UFC 308 odds, predictions, time, Abu Dhabi fight card: Topuria vs. Holloway picks by proven MMA expert

Ilia Topuria will look to defend his UFC Featherweight Championship when he battles former champion Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway on Saturday. The main card from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is expected to get underway at 2 p.m. ET. This will be Topuria’s first fight since earning the championship this past February. Holloway had won the interim featherweight title in December 2016, before defending it several times before losing it to Alexander Volkanovski by unanimous decision in December 2019.

Topuria is a -238 favorite (risk $238 to win $100), while Holloway is priced at +190 (risk $100 to win $190) in the latest UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway odds, with that fight listed at +125 to go the distance. Also on the main card, middleweight fighters take the spotlight as Robert Whittaker (+185) takes on Khamzat Chimaev (-225). Before making any UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway picks, be sure to see the UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway predictions and best bets from SportsLine’s Daniel Vithlani.

Vithlani is a highly-analytical UFC bettor who has been a consistent winner for SportsLine members since making his debut in January 2023 with a 5-0 record for UFC 283. In fact, he’s up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card sports betting picks.

His other highlights include calling an upset for Sean O’Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) at UFC 292 as part of a 4-1 main card and his UFC 299 winners included underdog selections on Dustin Poirier (+190) against Benoit Saint Denis (-230) and Michael Page (+110) against Kevin Holland (-130). Anyone who has followed him at sportsbooks and on betting apps is way up.

Now, Vithlani has studied Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway from every angle and revealed his top betting picks and best bets. You can only see Vithlani’s UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway picks at SportsLine. 

Topuria vs. Holloway preview

Topuria, 27, earned his featherweight title with a knockout win over Volkanovski, the defending champion. Topuria floored him at 3:32 of the second round in their Feb. 17 fight and earned Performance of the Night honors as well as the belt. He began his professional career in April 2015, and has won all 15 of his fights. He has five wins by knockout, eight by submission and two by decision.

Since the end of July, he has ranked as the fourth-best fighter in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings. Besides featherweight, he has also competed in lightweight and bantamweight. He began his fighting career competing mostly in Spain and joined UFC in October 2020 as a replacement for Seung Woo Choi. Despite fighting on short notice, he defeated Youssef Zalal via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen. 

In the meantime, Holloway, 32, is 26-7 in his career, which began in September 2010, and is No. 11 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings. He has 12 wins by knockout, two by submission and 12 by decision. His first four fights were out of Honolulu while competing at the X-1 World Events. On March 12, 2011, he defeated Harris Sarmiento by split decision to win the X-1 Lightweight Championship.

He later joined UFC and made his debut at UFC 143, where he lost for the first time, losing by submission at 3:23 of the first round to Dustin Poirier. On Dec. 10, 2016, he knocked out Anthony Pettis at 4:50 of the third round to win the interim UFC Featherweight Championship at UFC 206. In June 2017, he won and unified the UFC Championship by knocking out Jose Aldo at 4:13 of the third round at UFC 212. Since losing his title to Volkanovski, this will be Holloway’s fourth attempt at getting the belt back. See which fighter to pick here.

Top UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway picks

We’ll reveal one of Vithlani’s UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway selections here: He is backing Kennedy Nzechukwu (-625) to defeat Chris Barnett (+410) in a heavyweight matchup on the preliminary card.

“This is another wide line that is likely deserved,” Vathlani told SportsLine. “Bettors will remember Nzechukwu faltering as a 7-to-1 favorite against Ovince St. Preux, and may look to bet Barnett as a big underdog. However, I just don’t see how Barnett wins this fight. Nzechukwu is one of the biggest fighters in the UFC, standing at 6-foot-5 with an 83-inch reach. By comparison, Barnett is 5-9, with a 75-inch reach. Nzechuwku’s long lanky frame makes him awkward, and tough to deal with in the clinch. I expect Nzechukwu to bounce back after his last ugly performance.”  See more UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway picks at SportsLine.

How to make UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway picks

Vithlani has strong picks for Topuria vs. Holloway and other bouts on the UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway card. He’s also backing a big underdog who “appears to be at the top of his game.” He’s sharing who it is only at SportsLine.

Who wins UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway, and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks, and find out. 

UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway fight card, odds 

See full UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway picks, predictions, best bets here.

Ilia Topuria (-238) vs. Max Holloway (+190)
Khamzat Chimaev (-225) vs. Robert Whittaker (+185)
Lerone Murphy (-198) vs. Dan Ige (+164)
Magomed Ankalaev (-410) vs. Aleksander Rakic (+320)
Shara Magomedov (-192) vs. Armen Petrosyan (+160)
Geoff Neal (-310) vs. Rafael Dos Anjos (+250)
Myktybek Oriolbai (-258) vs. Mateusz Rebecki (+210)
Said Nurmagomedov (-265) vs. Daniel Santos (+215)
Abus Magomedov (-142) vs. Bruno Ferreira (+120)
Kennedy Nzechukwu (-625) vs. Chris Barnett (+410)
Farid Basharat (-470) vs. Victor Hugo Silva (+360)
Ismael Naurdiev (-175) vs. Bruno Silva (+145)
Raffael Cerqueira (-112) vs. Ibo Aslan (-108)
Rinat Fakhretdinov (-245) vs. Carlos Leal (+200)