RADIO
UFC 308 promises to be an exciting event that won't be forgotten anytime soon. The event will mark the promotion's 20th visit to Abu Dhabi and the first since UFC on ABC in August 2024. Featherweight gold is on the line on Saturday night when Ilia Topuria puts his title on the line against former champion Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 308.
In the co-main event, we have former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker taking on undefeated Khamzat Chimaev. Also on the card, Magomed Ankalaev takes on Aleksandar Rakic at light heavyweight. Undefeated Lerone Murphy faces off against always-game Dan Ige in a featherweight bout. Plus, Shara Magomedov takes on Armen Petrosyan in a middleweight contest. Also, we have Geoff Neal facing off against former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos.
In this article, I will be providing you with my fantasy MMA lineup picks for UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway on 10/26/24. Give me a follow on X @sumpor5. Good luck!
DraftKings MMA Middleweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks
Robert Whittaker, $7500 - vs. Khamzat Chimaev
In the co-main event of UFC 308, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is scheduled to face off against undefeated Khamzat Chimaev, in what is likely a title eliminator bout. Whittaker was last seen in action in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia where he knocked out Ikram Aliskerov in the first round, and undefeated Chimaev is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Kamaru Usman.
His finishes are a work of art 🎨@RobWhittakerMMA looks to add to his gallery of work at #UFC308 🤌@VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi
Live SATURDAY on @ESPNPlus PPV | 2pmET/11amPT pic.twitter.com/BCA2AQeYle
— UFC (@ufc) October 24, 2024
Whittaker was originally scheduled to fight Chimaev in June, but Chimaev was forced to pull out due to illness. Instead, Whittaker fought Aliskerov at short notice, securing a first-round knockout victory.
That followed a unanimous decision victory over former title challenger Paulo Costa and his TKO loss to current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. Since moving up to middleweight in 2014, Whittaker has only lost three times, two times to Israel Adesanya and once to Du Plessis.
On the other hand, Chimaev's UFC career has been marred by inconsistency due to health issues. When he first entered the UFC in 2020, he got a lot of attention by fighting three times in three months and finishing all his opponents impressively.
Out of his seven fights in the UFC, Chimaev has finished five, three by submission and two by knockout/TKO. He has wins over Kevin Holland, former welterweight champion Usman, and former title challenger Gilbert Burns.
The former champ Whittaker enters this fight with an MMA record of 27-7, and he is 17-5 in the UFC. He's averaging 4.58 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 43%. He's absorbing 3.44 strikes per minute, and his striking defense is 59%.
Whittaker is usually not the one to shoot for a takedown, as he's averaging 0.80 takedowns every 15 minutes, and his takedown accuracy is 38%. That being said, it is extremely difficult to take Whittaker down, and his takedown defense is at 82%.
Chimaev enters this bout with an MMA record of 13-0. He averages 5.72 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 58%. Chimaev's striking defense is 42% and he's absorbing 3.46 significant strikes per minute.
His grappling is elite, as he's averaging 3.99 takedowns every 15 minutes and 2.7 submission attempts during the same period. He has a takedown accuracy of 46% and he has yet to be taken down in the UFC as his takedown defense is 100%.
This fight is all about whether Chimaev can take Whittaker down and, if he does, whether Whittaker will be able to defend himself from submission attempts and ground and pound.
Whittaker has already faced two great wrestlers, Derek Brunson and former middleweight title challenger and 2000 Olympic silver medalist Yoel Romero, so it's safe to say that he had some experience fighting wrestlers, not to mention his overall experience fighting the best middleweights.
We have seen Chimaev have some problems with his cardio, and this fight is scheduled for five rounds. I feel like Khamzat is going to be in big trouble if he doesn't find a way to finish Whittaker. My prediction is that Whittaker will find Chimaev's chin in later rounds.
DraftKings MMA Featherweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks
Lerone Murphy, $8900 - vs. Dan Ige
We have an exciting matchup on the main card of UFC 308 between two featherweight sluggers, undefeated Lerone Murphy and Dan Ige. In his last bout, Murphy defeated UFC veteran Edson Barboza via unanimous decision, while Ige was last seen in action in a co-main event of UFC 303, where he lost by a unanimous decision to Diego Lopes.
This fight was scheduled to take place in February before Murphy withdrew due to injury. Murphy has been unbeaten in his professional career, with 14 wins. In his UFC debut back in 2019, he faced off against Zubaira Tukhugov in a fight that ended in a draw.
Since the draw, Murphy has been on a tear, winning six fights in a row. Most recently. He dominated Barboza, where he out-struck Barboza 220 to 79 and landed four takedowns.
Ige enters this fight with an MMA record of 18-8 and a UFC record of 11-7. The Hawaiian has gone 3-2 in his last five. Ige is coming off a short-notice unanimous decision loss to Lopes in June, where he stepped in on just four hours' notice.
He replaced Brian Ortega and had a good performance despite losing to up-and-coming Lopes. Ige has fought the best of the best at featherweight, and he has only lost to the best.
Known as a striker, Murphy's averaging 5.01 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 54%. His striking defense is 60% and he is absorbing 2.60 strikes per minute. When it comes to his grappling, Murphy is averaging 1.59 takedowns every 15 minutes. His takedown accuracy is at 52% and his takedown defense is 46%.
His opponent, Ige, averages 3.70 significant strikes per minute and he absorbs 3.51 strikes per minute. He has a striking accuracy of 45%. And his striking defense is 57%. His grappling is not bad, and he's averaging 0.99 takedowns every 15 minutes. Ige's takedown defense is 59% and his takedown accuracy is 26%.
You can expect this fight to be closely contested throughout but it will be Murphy's wrestling and grappling in combination with his striking will be the difference maker in this fight. Ige is extremely tough and, while I don't see Murphy knocking Ige out, I can see him winning on the judge's scorecards. I expect Murphy to take care of business and win this bout via unanimous decision.
DraftKings MMA Light Heavyweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks
Magomed Ankalaev, $9400 - vs. Aleksandar Rakic
Magomed Ankalaev and Aleksandar Rakic are set to face off on the main card of UFC 308 in a fight that is likely going to determine the next title challenger. In his last bout, Ankalaev earned himself a "Performance of the Night" bonus when he knocked out Johnny Walker, while Rakic will look to get back in the win column after losing his last fight to former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka.
Ever since his loss to Paul Craig in the last seconds of their fight, Ankalaev has undoubtedly cemented his place as the No. 1 contender in the UFC’s light heavyweight division.
He is 19-1-1 with one no-contest and riding a 12-fight unbeaten streak that has lasted six years. Ankalaev has wins over former title challengers like Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith. Among his wins, 10 were achieved by knockout and eight via decision.
Rakic was once a title contender himself, but he's fought just once since tearing his ACL against Jan Blachowicz in 2022. He is one of the most dangerous strikers in the division, with nine career wins by KO/TKO.
In his last bout, Rakic got off to a strong start against the former champion Prochazka, he faded in round two and was ultimately stopped by way of TKO. He has wins over Jimi Manuwa and former title challengers Santos and Smith.
Ankalaev enters this fight with an MMA record of 19-1-1. He's averaging 3.64 significant strikes per minute, and he has a striking accuracy of 53%. Ankalaev's striking defense is 59%, and he is absorbing 2.25 significant strikes per minute. His grappling is also solid, as he's averaging 1.02 takedowns every 15 minutes. His takedown defense is 86%, and his takedown accuracy is 31%.
Rakic enters this fight with an MMA record of 14-4 and he is 6-3 in the UFC. He averages 4.26 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 50%. His striking defense is 50% and he absorbs 2.80 significant strikes per minute. His grappling is not bad, as he's averaging 0.76 takedowns per every 15 minutes. Rakic has a takedown defense of 85% and a takedown accuracy of 25%.
These two are probably the most complete and well-rounded fighters in the light-heavyweight division. Rakic may have some success early, but once Ankalaev finds his range, he will find a way to finish Rakic. You can expect this to be a kickboxing match, but Ankalaev is, in my opinion, better defensively.
If Rakic is going to win, he will have to knock out Ankalaev, while Ankalaev has more ways of winning this fight. Ankalaev has more tools in his arsenal and has better boxing than Rakic. Is better defensively and has momentum on his side, compared to Rakic who has lost two in a row. My prediction is that Ankalaev will win this via unanimous decision.
