UFC's Middle East Return: Featherweight Title Showdown

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back in Abu Dhabi for UFC 308, which takes place on Saturday at Etihad Arena. The main event features a featherweight title bout. Eleven experts from MMA Junkie have shared their picks for the main card fights. Let's dive into their predictions and the background of the fighters. Magomedov vs. Petrosyan: Magomedov enters the ring with an undefeated record of 14-0 in MMA, including a 3-0 run in the UFC. Petrosyan, on the other hand, has a 9-3 record and is 3-2 in the UFC. Most experts are betting on Magomedov, with only one picking Petrosyan. Ige vs. Murphy: Ige, with an 18-8 record and 10-7 in the UFC, faces Murphy, who has an impressive 14-0-1 record and is 6-0-1 in the UFC. Murphy is the favorite among the experts, with nine out of eleven picking him to win. Ankalaev vs. Rakic: Ankalaev, with a 19-1-1 record and a 10-1-1 record in the UFC, is the top-ranked fighter in the light heavyweight division. Rakic, with a 14-4 record and 6-3 in the UFC, is ranked eleventh. All experts are unanimously predicting a win for Ankalaev.Chimaev vs. Whittaker: Chimaev, undefeated at 13-0 and 7-0 in the UFC, faces Whittaker, who has a 27-7 record and is 17-5 in the UFC. Six out of eleven experts are predicting a win for Chimaev, while five are backing Whittaker. Topuria vs. Holloway: Topuria, with a perfect 15-0 record and 7-0 in the UFC, is the number one featherweight. Holloway, with a 26-7 record and 22-7 in the UFC, is ranked third. The experts are split, with six backing Holloway and five favoring Topuria. Preliminary Card Picks: The preliminary card also has some close matches. For instance, Ibo Aslan is favored over Rafael Cerqueira, with seven experts picking Aslan. Meanwhile, Myktybek Orolbai is the clear favorite against Mateusz Rebecki, with nine experts backing him. Reader Consensus: The consensus among MMA Junkie readers is that Holloway, Whittaker, Ankalaev, Murphy, and Magomedov are likely to win their respective matches.