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Card Info
Airing on Friday 10.18.2024 at 08:30 AM ET
Main Card on YouTube
Stream
Lineup listed here
Fight card order and start times may be inaccurate.
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Francis Ngannou | Photo by Mohammed Saad/Anadolu via Getty Images
Francis Ngannou almost didn’t come back to fighting.
This past weekend, Ngannou made his long-awaited return to MMA, fighting Renan Ferreira in the main event of PFL Superfights: Battle of the Giants. But Ngannou’s return was far from a certainty. Earlier this year “The Predator” suffered a terrible tragedy when his 15-month-old son Kobe died due to a medical issue, and speaking with TMZ Sports, the lineal heavyweight champion admits after it happened, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever fight again.
“Yes, there was a point that I didn’t know anything,” Ngannou said when asked if he thought he might never fight again after his son’s passing. “Everything seemed so fragile. You didn’t know if maybe if it would not happen to you to, if it’s not some sort of genetic pandemic, genetic disease, I don’t know, a curse. If it was just bad luck that was going to keep happening. A lot of stuff happens in your head that you don’t usually think about, or you never think about.”
Ultimately, Ngannou did decide to fight on and returned in good form, finishing Ferreira with strikes in the first round. But though he made the performance look easy, Ngannou says the preparation was anything but.
“By far. It was by far the toughest [training camp of my life],” Ngannou said. “When I thought about retiring, it wasn’t an option, because retiring … was to put the responsibility on my son again, which is not his responsibility. Then I said maybe I should wait for a little while before going back to fighting but I didn’t know when exactly. I didn’t know when there would be a time that it’s going to go away, it’s going to be OK. It’s just one of those things you just realize at the beginning you better learn how to roll with it because it will always be there. …
“It was a way for me not only to have something to focus on but maybe do something to honor him, seeing as I didn’t have a chance to fight for him.”
The win was Ngannou’s first fight in the PFL, after taking the previous year and a half to pursue his interests in boxing. But given everything that’s happened to him this year, Ngannou doesn’t have any concrete plans about what comes next, be it boxing or MMA.
“I haven’t really thought about what’s next,” Ngannou said. “I have no idea. Not only will I take some time to rest, because I had a feeling that I took this fight too early. There were too many emotions, I was in a different space. …
“I’ll take some time, see what’s out there, what is offering itself. Then I will consider something if there is something good.”
TOP STORIES
Promotion. Dana White revealed he almost cut Francis Ngannou from the UFC in 2018.
Stand and deliver. Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway got into a heated exchange about the “stand and point” maneuver ahead of UFC 308.
Beef. Dana White had harsh words for PFL CEO Donn Davis as they continue to spar.
Champ. Belal Muhammad laughs off Ilia Topuria saying he wants to become a three-division champion.
Rules. New York State Athletic Commission set to adopt new MMA rules ahead of UFC 309.
PowerSlap. Paige VanZant penalized for illegal strike in her second PowerSlap outing.
VIDEO STEW
Between the Links.
UFC 308 press conference.
UFC 308 Open Workout highlights.
Dana White scrum.
UFC 308 Embedded, episode 4.
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
Jake Paul.
3 years ago he was telling Jon Jones to move down to 185 to avoid @francis_ngannou and that Jon didn’t really want to fight Francis…but now the narrative doesn’t suit Dana…pic.twitter.com/c8phYK2lLE
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) October 25, 2024
Jon Fitch.
This wife beating piece of shit would tell fighters before every show at the rules meeting to “lay it all on the line” and “go out on your shield” to put on a show and that the UFC would always take care of them.
That was a lie https://t.co/Oott5PMnqM
— Jon Fitch ☠️ (@jonfitchdotnet) October 25, 2024
Merab Dvalishvili really trying to book a fight no one wants.
pic.twitter.com/hGE19SadHo
— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) October 24, 2024
Good decision.
MMA Fans … YOU asked us, we listened, and here it is for YOU:
PFL 2024 World Championships FRI NOV 29 at 2p US ET
FREE ESPN+ FREE
6 World Title Fights 6 Million Dollar Checks
FREE ESPN+ FREE#PFL #PFLMMA
— Donn Davis (@DonnDavisPFL) October 24, 2024
Adrian Yanez.
Was a solid win for a comeback, but I gotta get another fight. Sitting on the sidelines since May.. I need a fight. https://t.co/wxQw8QCn8w
— Adrian Yañez (@yanezmma) October 24, 2024
FINAL THOUGHTS
People will underrate it because of a lack of interest in the PFL, and the lack of respect for Renan Ferreira, but Ngannou coming back like he did under these circumstances was incredibly, incredibly impressive.
Now, just one more sleep to the big event this weekend.
EXIT POLL
If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKlee or @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let us know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and like us on Facebook.
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?
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to the pay-per-view (PPV) market this Sat. (Oct. 26, 2024) for the “Topuria vs. Holloway” mixed martial arts (MMA) fight card, held inside Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE. UFC 308 will be headlined by the featherweight title fight between current 145-pound champion Ilia Topuria and former division kingpin Max Holloway. In the UFC 308 co-headliner, former UFC 185-pound champion Robert Whittaker battles undefeated middleweight sensation Khamzat Chimaev. Elsewhere on the card, light heavyweight “Rocket” Aleksandar Rakic tangles with Magomed Ankalaev for a spot in the 205-pound title chase.
But before they can fight, they must first weigh in.
The UFC 308 early (and official) weigh ins will stream LIVE from the promotion’s host hotel in the embedded video above starting promptly at 1 a.m. ET, which is late Thursday night at 10 p.m. PT for you folks operating on Pacific Time. The festivities are expected to last roughly two hours but could end much earlier depending on how quickly all 26 fighters get to the scale. Remember, the promotion will also stage the UFC 308 ceremonial weigh ins — complete with fighter staredowns — live from Etihad Arena at 10 a.m. ET on Friday morning.
Complete UFC 308 early weigh ins text results below:
UFC 308 Main Card on ESPN+ PPV:
145 lbs.: UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria (145) vs. Max Holloway (145) 185 lbs.: Robert Whittaker (185.5) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (186) 145 lbs.: Dan Ige (146) vs. Lerone Murphy (145.5) 205 lbs.: Magomed Ankalaev (204.5) vs. Aleksandar Rakic (206) 185 lbs.: Shara Magomedov (185) vs. Armen Petrosyan (186)
UFC 308 Prelims Card on ESPN/ESPN+:
170 lbs.: Geoff Neal (171) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (171) 155 lbs.: Myktybek Orolbai (159) vs. Mateusz Rębecki (160) 185 lbs.: Abus Magomedov (185) vs. Brunno Ferreira (185.5) 205 lbs.: Chris Barnett (264) vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (241) 145* lbs.: Farid Basharat (137) vs. Victor Hugo (145.5) 170 lbs.: Rinat Fakhretdinov (171) vs. Carlos Leal (169) 205 lbs.: Ibo Aslan (205) vs. Raffael Cerqueira (203) 185 lbs.: Ismail Naurdiev (185) vs. Bruno Silva (186)
Backup: Diego Lopes (145)
Hugo came in 10 lbs heavy, and Basharat agreed to a Featherweight bout.
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 check out the latest and greatest UFC 308: “Topuria vs. Holloway” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the complete UFC 308 fight card and PPV lineup click here.
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)
Max Holloway has been through countless wars in his long and successful MMA career. Now, just days away from his highly anticipated return to the Octagon at UFC 308, where he will face Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title, Holloway reflects on the toll the sport has taken on him.
While MMA offers highs like fame and fortune, it also has a significant downside—the physical and mental damage fighters endure. As Holloway prepares for another fight, he does so with heavy concerns about his long-term health.
Holloway’s Concerns
Speaking at the UFC 308 media scrum, Holloway opened up about his fears regarding brain damage and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
“Take care of your guys’ brain, and learn about brain health,” Holloway said at UFC 308 media day. “Do the right things. You only get one brain, guys, you only get one brain, and once that thing starts to deteriorate, it’s not like anything else where you can grow it back. So, be smart. Go see specialists, go see doctors, and do research on your own brain health.”
He continued, “Take care of yourself, guys. I don’t want to be a vegetable when I grow older. Everyone keeps talking to me about how many times I’ve gotten hit, like, brother, I take brain health so seriously. People will never know [what I do]. Maybe after my career, I will talk about it and all the stuff we’ve been doing. But take care of your guys’ brains, do your homework, get on it, and be smart.”
"I don't want to be a vegetable when I'm older. .. I take brain health so serious."
Max Holloway explains why his record 2,223 significant strikes absorbed in UFC competition is not a concern for him entering #UFC308. pic.twitter.com/MmhhdUIZXj
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) October 23, 2024
Continue Reading Max Holloway On CTE Concerns: ‘I Don’t Want To Be A Vegetable When I’m Older’ at MMA News.
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