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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

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LIVE: Check out the UFC 308 media day video stream TODAY (Weds., Oct. 23, 2024) at 4:15 a.m. ET in the embedded video above to watch the Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway-led media extravaganza in “Pirate Coast” held in advance of the upcoming UFC 308 pay-per-view (PPV) on Sat. night (Oct. 26) inside Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Today’s UFC 308 media day is also expected to feature a bevy of main card attractions, including Robert Whittaker, Khamzat Chimaev, Magomed Ankalaev, Aleksandar Rakic, and Shara Magomedov, among others.

Check out the complete UFC 308 media day lineup below:

Ilia Topuria – UFC featherweight champion

Max Holloway – No. 2 UFC featherweight

Robert Whittaker – No. 3 UFC middleweight

Khamzat Chimaev – No. 12 UFC middleweight

Lerone Murphy – No. 12 UFC featherweight

Dan Ige – No. 14 UFC featherweight

Magomed Ankalaev – No. 2 UFC light heavyweight

Aleksandar Rakic – No. 5 UFC light heavyweight

Shara Magomedov – UFC middleweight

Armen Petrosyan – UFC middleweight

UFC 308 media day lineup subject to change.

“Look, I don’t want to take credit from Max Holloway because he demonstrates that he is a very good fighter with a lot of experience,” Topuria told Kevin Iole. “But, at the same time, he’s never faced anyone like me — never, ever. The moment that I take him down — if that happens — if I don’t knock him out before, I don’t think he’ll be able to stop my submissions.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 308 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 10 a.m. ET, followed by the UFC 308 PPV main card start time at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

To checkout the complete UFC 308 fight card and PPV lineup click here.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

The UFC 308 media day will feature the entire main card from Saturday’s UFC event at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

In the main event, UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will put his belt on the line against former UFC champion Max Holloway. Khamzat Chimaev will make his long-awaited return against Robert Whittaker in the co-main event.

Check out the tentative schedule below for UFC 308 media day:

4:15 a.m. ET: Armen Petrosyan

4:30 a.m.: Khamzat Chimaev

4:45 a.m.: Max Holloway

5:30 a.m.: Magomed Ankalaev

5:45 a.m.: Aleksandar Rakic

6 a.m.: Dan Ige

6:15 a.m.: Robert Whittaker

6:30 a.m.: Ilia Topuria

7 a.m.: Lerone Murphy

7:30 a.m.: Shara Magomedov

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UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili has looked to clear up the uncertainty surrounding the timeframe for his first title defense.

Dvalishvili reached the mountaintop at 135 pounds last month when he headlined UFC 306 inside the Sphere in competition for the belt, which was then held by striking specialist Sean O’Malley.

The Georgian standout made good on his prediction to dominate, securing a comfortable victory on the scorecards after five rounds of action at the Mexican Independence Day celebration.

But no sooner had the bantamweight gold been wrapped around his waist, talk turned to the first hurdle for Dvalishvili to overcome as kingpin. For most, that should be the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov. “The Machine,” however, caused eyebrows to raise when he called O’Malley out for an immediate rematch.

Nurmagomedov has used that to accused Dvalishvili of seeking to avoid him, as well as claims that the champ is deliberately targeting a defense during the period in which he’ll be inactive to observe Ramadan in 2025.

During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Dvalishvili sought to clear up his stance.

The Georgian titleholder insisted that he has no issue meeting the challenge of Nurmagomedov and would be willing to in February.

“Yes, the UFC told me to fight (Nurmagomedov in December) and I said I would fight him in February or March,” Dvalishvili said. “That was it. Now, Umar take another fight, so I don’t know. But like I said, I don’t know anything else. (I won’t fight) in January because it’s a new year and it’s Georgian Christmas and I need the time. I said February and March is good for me, and I’ll go from there.

“Like I said, I want three fights in 2025. So, I’m ready. I have no problem (fighting Nurmagomedov next). Whoever the UFC offers me, I will fight. I never choose my opponents, and I’m going to continue the same,” Dvalishvili continued. “I’ve never had the option to say, ‘I’m going to fight him, or him.’ I was never like this in this situation before, and I don’t see why it’d be different now.”

But Nurmagomedov evidently isn’t buying it.

After Dvalishvili’s teammate, former champ Aljamain Sterling, took to social media to defend the Georgian’s willingness to return sooner if his opposition was Sean O’Malley, Nurmagomedov branded his remarks a “cheap excuse.”

• Read More: Umar Nurmagomedov Rips ‘Bum’ Sean O’Malley Over UFC 306 Performance

Continue Reading Merab Dvalishvili Clarifies UFC Return Timeline Amid Umar Nurmagomedov’s Complaints at MMA News.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Ilia Topuria has big goals after UFC 308.

This Saturday, Topuria defends his UFC featherweight title against Max Holloway in Abu Dhabi. It’s one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year, and it’s Topuria’s first title defense, but for “El Matador” it’s more than that: it’s the next step on a road to immortality.

Speaking with UFC on TNT Sports ahead of this weekend’s big event, Topuria revealed that in the next three years — by the time he’s 30 years old — he plans on being a three-division world champion.

“Probably a three-weight world champion, this is my goal,” Topuria said. “You’re not going to see me in the welterweight division like this, skinny. You’re going to see me different. That’s the goal. Move up to the lightweight division, get that belt, then move up to the welterweight division.”

Thus far, nine different fights have titles in two UFC weight classes, with only five doing so simultaneously. Thus far no fighter has ever even challenged for a title in three UFC weight classes, though recently, former UFC middleweight champion and current UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira teased the possibility of moving up to heavyweight to do so.

But first thing is first, Topuria has to settle his business with Holloway. The current “BMF” Champion has only lost to Alexander Volkanovski at featherweight over the past decade and presents a serious challenge to the young champion. But Topuria has his own challenge for Holloway come Saturday: to meet him in the middle, like Holloway has repeatedly done at the end of previous fights.

“If he stays in the middle the first 10 seconds of the fight, they’re going to see the most exciting 10 seconds in the UFC in MMA history,” Topuria promised. “It’s going to be fireworks. For sure I’m going to do that, and it’s going to be all up to him if he wants to stay with me or not.”

UFC 308 takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi this Saturday.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts