT CHIMAEV |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | AGE | 30 |
| 26 | WINS | 13 |
| 7 | LOSSES | 0 |
| 6’0” | HEIGHT | 6’2” |
| 185 LBS | WEIGHT | 185 LBS |
| 73.5” | REACH | 75” |
| ORTHODOX | STANCE | ORTHODOX |
Chimaev’s game is to pressure from the time the bell goes to start the fight to the very end. He uses his elite grappling game to get opponents down, and keep them down.
You also can’t take him down, as shown by Chimaev’s 100% takedown defense. The 30-year-old out of Chechnya also throws at a high volume and has power, but his striking is a means to get him close and prepare takedowns.
Whittaker is more well-rounded, and a strong grappler as well. He almost represented Australia at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in freestyle wrestling.
However, Whittaker was the UFC champion at the time, and the company didn’t want him to get hurt. “Bobby Knuckles” will have his 83% takedown defense tested, but Whittaker is a better technical striker than Chimaev.
Recent Performance and Form
- WIN vs. Ikram Aliskerov via KO, June 22, 2024
- WIN vs. Paulo Costa via Unanimous Decision, February 17, 2024
- LOSS vs. Dricus du Plessis via TKO, July 8, 2023
- WIN vs. Marvin Vettori via Unanimous Decision, September 3, 2022
- LOSS vs. Israel Adesanya via Unanimous Decision, February 12, 2022
Whittaker lost his belt to Israel Adesanya in October 2019, then worked his way back up the rankings to a rematch in February 2022.
Adesanya won by unanimous decision, but some outlets thought Whittaker won the fight. The 33-year-old swept the scorecards against Marvin Vettori, keeping his opponent guessing with punches and kicks, and taking him down at the end of the fight.
Next was the title eliminator against du Plessis, who overwhelmed Whittaker and ended the fight in the second round due to a knockout. After a tough first round, Whittaker bounced back to defeat Paulo Costa by unanimous decision.
In his most recent fight, Whittaker took care of a clearly overmatched Ikram Aliskerov in June 2024. It should be said that Aliskerov took the fight on short notice as Whittaker and Chimaev were supposed to fight, but the Russian withdrew due to illness.
Chimaev’s Last Five Fights
- WIN vs. Kamaru Usman via Majority Decision, October 21, 2023
- WIN vs. Kevin Holland via Submission, September 10, 2022
- WIN vs. Gilbert Burns via Unanimous Decision, April 9, 2022
- WIN vs. Li Jingliang via Submission, October 30, 2021
- WIN vs. Gerald Meerschaert via KO, September 9, 2020
Chimaev was a revelation during the pandemic as he won three fights from July 16, 2020, to September 19, 2020, all by stoppage. He starched Gerald Meerschaert in 17 seconds by knockout to announce he was on the scene. Next up was Li Jingliang, who fell in the first round via brabo choke.
Chimaev then dropped to welterweight to take on former champion Gilbert Burns. “Borz” was tested by Burns, but Chimaev emerged with a unanimous decision.
The Chechnyan then fought Kevin Holland at 180 pounds as he missed weight for a welterweight fight against Nate Diaz.
Chimaev easily handled Holland, using a brabo choke once again for another first-round win. He is coming off his toughest fight to date as Chimaev fought former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman by majority decision in October 2023.
It should be said that Chimaev was due to fight Costa in his last match, but his opponent needed surgery and Usman stepped in on short notice.
It was alarming to some that Chimaev couldn’t finish Usman, who made his name at 170 pounds, took the fight on short notice, and was coming off his second straight loss to 170-pound champion Leon Edwards.
Whittaker vs. Chimaev Betting Pick
This fight hinges on which Chimaev we see on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. The Russian actually lives in the United Arab Emirates and claims that he is training better now. At 100%, I’m not sure that I see anyone beating Chimaev at 185 pounds. 170 pounds should be off Chimaev’s radar with his cutting issues.
Whittaker is a fantastic fighter, and a great person to represent the UFC. He could also win this fight, but I don’t see a world in which Chimaev doesn’t take him to the mat.
When that happens, Chimaev’s opponents are usually in trouble. I’ll take him at his word that he is healthy and has an improved training regiment, and bet on Khamzat Chimaev to win this fight. If he is indeed 100% healthy, I’d look at the Russian finish as well. Chimaev’s Inside Distance odds are -175, which is a little more value than his overall line.
Where to Bet on the UFC 308 Odds?
In closing, my UFC 308 betting predictions for the card’s two big fights are:
- Ilia Topuria (-240)
- Khamzat Chimaev (-250)
You can make a parlay in sports betting odds to get some value at -102!
My UFC 308 best bets are:
- Topuria by decision (+275)
- Chimaev inside distance (-175)
If you wanted to parlay these odds, you would receive even more value with odds of +489!
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