UFC 308
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | November 12, 1993 |
| Founder | Art Davie, Rorion Gracie |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Dana White (President) |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Owner | Endeavor Group Holdings |
| Website | www |
UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 26, 2024, hosted at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Background
This occasion represented the UFC's 20th appearance in Abu Dhabi and the first since August 2024.
The headline bout showcased a UFC Featherweight Championship contest between reigning titleholder Ilia Topuria and former champion Max Holloway. Diego Lopes was designated as the alternate fighter for this matchup.
Also featured was a middleweight rematch spanning five rounds, pitting ex-UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker against Khamzat Chimaev. This encounter was rescheduled after an earlier cancellation caused by Chimaev's illness.
A heavyweight rematch involving former interim Heavyweight Champion Ciryl Gane and previous Bellator Heavyweight World Champion Alexander Volkov had been planned but was postponed to UFC 310 due to Volkov sustaining a knee injury.
In the heavyweight division, a bout originally arranged between Marcos Rogério de Lima and Kennedy Nzechukwu underwent multiple changes: Lima withdrew and was succeeded by Justin Tafa, who subsequently also pulled out, resulting in Chris Barnett stepping in as the replacement.
Within the welterweight category, a fight featuring Rinat Fakhretdinov against promotional newcomer Carlos Leal, former LFA Welterweight Champion, replaced Nursulton Ruziboev after his withdrawal due to injury.
A bantamweight contest between Said Nurmagomedov and Daniel Santos was called off one week before the event when Santos withdrew for undisclosed reasons.
During weigh-ins, the lightweight matchup between Mateusz Rębecki and Myktybek Orolbai was altered to a 160-pound catchweight. Furthermore, the bantamweight clash between Farid Basharat and Victor Hugo shifted to featherweight after Hugo missed weight by 9.5 pounds; Basharat agreed to compete at the higher weight class.
Bonus awards
The fighters awarded $50,000 bonuses were:
- Fight of the Night: Mateusz Rębecki vs. Myktybek Orolbai
- Performance of the Night: Ilia Topuria, Khamzat Chimaev and Sharabutdin Magomedov