UFC 308 went down yesterday (Sat., October 26, 2024) at the Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In the main event of the evening Ilia Topuria retained his featherweight title by defeat Max Holloway by devastating knockout (see again here). In the co-main event Khamzat Chimaev quick work done Robert Whittaker by submitting him quite violently in the first round (see again here).

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Biggest Winner: Ilia Topuria

“El Matador” once again went above and beyond after making the speech, delivering a masterful performance against Holloway en route to a third-round knockout (see here), becoming the first man to ever “Blessed” on it Sage defeated. Topuria has shown time and time again that he is without a doubt one of the best fighters in the world, knocking out Holloway and others Alexander Volkanovski on consecutive trips is unknown. Aside from his unmatched fighting skills, the undefeated fighter (16-0, 8-0 UFC) is as classic a winner as it gets and is a tribute to one of the greatest fighters to ever grace the Octagon for paving the way for him has. Topuria is well on her way to superstardom.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Second: Khamzat Chimaev

Are you a believer now? Chimaev did to Robert Whittaker what no other man had ever done before: he steamrolled him in the first round with a crushing offensive attack that resulted in a quick submission win for “Borz” and a broken jaw for “The Reaper.” led. Chimaev has shown time and time again that he's just built differently, and now that he's picked up the biggest win of his career, the top of the division needs to be on their guard because he's coming fast, relentless and won't let up without a title shot. It's one he deserves Sean Strickland Without a shadow of a doubt, so don't be too surprised if Dana White and Co. are switching gears and booking Chimaev against Du Plessis at the beginning of 2025.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Honorable Mention: Shara Magomedov

Magomedov once again proved why many consider him a potential title challenger – perhaps as early as 2025 – by delivering another devastating performance, knocking out his former training partner. Armen Petrosyanin the closing seconds of the second round with an unprecedented double backfist finish (see again here). With the win, “Bullet” improves to 15-0, 4-0 UFC after securing his third win of 2024. And that's what makes him a fan favorite; his willingness to fight often and his aggressive style. Big things are ahead for Magomedov.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Biggest loser: Aleksandar Rakic

Rakic ​​​​had a golden opportunity to upset Magomed Ankalaev and potentially steal the title from him, but failed, losing a unanimous decision to the man now expected to face Alex Pereira. Making matters worse for “Rocket” is that this is his third straight loss in the Octagon after he started well with a 6-1 mark and many tipped him as a potential title contender early on. And that's how drastically a fighter's luck can change in the fight game. A win probably would have put him in a title shot, but the loss now leaves him with a lot of questions. He won't be cut because of his slip, but he will go into his next fight with tremendous pressure on his hands and potentially lose his fourth straight win.

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