Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway meet in the featherweight championship main event this Saturday at UFC 308, a fight the MMA community has been waiting for since it was announced.
Watch MMA Fighting’s UFC 308 Timeline video for an in-depth look at how both headliners got to this weekend’s pay-per-view at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
The undefeated Topuria captured the UFC featherweight title with a Knockout of the Year contending finish of Alexander Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 298 in February. Prior to that, Topuria competed in his first promotional headliner at UFC Jacksonville, earning a lopsided unanimous decision victory against Josh Emmett in June 2023.
Holloway looks to once again call himself 145-pound champ. Since losing to Volkanovski for the third time at UFC 276 in July 2022, “Blessed” has been on a roll, winning all of his fights, including a knockout for the ages of Justin Gaethje at April’s UFC 300 event to win the BMF title.
Will Topuria’s streak of dominance continue, or will the Blessed Express begin another championship journey?
Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway are a day away from one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year at UFC 308, but the official weigh-ins already featured plenty of drama.
Though all 26 fighters competing Saturday in Abu Dhabi successfully made weight—including headliners Topuria and Holloway, both at 145—much of the buzz Friday morning concerned the status of Khamzat Chimaev. “Borz” is set to compete for just the second time since September 2022, having experienced several bout cancellations due to illness and other issues, so there was reason for fans to wonder if he would even make it to the scale.
Sure enough, Chimaev was the last fighter to weigh in, coming in well into the second hour of the official window. In fact, under the revised protocol the UFC has used at several events, fighters are encouraged to register a weight in the first hour and only if that attempt goes awry should they utilize the second hour. Regardless, an apologetic Chimaev stepped to the scale and successfully weighed in at 186 pounds for his fight against former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (185.5).
Watch highlights of the official weigh-ins above.
The morning featured two other curiosities, with lightweights Mateusz Rebecki and Myktybek Orolbai now competing in a 160-pound catchweight bout, and Farid Basharat vs. Victor Hugo moved up to the 145-pound limit. The latter change created confusion as Hugo weighed in first at 145.5 pounds, followed by Basharat coming in at 137 pounds. Both fighters most recently competed at bantamweight.
A reason for the changes was not announced.
Check out UFC 308 official weigh-in results below.
Main Card (ESPN+ PPV at 2 p.m. ET)
Ilia Topuria (145) vs. Max Holloway (145)
Backup fighter: Diego Lopes (145)
Robert Whittaker (185.5) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (186)
Magomed Ankalaev (204.5) vs. Aleksandar Rakic (206)
Dana White was more than ready on Thursday to respond to a few statements made by PFL co-founder Donn Davis during a town hall session held on MMA Fighting just 24 hours earlier.
During the hour long question and answer period, Davis addressed numerous inquiries from fans including the success of the recent PFL: Battle of the Giants pay-per-view capped off by Francis Ngannou’s return to MMA where he bludgeoned Renan Ferreira with punches for a first-round finish in the main event. While Davis couldn’t reveal how many pay-per-view buys the card generated, he did make one dubious claim when comparing PFL to UFC.
“This event by our research beat every viewership number of every UFC event this year and was very, very close to Ring of Fire,” Davis said.
It’s safe to say, White isn’t buying it.
When asked to address that claim following a Power Slap event in Abu Dhabi, the UFC CEO gleefully pulled out a sheet of paper filled with metrics comparing PFL to his slap-fighting league rather than the UFC.
“The PFL should keep the UFC out of their mouth,” White said. “They can’t even deal with Power Slap. Power Slap destroys PFL. It’s weird that you asked me that question because I just happened to have some papers here.
“So first of all let’s start with followers — Power Slap has 19.2 million followers, PFL has 10 [million]. Video views, PFL fight week did 326 million. Power Slap 8 did 690 million. PFL fight week Instagram views: 76 million. So if you look at PFL, fight week and the aftermath, these guys had 76 [million]. Just the week of [the event] they had 68 million on Power Slap and we hadn’t even had a fight yet. PFL’s Instagram reel with Francis and Ronaldo did 14 million views. Power Slap 9’s Instagram reel with contender Isaih [Quinones] had 22 million views. That was a repost of an old fight. The repost of the old fight beat Francis and Ronaldo.”
While he didn’t spend much time pitting the UFC against PFL, White did toss out one claim that a UFC Fight Night card held back in January actually pulled in bigger viewership numbers than the PFL pay-per-view.
“I could keep going on for a f*cking month here,” White said. “Then if you want to get into what he said about the UFC, I have a laundry list here but let me just start with this: UFC Vegas 84 at the APEX beat them.
“I love the stuff that he said. He sounds like Kamala [Harris], talks a lot but says nothing. I would hate to be one of that guy’s investors. [He said] ‘I don’t watch MMA. I’ve worked seven years and haven’t taken a vacation.’ You should probably take a vacation. You’re out of your f*cking mind. You should probably take a vacation.”
White rarely misses an opportunity to dunk on anybody attempting to come after him or the UFC but he reveled in the opportunity to fire back at Davis following his statements on Wednesday.
“That guy shouldn’t even mention the UFC,” White said. “He’s not even in Power Slap’s [league]. Then he was talking about ‘there’s all kinds of combination packages and how all this works.’ He doesn’t beat Power Slap in revenue. He doesn’t beat Power Slap in ticket sales. He doesn’t beat Power Slap in sponsorship. He doesn’t beat Power Slap in anything let alone the UFC.
“It’s obvious this guy isn’t an MMA fan. He’s acting like he’s some f*cking great businessman. He does not sound like a guy that I would want to invest my money with. But good luck to his investors.”
White also addressed the recent statement made by current Bellator champion Usman Nurmagomedov, who said that he planned to eventually join the UFC roster after his friend and teammate Islam Makhachev was done with fighting.
That didn’t come as a surprise to White, who expects Nurmagomedov and every other major fighter in the PFL would prefer competing in the UFC minus one person in particular.
“I mean all their good people want to be over here anyway so I would imagine that eventually yes, they will be here,” White said. “Nobody wants to fight in the f*cking PFL except for Francis.”
Dana White nearly cut Francis Ngannou from the UFC years before he left on his own volition.
Earlier this month, Ngannou made his long-awaited return to MMA, knocking out Renan Ferreira in the first round of their heavyweight matchup at PFL: Battle of the Giants. The fight was Ngannou’s first since leaving the UFC as heavyweight champion in 2023 and re-ignited a simmering feud between the 38-year-old fighter and his former boss.
The basis of the dispute between White and Ngannou is part of the reason why “The Predator” chose not to re-sign with the UFC based on the terms that were offered. During a Power Slap press conference on Thursday, White doubled down on his declaration that Ngannou could have made more money staying in the UFC, but this time added a new wrinkle: He actually wanted to cut Ngannou from the promotion in 2018.
“Francis is all about the money,” White said. “Francis left because he knew that if he fought Jon Jones and didn’t win, it would hurt his chances of making the money that he wanted to make. But realistically, his deal was bigger here. His deal was bigger here if he stayed in the UFC. … They can deny it all they want, why the f*ck would I lie? Why do I care? It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other.
“I was going to cut Francis when he lost two in a row. I was going to cut him. Somebody around here begged me not to do it. So it wouldn’t have mattered to me, one way or the other. There’s a much deeper story to this whole thing, and he would have made more money if he stayed in the UFC.”
Ngannou dropped back-to-back fights in 2018, falling to Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title in their first encounter and then losing a decision to Derrick Lewis six months later in a fight widely considered to be one of the worst in modern UFC history.
Of course after those losses, Ngannou went on his current run, stringing together four first-round knockouts to earn a second crack at Miocic. He won the rematch via second-round knockout to claim the UFC heavyweight title.
Ngannou then defended his title against Ciryl Gane and while many fans hoped he would return to the promotion for a showdown against Jon Jones, he opted to sign with the PFL in free agency.
For White, that was the end of his focus on Ngannou.
“He didn’t want to fight Jon Jones, that’s a fact, and we’re moving on,” White said. “Obviously, everybody loves Tom Aspinall and wants to see Jones and Aspinall, or Stipe and Aspinall. I feel like when Stipe and Jon were young — Jon was 23, youngest champion in UFC history — somebody gave him an opportunity. I think that Stipe and Jon, whoever wins should give Aspinall the same opportunity they had.”
Jones and Miocic are set to fight for the heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 309 next month. With interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall waiting for his shot at the undisputed title, the bout has faced criticism, particularly with both Miocic and Jones potentially teasing retirement afterward.
But for White, he believes that’s just posturing and fans will ultimately get the fight they want for Aspinall.
“I think both Jon and Stipe will say they’re going to retire because they’re going to start negotiating,” White said. “And what the negotiation is, we will get the deal done.”
UFC 309 takes place on Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Ilia Topuria will step on the scales at UFC 308 weigh-ins Friday morning. | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
At the UFC 308 weigh-ins, all 26 fighters on Saturday’s UFC fight card step on the scale Friday morning in Abu Dhabi. Watch MMA Fighting’s live stream of the official weigh-ins above.
UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and “BMF” champion Max Holloway meet in the main event and can weigh no more than 145 pounds, the maximum limit for a featherweight championship bout.
The UFC 308 official weigh-ins will be Friday at 1 a.m. ET.
The UFC 308 ceremonial weigh-ins will be Friday at 10 a.m. ET.
UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira is crossing over to Hollywood with his first major acting role booked in upcoming film directed by Adam Wingard, who is also responsible for Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
Pereira is expected to portray the villain in the movie Onslaught, which is described as a “gonzo action horror thriller” with DNA similar to some of Wingard’s early films such as You’re Next and The Guest. The Hollywood Reporter first reported the casting news with additional sources confirming Pereira’s casting to MMA Fighting on Thursday.
Pereira is expected to star alongside Adria Arjona (Hit Man) playing “a mother who falls back on a particular set of skills in order to protect her loved ones after she runs afoul of a threat that has escaped a secret military base,”
Pereira plays that threat as a character called The Butcher and he’s expected to incorporate some of his fighting skills in the featured role for the project.
Wingard is set to direct Onslaught with a script from longtime collaborator Simon Barrett, who just recently penned the screenplay for the Samara Weaving led horror film Azrael. The film is being produced by A24, Lyrical Media and Ryder Picture Company.
The role is a first for Pereira, who has quickly become one of the biggest stars on the entire UFC roster after he conquered both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions in record time. Most recently, Pereira dispatched Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307, which was the third defense of his title in 2024.
Following the fight, Pereira said he had some commitments to fulfill but hoped to return to action in early 2024. It appears playing a villain in the upcoming film Onslaught is one of those obligations now.
TKO Group Holdings — the combined company with UFC and WWE — has acquired new assets from Endeavor in an all-stock deal worth $ 3.25 billion.
Terms of the deal were announced on Thursday with TKO acquiring Professional Bull Riders, the event planning and hospitality service On Location as well as IMG, a sports and media agency, producer and distributor previously housed at Endeavor.
Under the terms of the deal, Endeavor “will receive approximately 26.14 million common” shares of TKO stock and “will subscribe for an equal number of shares of TKO’s Class B common stock.”
Once the deal closes, Endeavor will own 59-percent of TKO with remaining shareholders controlling the other 41-percent of TKO stock.
“PBR, On Location, and IMG are industry-leading assets that meaningfully enhance TKO’s portfolio and strengthen our position in premium sports globally,” TKO president and COO Mark Shapiro said in a press release. “Within TKO, they will help power the growth of our revenue streams and position us to capture even more upside from some of the most attractive parts of our sports ecosystem: media rights, live events, ticket sales, premium experiences, brand partnerships, and site fees.
“These assets are already built into our business strategy at TKO and will serve to further enhance our strong track record of execution across UFC and WWE.”
The deal comes as Endeavor is preparing to go private after spending the past three years as a publicly traded company. Silver Lake, a private equity firm, is funding the privatization at an approximate cost of $ 13 billion.
Obviously, Endeavor remains the primary shareholder in TKO, which is still a publicly traded company with UFC and WWE now being joined by these new assets in the combined company.
Since UFC and WWE merged under TKO Group Holdings, the company has flourished with stock prices continuing to rise in 2024. The UFC has continued to report record revenues year after year since being acquired by Endeavor back in 2016.
UFC is expected to give TKO another jolt in 2025 when the promotion negotiates a new broadcast rights deal, which is expected to be worth several billion over the next few years. The UFC’s current deal remains exclusive with ESPN through the end of 2025.
Paige VanZant wasn’t happy with the result in her latest slap fighting match but she takes responsibility for the foul that ultimately led to her draw against Chelsea Dodson on Thursday in Abu Dhabi.
The former UFC fighter and BKFC veteran landed an illegal blow in the second round of her sophomore match in Power Slap, which cost her a point and ultimately the decision. It was VanZant’s second strike thrown when she was penalized for “clubbing” after connecting more of her wrist and arm than the hand, which actually opened a small cut on Dodson’s face.
As a result, VanZant lost a point and without a knockout or knockdown to help even the score in the final round, she could only earn a draw.
“Well guys, Power Slap is over,” VanZant said on her Instagram. “Went home with the draw. I accidentally clubbed. That was my fault. Still learning. I was a little bit too close on one of my shots. Just got to get my distance right for the next one. Power Slap, you’re going to see me again.”
The match, which ended with 28-28 scores across the board, was VanZant’s second appearance in the Dana White owned promotion after she debuted there back in June. On that night, VanZant earned a unanimous decision win after she ate all three shots from her opponent and actually delivered a brutal knockdown along the way.
VanZant later stated that Power Slap was supposed to be a “bucket list” item to check off for her combat sports career but she enjoyed it so much that she booked a second match ahead of UFC 308 weekend in Abu Dhabi.
Despite the disappointing result, VanZant has now vowed to return with hopes to return to the win column in her next appearance.
Paige VanZant didn’t get the result she wanted in her second appearance in Power Slap after the UFC and BKFC veteran was penalized for an illegal blow in the second round in her match against Chelsea Dodson.
The 30-year-old combat sports star, who made her slap fighting debut back in June with a unanimous decision win, ended up going to a draw with Dodson — wife to former UFC title contender John Dodson — after she was deducted a point for “clubbing,” which is defined as “any strike other than a permitted slap to the permitted target area.”
In this case, VanZant delivered a shot where more of her arm connected with Dodson’s face than her hand, which resulted in a penalty being assessed.
The one-point deduction put VanZant in a tough position to either deliver a knockdown or a knockout in order to win the bout in the third round. Neither of those things happened, although VanZant did win both the first and third rounds on the scorecards.
Dodson took that with EASE
Tune into #PowerSlap9 NOW Live & Free on Rumble@visitabudhabi | @inabudhabi | #InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/2xk84SbtxA
— Power Slap (@powerslap) October 24, 2024
Unfortunately the point deduction in the second round cost VanZant the match after both she and Dodson stayed standing following each blow delivered during the match. The final tally was 28-28 across all three scorecards with the bout declared a draw.
Paige shook that off ️
Tune into #PowerSlap9 NOW LIVE & FREE on Rumble@visitabudhabi | @inabudhabi | #InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/EAjhgSstXu
— Power Slap (@powerslap) October 24, 2024
VanZant didn’t speak directly after the match, although she said after her Power Slap debut in June that she definitely planned on competing there again in the future.
“Kind of going into it was like, ‘I only have to do this one time, a bucket list thing, I want to go do Power Slap, prove that I can,’” VanZant told MMA Fighting in July after her debut. “But then afterward it was like, ‘Shoot, that was really fun.’”
It remains to be seen if Thursday’s match could lead to another VanZant appearance in Power Slap.
Usman and Khabib Nurmagomedov | Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images
Usman Nurmagomedov is a man with a plan.
Younger brother of UFC bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov and cousin to lightweight GOAT Khabib Nurmagomedov, the undefeated Usman is currently the Bellator 155-pound champion. Recently, Usman Nurmagomedov successfully defended his title against Alexander Shabliy at in September, cementing himself as one of the best lightweights on Earth. But his ambition doesn’t stop there.
Speaking recently about his future plans, Nurmagomedov revealed he hopes to follow in his cousin’s footsteps by making the move to the octagon once training partner and UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is done.
“I’m waiting for Islam to finish his career and then I will [go after the UFC title],” Nurmagomedov said on Gorilla Fighting’s YouTube. “I think if we get it right, we’ll be fighting in the UFC at 28. I’m 26 years old right now. Two years, I’ll get stronger and that’s it. Go into the UFC at 28 and compete until I’m 32.”
Undefeated for nearly a decade, Makhachev is currently the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in MMA, with three successful lightweight title defenses to his name. Before winning the belt, Makhachev found himself in a similar situation to Usman, serving as “the next man up” to Khabib Nurmagomedov. That played out exactly to the plan of the legendary coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, who developed all of these fighters, and according to Khabib, that plan also extended to Usman.
“This is what Abdulmanap envisioned,” Khabib said. “He strongly believed in Usman and always said that he would be the future champion. I didn’t see the potential when he was 16 years old. I saw the prospects and I believed, and from the very beginning, my father believed in it all, believed in Usman’s future.”
Of course, Nurmagomedov’s intention to go to the UFC is not exactly great news for the Bellator or its owner, the PFL. However, speaking with MMA Fighting on Wednesday, PFL co-founder Donn Davis dismissed this as a concern for the promotion.
“How many of you have said you’re going to move to Florida and retire in four years, and how many of you do it?” Davis said. “One in 10? One in five? … People say things all the time, and then they don’t do it.
“So might he go? Might not he go? Might he go in two years? Might he go in five years? Might he be the champion? Might not he be the champion? My goal is to make my man Usman happy. My goal is to make my man Usman successful, financially rich, and a champion, so that in two years he forgets he said this today.”
Whatever happens in two years, for the time being, Nurmagomedov remains signed with Bellator, where his next fight is likely a title defense against Paul Hughes, following the Irishman’s win over A.J. McKee at PFL Battle of the Giants this past Saturday.
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