The UFC bandwagon is in the Middle East for a banger of a featherweight title fight — Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway — at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi tonight (October 26). The UFC 308 card promises rollercoaster match-ups, and looks guaranteed to build on the grand success of the previous edition earlier this month.
As per the local time (GST) at the venue, the UFC 308 preliminary card will begin at 6 PM in the evening while the main card is scheduled later in the night, starting at 10 PM.
Here are the timing, schedule and details of the event for spectators looking to catch the action from the United States, the UK, or any of the other countries where the event will be streamed or telecast.
| Country (Time Zone) | Prelims | Main Card |
| USA (ET) | 10:00 AM | 2:00 PM |
| Canada (ET) | 10:00 AM | 2:00 PM |
| UK (GMT) | 3:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| Australia (AEDT) | 12:00 AM (October 27) | 4:00 AM (October 27) |
| New Zealand (NZDT) | 2:00 AM (October 27) | 6:00 PM (October 27) |
| Brazil (BRT) | 11:00 AM | 3:00 PM |
| Spain (CEST) | 4:00 PM | 8:00 AM |
| France(CEST) | 4:00 PM | 8:00 AM |
| Sweden (CEST) | 4:00 PM | 8:00 AM |
| Ireland (GMT) | 3:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| Italy (CEST) | 4:00 PM | 8:00 AM |
| Argentina (ART) | 11:00 AM | 3:00 PM |
| Russia (MSK) | 5:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| Mexico (CT) | 9:00 AM | 1:00 PM |
| China (CST) | 10:00 PM | 2:00 AM (October 27) |
| Japan (JST) | 11:00 PM | 3:00 AM (October 27) |
| India (IST) | 7:30 PM | 11:30 PM |
| UAE (GST) | 6:00 PM | 10:00 PM |
| Saudi Arabia (AST) | 6:00 PM | 10:00 PM |
| South Africa (SAST) | 4:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
| Kyrgyzstan (KGT) | 8:00 PM | 12:00 Midnight (October 27) |
The UFC 308 brings together fan favorites like Khamzat Chimaev and Sharaputdin Magamedov in the main card, promising fireworks.
UFC 308 main card detailed
The main event of the evening — between the newly crowned featherweight king Ilia Topuria and former champion, Max Holloway — is set for five rounds. This will be El Matador’s first title defense.
For Holloway, who holds the ‘BMF’ belt, this offers another shot at the title.
Undefeated Chechen wolf, Khamzat Chimaev, returns to action against former middleweight champion, Robert ‘The Reaper’ Whittaker, in one of the co-main bouts. It is also slated for five rounds. This bout would have happened during the promotion’s Saudi debut in June had it not been for Chimaev falling ill. UFC rescheduled it to an even bigger card.
Next is the decisive light heavyweight bout between the #1 contender Magomed Ankalaev and #5 ranked Aleksandr Rakic of Serbia. If the Dagestan fighter manages to trump the Serb, then LHW champ Alex Pereira would have no other option but to finally face the Russian in a bout that will decide the future of the division.
The promotion has set another 145-lb scrap, between ‘The Miracle’ Lerone Murphy and the fan favorite Dan Ige. Ranked at #12, Murphy has won six out of his seven bouts in the promotion by first-round finishes. The veteran Ige, on the other hand, is eyeing a rebound after a loss to Diego Lopes.
Fan-favorite Sharaputdin ‘Bullet’ Magomedov will open the main card by taking on Armen Patrosyan in the middleweight division. Currently, both the fighters are unranked and will look to get a W in their win column to climb the ladder.
Since this is a major event with big names, the purses are going to be insane.
Here’s the here’s how much the main event fighters — Topuria & Holloway — are going to get paid.
UFC 308 estimated purse for Topuria vs. Holloway
Georgian-born Spaniard Topuria is yet to taste defeat in the UFC with a 7-0 record. Five out of his seven bouts in the promotion came through finishes, and he intends to repeat the feat when he gets in the octagon with Holloway. UFC 308 is expected to be his biggest payday.
The exact purse details are not yet available. Speculations are rife in the market though with estimates based on what Topuria received in his fight against Alexander Volkanovskiin at UFC 298. His paycheck was $350,000 at the time. Clearly, he would be getting a substantially higher purse now that he is the champion.
As for Holloway, his brutal last-second walkoff KO of Justin Gaethje got him a generous $2.1 million paycheck plus two bonuses. Saturday, he is expected to receive a similar purse, but possibly without the massive bonuses.
According to SportySalaries, the UFC 308 main event is guaranteed to have a purse of $1.25 million.
Do note that these numbers are subject to change based on the PPV shares and other benefits.
