Home UFC UFC 308 pre-event facts: Max Holloway can enhance already unreal resume

UFC 308 pre-event facts: Max Holloway can enhance already unreal resume

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 13: Max Holloway reacts to defeating Justin Gaethje in their BMF title fight at T-Mobile Arena on April 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Arguably the most stacked UFC offering of 2024 takes place Saturday with UFC 308, which goes down at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi with a main card on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews/ESPN+.

One of the most anticipated title fights of the year caps off the card. Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is set to put his title on the line for the first time when he meets BMF titleholder Max Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in the main event.

With six current or former champions and title challengers on the lineup, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC 308.

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Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway

Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria

Topuria is one of 14 undefeated, undisputed UFC champions.

Topuria is one of five undisputed UFC featherweight champions.

Topuria became the first Georgian champion in UFC history with his UFC 298 title win.

Topuria’s six-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Movsar Evloev (seven).

Topuria has earned 13 of his 15 career victories by stoppage.

Topuria defends 65.4 percent of opponent significant strike attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the second-highest rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Youssef Zalal (66.8 percent).

Max Holloway

Max Holloway

Max Holloway

Holloway is the only fighter in UFC history to win an interim, undisputed and BMF title.

Holloway can become the second two-time featherweight champion in UFC history. Jose Aldo accomplished the feat.

Holloway’s knockout at the 4:59 mark of Round 5 at UFC 300 is the latest stoppage in a UFC championship fight.

Holloway competes in his 27th UFC featherweight bout, tied with Darren Elkins for most appearances in divisional history.

Holloway’s 22 victories in UFC competition are tied for fourth-most in company history behind Jim Miller (26), Andrei Arlovski (23) and Donald Cerrone (23).

Holloway’s 20 victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Holloway’s 11 knockout victories in UFC competition are tied for third-most in company history behind Derrick Lewis (15) and Matt Brown (13).

Holloway’s 11 stoppage victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Holloway’s nine knockout victories in UFC featherweight competition are most in divisional history.

Holloway’s seven third-round stoppage victories in UFC competition are most in company history.

Holloway has landed 100 or more significant strikes in 16 separate UFC fights, the most in company history. No other fighter has more than 10 such performances.

Holloway has landed 200 or more significant strikes in three separate UFC fights, the most in company history.

Holloway has landed 3,378 significant strikes in UFC competition, the most in company history.

Holloway has landed 3,622 total strikes in UFC competition are most in company history.

Holloway is the only fighter in UFC history to complete 29 octagon appearances without suffering a knockdown.

Holloway has absorbed 2,223 significant strikes in UFC competition, the most in company history.

Holloway landed 445 significant strikes against Calvin Kattar at UFC on ABC 1, the single-fight UFC record. His 744 significant strike attempts in that bout are also a single-fight record.

Holloway landed 447 total strikes at UFC on ABC 1, the single-fight UFC record. The previous high was 361. His 746 total strike attempts are also a single-fight record.

Holloway landed 141 significant strikes in Round 4 at UFC on ABC 1, the single-round UFC record.

Holloway’s 10 fight-night bonuses for UFC featherweight bouts are tied with Cub Swanson for most in divisional history.

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Robert Whittaker

Robert Whittaker

Robert Whittaker

Robert Whittaker (26-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC) is the only New Zealand-born fighter in history to win a UFC championship.

Whittaker is one of 15 undisputed middleweight champions in UFC history.

Whittaker is 14-3 since he moved up to the UFC middleweight division in November 2014.

Whittaker’s 14 victories in UFC middleweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Michael Bisping (16) and Brad Tavares (15).

Whittaker’s nine fight-night bonuses for UFC middleweight bouts are second-most in divisional history behind Anderson Silva (12).

Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is 3-0 in UFC middleweight competition.

Chimaev has earned 11 of his 13 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished eight of those wins in Round 1.

Chimaev absorbed just one significant strike in his opening four UFC appearances, the least of any fighter in company history.

Chimaev has had four UFC performances without absorbing a significant strike, the most in company history.

Chimaev has landed at least one takedown in six of his seven UFC appearances.

Chimaev’s two UFC victories in a 10-day span in July 2020 marks the fastest stretch in company history.

Chimaev’s three UFC victories in a 66-day span from July 2020-September 2020 mark the fastest stretch in company history.

Chimaev has been awarded a fight-night bonus in five of his seven UFC appearances.

Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige

Lerone Murphy

Lerone Murphy

Lerone Murphy’s (14-0-1 MMA, 6-0-1 UFC) seven-fight UFC unbeaten streak at featherweight is tied with Evloev and Sean Woodson for the longest active streak in the division.

Murphy’s six-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is tied with Topuria for the second-longest active streak in the division behind Evloev (seven).

Dan Ige (18-8 MMA, 10-7 UFC) is one of two featherweights in UFC/WEC combined history to earn multiple knockout wins in less than one minute. Chan Sung Jung also accomplished the feat.

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic

Magomed Ankalaev

Magomed Ankalaev

Magomed Ankalaev’s (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) 12-fight UFC unbeaten streak at light heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Ankalaev’s 12-fight UFC unbeaten streak at light heavyweight is the second-longest in divisional history behind Jon Jones (18).

Ankalaev’s six knockout victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Chuck Liddell (10), Mauricio Rua (eight) and Khalil Rountree (seven).

Ankalaev defends 86.4 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC light heavyweight competition, the third-highest rate in divisional history behind Jones (95 percent) and Ryan Jimmo (87.5 percent).

Geoff Neal vs. Rafael dos Anjos

Rafael dos Anjos

Rafael dos Anjos

Rafael dos Anjos’ (33-16 MMA, 21-14 UFC) becomes the fifth fighter in UFC history to make 36 octagon appearances.

Dos Anjos total fight time of 8:41:49 in UFC competition is the most in company history. He’s the only fighter to reach eight hours of octagon time.

Dos Anjos is one of 10 fighters in UFC history to earn 21 or more octagon victories.

Dos Anjos’ 12 decision victories in UFC competition are tied for third-most in company history behind Neil Magny (14) and Brad Tavares (13).

Abus Magomedov vs. Brunno Ferreira

Brunno Ferreira

Brunno Ferreira

Brunno Ferreira (12-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is one of eight fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back elbow. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 57.

Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Chris Barnett

Kennedy Nzechukwu

Kennedy Nzechukwu

Kennedy Nzechukwu (12-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) moves up to the UFC heavyweight division after spending his previous 11 octagon appearances at light heavyweight.

Nzechukwu earned a knockout at UFC 259 despite a -64 deficit in significant strikes landed, the biggest statistical comeback for a light heavyweight bout and third overall in UFC history.

Chris Barnett (23-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has earned all 18 of his career stoppage victories by knockout.

Barnett is one of 14 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a wheel kick. He’s one of two heavyweights to accomplish the feat, along with Junior Dos Santos.

Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Carlos Leal

Rinat Fakhretdinov

Rinat Fakhretdinov

Rinat Fakhretdinov (22-1-1 MMA, 4-0-1 UFC) enters the event on a 22-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since June 2013.

Fakhretdinov’s 22-fight unbeaten streak in MMA competition is longest among active fighters on the UFC roster.

Ismail Naurdiev vs. Bruno Silva

Bruno Silva

Bruno Silva

Bruno Silva’s (23-11 MMA, 4-5 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since April 2023.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on X @MJCflipdascript.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 308 pre-event facts: Max Holloway can enhance already unreal resume



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