Ilia Topuria got up and running as featherweight champion at UFC 308, with a history-making knockout of Max Holloway.
After two tense, closely-fought rounds, Topuria hurt Holloway with a right cross in the third frame, before dropping the former champion with a left hook. Topuria, 27, then poured on ground and pound to force a stoppage, becoming the first fighter to knock out the Hawaiian, 32.
With that, Topuria built on his title win from February, when he knocked out long-reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski. Saturday’s result in Abu Dhabi also kept Topuria unbeaten, as the Spanish-Georgian moved to 16-0.
In the co-main event of UFC 308, Khamzat Chimaev also stayed unbeaten, submitting ex-champ Robert Whittaker in the first round of their middleweight clash.
Re-live updates and see all results from the UFC 308 main card and prelims, below.
UFC 308 LIVE
- Ilia Topuria retains 145lb title with history-making knockout of Max Holloway
- Khamzat Chimaev sprints past ex-champ Robert Whittaker with first-round submission
- Chimaev, after his own health battles, opens up on young son’s struggles
- Shara Magomedov scores unique KO of Armen Petrosyan with double spinning back fist
- Magomed Ankalaev outpoints Aleksandar Rakic in crucial light-heavyweight fight
- Manchester’s Lerone Murphy recovers from knockdown to win close fight with Dan Ige
- Former champion Rafael dos Anjos suffers early injury against Geoff Neal
UFC 308 LIVE: Ilia Topuria def. Max Holloway
22:20 , Alex PattleHere is our report from tonight’s main event:
Ilia Topuria knocks out Max Holloway to retain featherweight title at UFC 308
UFC 308 LIVE: Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway
22:03 , Alex PattleHolloway: “He just landed a shot and I guess it hurt much more than I thought it did.
“No excuses. I had a great camp, no injuries. I went out there, did my thing, and he was just the better man tonight.
“I’ll bounce back again.”
UFC 308 LIVE: Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway
21:58 , Alex PattleTopuria is told that Diego Lopes and Volkanovski are ringside.
Volk enters the cage.
“I wanna have both of them, swear to God,” Topuria says. “Right now I don’t want to fight with anyone.”
He tells Volk: “We’re gonna do it again, you deserve that. I don’t know how many times he defended his title.”
UFC 308 LIVE: Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway
21:54 , Alex PattleTopuria: “Thanks to God, everything belongs to him. He gives me everything I have in my life.
“Wow, I don’t know what to say to be honest. To beat a legend like Max Holloway... He inspired me so much in my career, he’s been a great example for the next generation. I hope I’m gonna be a small portion of the example he’s been to me.
“I caught him with many punches, but exactly with that right hand, I felt it. I just saw it in his face. He started stepping back, and you don’t see that often in Max Holloway.
“My brother told me from the corner: ‘Keep pushing.’ And finally I get the knockout.”
UFC 308 LIVE: Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway
21:46 , Alex PattleRound three
Topuria takes the centre of the ring. Holloway kicks to the body then the legs. Jab by the Hawaiian. Nice body shot now.
Another body kick by Holloway, who briefly switched to southpaw there. Topuria with a low kick to great effect, and another. Max with a series of oblique kicks to the knee area...
HARD right hand by Topuria, and Max is wobbly! Topuria backs him up and lands a flurry of body shots! Max fights back, then skips away.
OH! Topuria floors Holloway BADLY with a left hook! Ground and pound, and it’s all over! He promised to become the first man to KO Holloway, and he delivered on that!
Ilia Topuria def. Max Holloway via third-round KO (punches, 1:34)
UFC 308 LIVE: Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway
21:44 , Alex PattleRound two
Stern jab by Holloway, then a hard cross. Both men kick low. Another Holloway jab lands. Body kicks from the former champ, then more fine jabs.
Topuria loads up on a one-two, and catches Holloway on the end of those punches. Same again. Now a decent left hook by the champion. He jabs to the body twice from range.
Hard low kick by Topuria, who is gaining some momentum now. Another. Slick jabs by Holloway. Left hook lands for Topuria! Hard shot.
Low kicks by Holloway. Another hard left hook by Topuria, then an overhand right. Tough jab by Holloway, but he’s getting backed up now...
Clean cross by Topuria, but Holloway takes it well. Right hook to the body of the Hawaiian. Clean cross by Holloway.
Topuria with a wild swing. Then a smarter shot: a jab to the body. Hard low kick by the champion. Both men land punches to the head simultaneously. Spinning back kick to the body by Holloway.
Indy Sport has it 19-19 after two rounds.
UFC 308 LIVE: Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway
21:38 , Alex PattleBoth men are in the ring. This could be special.
Spanish football icon Sergio Ramos is at ringside to support Topuria, as is UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili – a fellow Georgian.
Round one
Here we go. As promised, Topuria tries to lure Holloway into standing and trading in the opening seconds – as Max did in the final seconds against Gaethje, and previously at the end of his fight with Ricardo Lamas.
Max wisely opts against it. Topuria shakes his head as if he’s disappointed. The champion stalks forward. Max with a few front kicks already, and some body kicks, to try to deter “El Matador”.
Topuria is going for the kill early. Holloway is trying to stay mobile but also active with his output. Oh! Topuria shoots for a takedown, lifts and dumps Holloway!
Holloway stands and gets free, though. Topuria has some marking around his right eye, but he lands a decent right hand. Holloway with a good counter.
Sharp jab by Holloway, nice low kick by Topuria. Overhand lands for Topuria, then he backs up Holloway to the fence and unloads shots. He’s got a few KOs that way, including against Volkanovski, but Holloway skips away.
More kicks from Holloway. Topuria is throwing lots of jabs. The champ loads up on a combination but is too close to land clean. Holloway lands some straight shots now.
He misses with a couple of head kicks on the shorter man, then connects with two counter punches after Topuria’s own one-two, which missed.
Holloway seems to hurt Topuria slightly with an elbow! Now a piston jab by Holloway. Max misses with a spinning back kick.
OH! Holloway is dropped, but it seemed more of a tangling of the feet. Topuria takes the back but doesn’t have time to work. Intriguing round.
UFC 308 LIVE: Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway
21:25 , Alex PattleBoth men are in the ring. This could be special.
Spanish football icon Sergio Ramos is at ringside to support Topuria, as is UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili – a fellow Georgian.
UFC 308 LIVE: Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway
21:17 , Alex PattleNext up, the main event... Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway clash in a highly-anticipated title fight.
The unbeaten Topuria claimed the men’s featherweight belt in February, ending Alexander Volkanovski’s long title reign with a brutal knockout in round two.
In doing so, he achieved what Max Holloway could not accomplish in three fights; the Hawaiian lost the belt to Volkanovski in 2019 and failed to regain it in two rematches, losing all three bouts via decision.
However, Holloway tends to bounce back well, and his current winning streak peaked in April, when he dominated Justin Gaethje before faceplanting him in the very last second – securing the ‘Baddest Motherf*****’ belt with an all-time great KO.
UFC 308 LIVE: Robert Whittaker vs Khamzat Chimaev
21:07 , Alex PattleThis one may well be a No 1 contender’s fight at middleweight.
Chimaev sprinted to the ring, before an intense-looking Whittaker marched to the cage. Bruce Buffer has the fighter introductions...
Round one
Whittaker kicks low, then leans back to evade a head kick. Chimaev shoots for a takedown immediately, and Whittaker sprawls but can’t keep him off...
Chimaev is grinding down Whittaker against the fence. He thinks about a choke, then throws a few punches. He’s alternating back and forth. Chimaev also has one hook in with his leg. He abandons it and drags Whittaker along the fence.
Whittaker already has some marking around his right eye. Chimaev takes the back and is working on a rear naked choke...
But Whittaker scrambles and stands! A good sign for him, but he’s immediately taken back down. Half-the-round still to go... Another scramble ensues, and Whittaker does well to avoid the rear naked choke again.
He throws a few strikes, then switches to a choke, and Whittaker taps straight away!!!
It was actually a submission across Whittaker’s jaw, not his neck, so his jaw might have gotten dislocated. He tapped IMMEDIATELY.
Khamzat Chimaev def. Robert Whittaker via first-round submission (face crank, 3:34).
UFC 308 LIVE: Robert Whittaker vs Khamzat Chimaev
21:01 , Alex PattleThis one may well be a No 1 contender’s fight at middleweight.
Chimaev sprinted to the ring, before an intense-looking Whittaker marched to the cage. Bruce Buffer has the fighter introductions...
UFC 308 LIVE: Robert Whittaker vs Khamzat Chimaev
20:58 , Alex PattleKhamzat Chimaev has opened up on the ‘difficulty’ of seeing his one-year-old son deal with health issues – a physical battle that the fighter knows all too well.
Chimaev is 13-0 in MMA with 11 finishes, and he stormed to 3-0 in the UFC with three fights in two months in 2020. That run led fans to predict that the Russian-born Swede would race to a title at welterweight or middleweight – his preferred divisions – but Chimaev’s career has been stop-start since.
The 30-year-old contracted Covid in December 2020 and has continued to battle lingering effects of the illness, fighting just four times in the last four years. And now, Chimaev is tasked with keeping his young son healthy, as well as himself.
Ahead of UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, where Chimaev resides and where he will fight Robert Whittaker tonight, the “Wolf” spoke to ESPN.
Here’s what he had to say:
UFC star Khamzat Chimaev reveals one-year-old son’s health issues
UFC 308 LIVE: Robert Whittaker vs Khamzat Chimaev
20:54 , Alex PattleNext up, it’s the highly-anticipated co-main event: Robert Whittaker vs Khamzat Chimaev at middleweight.
Whittaker, a former champion, was due to fight the unbeaten Russian in June, but Chimaev withdrew on short notice due to “violent” illness.
It was the latest setback for Chimaev, who has battled health issues in recent years, but who has been scintillating when he has fought.
When he hasn’t been starching opponents, Chimaev has been winning closely-fought thrillers against Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns.
But Whittaker fans will take hope from those specific performances, given Usman was moving up from welterweight on short notice, and given the Burns fight was at welterweight – and Chimaev was knocked down that night.
The thinking here is that Whittaker must survive the first two rounds, and that the Australian can pull ahead in the final three. That’s right: we have five rounds scheduled here.
By the way, when Chimaev withdrew in June, Whittaker faced Ikram Aliskerov on short notice and knocked him out in round one.
UFC 308 LIVE: Magomed Ankalaev vs Aleksandar Rakic
20:43 , Alex PattleRound three
A slower round so far, but with Ankalaev edging forward almost constantly – as he did in the first two rounds.
A left hand tags Rakic hard now. He needs to throw back, but whenever he does, Ankalaev is quick to flick out counters...
Rakic shoots for a single-leg takedown, and Ankalaev hops back to the fence. Good defence by Ankalaev, and he eventually reverses the position. Harsh knees thrown to the thighs of Rakic. Now Ankalaev aims those knees at the body of Rakic.
We’ll go to the scorecards, where Ankalaev should pick up the win.
Magomed Ankalaev def. Aleksandar Rakic via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). A title shot is surely next for Ankalaev. Bring on Alex Pereira...
UFC 308 LIVE: Magomed Ankalaev vs Aleksandar Rakic
20:38 , Alex PattleRound one
Russia’s Ankalaev stands southpaw, while Austria’s Rakic is orthodox. Hard low kick by the latter, and another.
Ankalaev with his own leg kicks in response. The Russian keeps pressing forward. Hard cross by Ankalaev! He’s a Dagestani but isn’t the wrestler that a lot of people think; he mixes up his game well and has power in his hands.
Ankalaev just about blocks a head kick. Harsh body kick by the Russian. Side kick now. Rakic is having to circle constantly, and he’s being kept guessing. That’s not good, especially after he seemed to gas somewhat in his last fight, a stoppage loss to ex-champ Jiri Prochazka.
There’s a lot of dried blood on the canvas from a few of the fights tonight.
Round two
The light-heavies trade low kicks. Ankalaev overextends on a cross, but he just about lands a back elbow afterwards. Slick.
Grazing head kick by Ankalaev now. He catches Rakic on the end of a cross. Rakic is offering very little output at the moment. He’s caught by a left hook as he tries to angle away.
Hard cross to the body by Ankalaev, and Rakic looks like he felt that. Another straight punch, this time upstairs, and Rakic needs to get some respect from Ankalaev to halt this momentum...
A fine combination by Ankalaev, who is pulling ahead here. He misses with one entry, though, and Rakic is able to get some underhooks and force the Russian to the fence.
But Ankalaev reverses the position, and the fighters soon separate. Decent one-two by Rakic. He sees a head kick blocked.
UFC 308 LIVE: Magomed Ankalaev vs Aleksandar Rakic
20:31 , Alex PattleRound one
Russia’s Ankalaev stands southpaw, while Austria’s Rakic is orthodox. Hard low kick by the latter, and another.
Ankalaev with his own leg kicks in response. The Russian keeps pressing forward. Hard cross by Ankalaev! He’s a Dagestani but isn’t the wrestler that a lot of people think; he mixes up his game well and has power in his hands.
Ankalaev just about blocks a head kick. Harsh body kick by the Russian. Side kick now. Rakic is having to circle constantly, and he’s being kept guessing. That’s not good, especially after he seemed to gas somewhat in his last fight, a stoppage loss to ex-champ Jiri Prochazka.
There’s a lot of dried blood on the canvas from a few of the fights tonight.
UFC 308 LIVE: Magomed Ankalaev vs Aleksandar Rakic
20:18 , Alex PattleNext up, we have what may be a No 1 contender’s fight at light-heavyweight. Magomed Ankalaev takes on Aleksandar Rakic.
Ankalaev is a former title challenger, having fought ex-champ Jan Blachowicz to a draw in late 2022, while Rakic is looking to secure his first shot at the belt.
UFC 308 LIVE: Lerone Murphy vs Dan Ige
20:05 , Alex PattleRound two
Ige continues to stalk forward. Murphy looks wary of his opponent’s power, and understandably so. Clean jab by Murphy, then a spinning back kick to the body.
Ige shoots for a takedown from range, driving Murphy all the way to the fence, but the Briton reverses the position. Murphy controls Ige for a while, before the 145lbers separate.
Jab to the body by Murphy, then a front kick. Cross to the body now. The “Miracle” (given that nickname after surviving a shooting to his face!) is fighting very smartly.
Now he takes down Ige and takes the back, but he gets too high up! Ige is able to reverse, and he ends up in Murphy’s closed guard.
Murphy tries a triangle late in the round, but has to settle for some elbows on Ige.
Round three
Ige is given a stern talking-to by his trainer Eric Nicksick, who coached Francis Ngannou to victory last weekend.
Murphy with more point fighting in this round. He sees a head kick blocked and tries a double-leg, but Ige sprawls well. A scramble ensues, and Ige has side control.
Ige seems to think about an arm-triangle, but he thinks better of it. Another scramble now, and Ige lands in half-guard. He might have a better chance of getting an arm-triangle this time. Nothing doing, though.
The pair transition, and Ige has the back as Murphy stands against the fence. Again Murphy reverses the position, and he trips Ige.
He rains down a few punches, before grabbing a front headlock. It’s been a close round, so Murphy might be better off opting to strike here! He tries a guillotine but lets go and loses the position!
More grappling along the fence, before we end the fight with a wild striking exchange! This one really could go either way...
Lerone Murphy def. Dan Ige via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
UFC 308 LIVE: Lerone Murphy vs Dan Ige
19:47 , Alex PattleIn an appetiser of our main event, we have a pair of featherweights up next. Manchester’s Lerone Murphy faces Hawaii’s Dan Ige. The fighters are in the ring, the bout is seconds away.
Round one
And off we go. Murphy puts his unbeaten record on the line tonight, in a fight that was first due to happen earlier this year. Ige is looking to get back to winning ways after losing a decision to Diego Lopes in June, when Ige stepped in on about an hour’s notice!!
Ige is on the front foot from the get-go. He kicks low. Murphy flicks out a front kick. A right hand gets through for Ige, and Murphy seemed to feel that.
Hard right hook to the body of Murphy, who flings a right cross back – to the head. Ige is actually already cut, despite his fast start! Blood is streaming down his forehead.
Another surprise: Ige, who loves to strike, picks up and dumps down Murphy. The Hawaiian wraps up the Mancunian’s legs against the fence.
Great defensive grappling from Murphy, who is able to twist and shuffle his weight up Ige’s torso. And Murphy is free! A replay suggests that an elbow cut Ige, rather than a punch.
The pace slows slightly now... OH! And right as I say that, Ige times a left hook to perfection, and Murphy collapses to the mat!
Ige swarms the Briton, who is able to stand and stay composed somehow! Murphy is even throwing back, wow! What an end to this round...
Murphy takes down Ige, then Ige sweeps Murphy with a Kimura effort! What is going on?!
UFC 308 LIVE: Shara Magomedov vs Armen Petrosyan
19:27 , Alex PattleRound two
Magomedov blocks a high kick, then fires a cross over the top of a body kick by Petrosyan. Good jab by Magomedov as he moves backwards, then he seems to absorb a low blow. A pause in the action now.
We’re soon back under way, though. Petrosyan presses forward, but Magomedov throws a body kick to deter the Armenian, then both men land punches at point-blank range.
A side kick troubles Petrosyan again. Magomedov complains of another low blow, but the kick looked clean. Petrosyan is tagged by a check hook as he closes range.
A head kick just misses for Petrosyan, and Magomedov’s counter hook is narrowly wide. Petrosyan with a pair of low kicks. Magomedov reallllly loads up on a right hook and misses, but he lands a high kick. Now Petrosyan has a break for an apparent low blow. That kick looked clean as well, though.
Petrosyan catches a side kick and lands a left hook. Again Magomedov swings fiercely on a hook but misses. Good body hooks by the Russian, however.
OH! Another side kick by Magomedov, then scores the knockout late in the round with a DOUBLE SPINNING BACK FIST! I’ve never seen anything like that. He stays unbeaten.
Petrosyan blocked the worst of the first one, but was tagged on the other side by the second! He fell to the mat and shelled up, and clearly wasn’t lucid.
Shara Magomedov def. Armen Petrosyan via second-round TKO (double spinning back fist, 4:52). Magomedov says the double spinning back fist was the first Muay Thai attack he was ever shown, and it was his brother who showed him.
A double spinning back fist walk-off KO — @Shara_Bullet77 started the #UFC308 main card off in style 😲
— Uncrowned (@uncrownedcombat) October 26, 2024
(via @ufc) pic.twitter.com/2GsK2WRvOb
UFC 308 LIVE: Shara Magomedov vs Armen Petrosyan
19:25 , Alex PattleThe main card is finally here! First up, middleweight action: the flashy up-and-comer Shara “Bullet” Magomedov faces Armen Petrosyan.
These two have trained together before, and know each other well from their amateur fighting days. The unbeaten Magomedov basically has one working eye, and there’s a belief he can’t get fights sanctioned in the US.
Round one
Petrosyan takes the centre of the ring early and kicks low a few times. “Shara” is the chant from the crowd.
Both men throw hooks at the same time, and Petrosyan follows up with two more – and a one-two! Magomedov seems a bit off... Was he buzzed there?
More low kicks from Petrosyan, who isn’t rushing despite that early success. Magomedov with a strong right hand, and another – a hook! Petrosyan lands a hook in that exchange, too, and now a long left hand! Also a knee in the clinch.
These two are fighting at quite a pace now... Magomedov with a clean left hook! Petrosyan didn’t like that. HARD low kicks from both middleweights.
Another stern left hook from Magomedov. More leg kicks by Petrosyan, who is managing range better for the time being.
A side kick knocks down the Armenian, though! He pops back up. Lots of punching and kicking output from both men. Spinning back fist by Magomedov late on!
UFC 308 LIVE: Ibo Aslan vs Rafael Cerqueira
18:38 , Alex PattleLight-heavyweights wrap up the main card, as Ibo Aslan faces Rafael Cerqueira.
A bit of a wait for this one, as the UFC shows a promo for tonight’s main event: Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway.
Okay, finally, the fighters are in the ring!
Round one
Both men stand orthodox at first, though Cerqueira quickly starts switching back and forth.
Short left hook from Aslan early, and Cerqueira backs up to the fence and covers up!
Aslan is pouring on punches, changing the target – going from head to body and back – and Cerqueira has no answer!
He’s rocked a few times, and the fight is waved off in 50 seconds!!
Ibo Aslan def. Rafael Cerqueira via first-round TKO (punches, 0:51).
UFC 308 LIVE: Geoff Neal vs Rafael dos Anjos
18:16 , Alex PattleTwo more fights before the main card! First up, the pick of the prelims tonight: Geoff “Handz of Steel” Neal faces ex-lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos at welterweight.
Round one
Neal presses forward early. Both men stand southpaw.
RDA, who turned 40 today, is already dropped by a left hand! He still seems lucid, though, as Neal enters half-guard...
Now he backs off and lets RDA stand. Good move. OH! A one-two by Neal, and RDA falls again, but clutching his left knee this time! An injury ends this fight early...
Geoff Neal def. Rafael dos Anjos via first-round TKO (strikes and injury, 1:30).
UFC 308 LIVE: Mateusz Rebecki vs Myktybek Orolbai
17:59 , Alex PattleRound three
A replay shows that a clash of heads caused the cut over Rebecki’s right eye.
OH! Rebecki floors Orolbai with a left hook, and Orolbai looks to be out?! But the ref lets it go, and Rebecki is pouring on punches, as Orolbai turtles up. Orolbai might have just been woken UP by those shots!!
Somehow, Orolbai – who has shown his toughness tonight – manages to stand and survive for now... There’s blood EVERYWHERE, some of it Rebecki’s, some of it Orolbai’s.
This fight should have been stopped. Orolbai can’t see and is just eating shots. He’s holding Rebecki and hoping for the best.
But as time passes, Rebecki tires, and Orolbai briefly gets on top of the grappling! Emphasis on ‘briefly’; Rebecki is back in control with 90 seconds left.
OH! But Orolbai reverses the position again! Now the fighters stand. They are COVERED in blood. One-two by Orolbai, and Rebecki staggers!
What a fight. What a card so far. Mateusz Rebecki def. Myktybek Orolbai via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
UFC 308 LIVE: Mateusz Rebecki vs Myktybek Orolbai
17:52 , Alex PattleUp next Mateusz Rebecki fights Myktybek Orolbai at a 160lb catchweight.
Round one
Rebecki stands southpaw; Orolbai is orthodox. Some bombs thrown by each man so far. Rebecki is sporting a little bruising on his face from Orolbai’s punches, already.
Rebecki lands an overhand left, but Orolbai is taking his opponent’s shots well so far. Lots of low kicks from the 160lbers, too.
Orolbai skips back to avoid a left hook – barely. He then blitzes forward. Now he lands a single shot, a long right hook.
Orolbai is sporting his own damage, though, and it’s BAD around his right eye! Severe swelling.
Round two
A delayed start to this round, as Orolbai’s swelling is checked. He’s allowed to continue, but for how long?
Under way, and there’s lots of close-range fighting so far. Both men land clean punches in the pocket. Rebecki looks sharper than his opponent, though.
The pair grapple against the fence, with Rebecki controlling Orolbai for a while. Now they separate, and it’s back to loading up on punches in the middle of the cage.
Orolbai with a great rear uppercut, inflicting his own damage on Rebecki, who is now pawing at a bloody cut around his right eye. Jeez, they’re both so beaten up!
UFC 308 LIVE: Abus Magomedov vs Brunno Ferreira
17:32 , Alex PattleRound two
Ferreira is trying to get Magomedov’s respect now, pressing forward a bit more.
Magomedov shows his grappling advantage, however, and he gets the first takedown of the fight! He takes the back, then gets side mount, then the back again... but Ferreira scrambles free! Good work!
And Ferreira cracks Magomedov with a brutal left hand! Magomedov gets back to his wrestling, wisely, with another takedown late in the round.
Round three
More success on the feet for Ferreira, but once again he’s taken down! Magomedov has the back by the fence...
Ferreira shows more resilience to shrimp free and stand again, but he’s quickly taken down once more!
And Magomedov works on an arm-triangle from mount... and gets the tap!!
Abus Magomedov def. Brunno Ferreira via third-round submission (arm-triangle choke, 3:14).
UFC 308 LIVE: Abus Magomedov vs Brunno Ferreira
17:12 , Alex PattleMiddleweights step up next, as Abus Magomedov fights Brunno Ferreira. Here we go.
Round one
Ferreira and Magomedov (who looks HUGE by the way) are switching stances early. Magomedov is holding the centre of the cage. Ferreira barely blocks a left hook.
Lots of feints from Ferreira, but very little actual activity. That said, the feints are having an effect; Magomedov seems hesitant to let his hands or legs go.
Now Magomedov throws, though, launching a left high kick that Ferreira just blocks. Another high kick from Magomedov – this time on the right – and it skims off Ferreira’s head.
Stabbing front kick by Ferreira now. He had to leap forward to land that. Magomedov with his own front kick. He kicks low now, and Ferreira barely misses with a simultaneous overhand.
UFC 308 LIVE: Kennedy Nzechukwu vs Chris Barnett
16:54 , Alex PattleHeavyweights enter the cage now: Kennedy Nzechukwu and Chris Barnett. These two have been through a lot in recent years. Barnett’s wife passed away, while Kennedy has been caring for his brother – who has autism – and his wife, who has ALS. Can they both win, please?
Round one
Kennedy comes forward, and Barnett throws a couple of leg kicks to try to deter the much taller man. Both fighters stand southpaw.
An overhand left connects for Barnett, but it’s only a grazing punch. Kennedy feints a spinning attack, and Barnett laughs and gives him a high-five.
Kennedy kicks around the waist and hits Barnett’s cup, but Barnett is okay to continue. Clean cross by Kennedy. Barnett misses with a couple of flashy kicks.
Kennedy with a scraping head kick. And again. He can’t quite get a clean connection on the shorter man. But he does manage a clean land to the body with the next kick.
Barnett appears to be compromised. Is his left foot causing him some problems? He had an Achilles injury just recently.
“He’s hurt,” Kennedy is told by his corner. Yep, Barnett is moving so sheepishly, and now he clutches his leg! He covers up, and Kennedy just pours on punches.
The ref should stop it, but he lets it go a few more seconds, and Barnett drops to the canvas, holding that leg again. So maybe it was a leg injury, not the ankle? A replay shows Barnett injured himself while jumping during the fighter introductions! He then aggravated his leg, seemingly, while throwing one of those high kicks.
Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Chris Barnett via first-round TKO (strikes and injury, 4:27).
UFC 308 LIVE: Farid Basharat vs Victor Hugo
16:36 , Alex PattleRound two
A knee cracks Hugo! He felt that. Basharat ups the pressure, as Hugo tries to recover.
Some dynamic striking exchanges in the middle of the Octagon, with Hugo seemingly lucid now.
Lots of stance-switching from Basharat. Some taunting from Hugo. He tags Basharat with two to three left hands – a combination of hooks and stiff jabs – and those had a clear effect.
Round three
Hugo with a spinning back kick, and it sends Basharat cascading back to the fence and down to the mat! Hugo tries to follow up with a flying knee, but it just misses...
Basharat with a tidy takedown, picking the ankle and driving Hugo down with the spare hand. He’s controlling Hugo by the fence, and now he moves into half-guard.
Hugo stands against the cage wall, but Basharat drives him down again. Hugo shakes him off, though, and the pair move into space.
Another takedown by Basharat, and he ends the round – and fight – on top.
Farid Basharat def. Victor Hugo via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).
Justice after Hugo’s 10lb weight-miss?
UFC 308 LIVE: Farid Basharat vs Victor Hugo
16:23 , Alex PattleThe prelims roll on. Next up: Farid Basharat vs Victor Hugo at featherweight. This bout was due to take place at bantamweight, but Hugo missed weight.
Round one
Both men stand orthodox. Hugo closes range, misses with an uppercut but lands a left hook. Basharat comes back with a right cross.
Basharat slips as he backs up to the fence, and Hugo clinches. Basharat reverses the position, and the pair separate. Hugo kicks low and hard.
Basharat eats an elbow, ouch. Hugo with a daring roll now, a variation on an Imanari, and he tries a leg lock! Basharat stays calm and gets his leg free.
He ends up in half-guard but chooses to back off. Hugo stands and leans back to evade a wheel kick attempt! Now Hugo tries a spinning back kick, but Basharat closes range and gets a body lock.
Another separation. Basharat shoots for a takedown, but again Hugo gets creative with a leg-lock attempt! Nothing doing before the buzzer, though.
UFC 308 LIVE: Ismail Naurdiev vs Bruno Silva
16:05 , Alex PattleRound three
Naurdiev gets a front headlock and puts his weight on Silva, landing a couple of knees to the top of his opponent’s head.
He lets go and lands a calf kick and jab. Again Naurdiev takes advantage of some slack movement from Silva, grabbing a body lock and forcing him to the fence.
Brutal one-two from Naurdiev. Silva is being far too passive, walking slowly along the cage wall.
We go to the scorecards, and – barring another robbery – this will go Naurdiev’s way.
Ismail Naurdiev def. Bruno Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
This time, the judges get it right (not that it was a hard one (then again, neither was the previous fight...)).
UFC 308 LIVE: Ismail Naurdiev vs Bruno Silva
15:58 , Alex PattleRound two
Silva swings and misses with a low kick. Naurdiev goes next, landing a hook to the body.
He then reacts quickly to get an ankle pick as Silva throws a leg kick – while Naurdiev was trying an overhand actually, so the Austrian did well to turn that into a kind of shove, aiding the ankle pick.
Again Naurdiev has Silva tied up against the fence and on the mat. Spiteful elbows from Naurdiev, but Silva shrimps free and stands.
Back into the open, and Naurdiev catches a standing guillotine... Silva stays calm and shucks him off, though.
Another very well-timed takedown by Naurdiev, again catching a kick and turning the defence into an ankle pick. Once more, he has Silva pinned against the fence.
Now Naurdiev is dragging him about. Credit to Silva, however: he’s able to escape and stand yet again. Still, he’s been largely listless tonight.
UFC 308 LIVE: Ismail Naurdiev vs Bruno Silva
15:52 , Alex PattleNext up, it’s middleweight action. Ismail Naurdiev faces Bruno Silva.
Round one
Naurdiev stands orthodox; Silva is southpaw. Two hard low kicks from Naurdiev, ouch – the smacks on those.
Silva retaliates with a low kick of his own, then he sees a front kick parried. Now Naurdiev clinches Silva and drives him to the fence.
Silva throws a lazy low kick and spins 360, and Naurdiev pounces! Wise move, lashing a body kick at Silva, whose complacency is punished.
Now Naurdiev grapples Silva against the fence again. He takes him down and laces up Silva’s legs. Silva is able to twist and stand, but he gives up the back in the process!
Naurdiev is off the ground, on Silva’s back, trying a rear naked choke... but no joy before the buzzer!
UFC 308 LIVE: Rinat Fakhretdinov vs Carlos Leal
15:34 , Alex PattleRound three
Third and final round. Leal is sporting some redness around his nose, but his chin has held up to Rinat’s best offence in the striking.
Rinat is able to control Leal briefly, against the fence, but as in the previous two rounds, Leal eventually gets free.
Now it’s Leal with a takedown! He rolls under a hook and times it to perfection. Rinat gets to the fence and back to his feet, and the pair move back to the centre of the ring.
There, Leal eats three straight punches in a row, but he’s undeterred, landing a one-two in return.
Good sprawl now from Leal, resisting a takedown yet again. Rinat lands a few more good punches in the final seconds, and we’ll go to the scorecards.
A really fun opener.
Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Carlos Leal via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).
No two ways about it: horrid scoring. Those scores should all have gone the other way. If you’re a Robert Whittaker fan and think he goes the distance against Khamzat Chimaev tonight, worry about a Russian getting such a lucky decision in this first fight of the night.
UFC 308 LIVE: Rinat Fakhretdinov vs Carlos Leal
15:28 , Alex PattleRound two
The striking has been quite sloppy from both men, but Leal continues to get the best of these back-and-forths.
Now Rinat gets his jab going, however. He eventually goes for another takedown, but it’s thwarted, and he eats a knee for his trouble!
Rinat holds Leal against the fence for some time, but Leal gets away eventually. Rinat closes range with a front kick, but Leal fires back with a one-two.
Again Leal counters a takedown attempt with a knee, before tagging Rinat with a couple of left hooks.
OH! But Rinat stumbles Leal slightly with an overhand right. Leal does well to stay composed, but he’s taken down in the final 15 seconds of the round.
UFC 308 LIVE: Rinat Fakhretdinov vs Carlos Leal
15:21 , Alex PattleThe prelims begin with a welterweight bout between Rinat Fakhretdinov and Carlos Leal!
Round one
Both men stand orthodox. Rinat presses forward early. He feints an overhand and pulls off a double-leg takedown. The pair land near the fence, and Leal is able to use it to stand up.
Rinat holds Leal against the cage wall for a while, before they separate. Both men land punches in a laboured exchange, before Leal sprawls to halt a takedown attempt.
Rinat’s next effort is successful, but again Leal is back up quickly. This time he doesn’t need the fence to stand, but he’s forced back to the cage wall shortly thereafter.
The welterweights separate again, and Leal lands a hard left hook! Leal with some heavy leg kicks, too. Rinat lands a body kick. Leal with a left hand and a knee up the middle!
He defends another takedown. Rinat is sporting some bruising around his nose and left eye. He’s landing punches now, though! One more takedown defended by Leal, and that’s round one in the books.
