New followers of mixed martial arts often need a history lesson to understand why hardcore fans are so excited about a particular upcoming fight.

There is a rivalry that goes back a decade. A long title reign in jeopardy. A captivating comeback story. A long-standing record that is on the verge of destruction.

However, in the case of the UFC 308 main event, the selling point for the featherweight championship fight between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway may be limited to recent events. It can start and end in early 2024. One fight per fight – the youngest for each of them – is all we need to know to be sold in Saturday’s matchup in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (ESPN+ PPV at 2 p.m. ET). , prelims on ESPN+ at 10 a.m.).

For Topuria, that compelling fight came in February, when he wrested the belt with a knockout that abruptly ended Alexander Volkanovski’s four-year reign. As for Holloway, his tough sell came two months later when he pulled off perhaps the greatest knockout in MMA history, sending Justin Gaethje face-first to the canvas with just one second left in the fifth round of violence.

That’s enough to get us excited for Topuria vs. Holloway. However, a deeper look into their past reveals that both competitors have done much more to set themselves apart from everyone else who graces the Octagon. For example, there are 11 UFC champions, but Topuria (15-0) is the only one who is undefeated. Holloway (26-7) leads the UFC featherweights in virtually every key statistic – wins (20), finishes (11), KOs (9), significant strikes (2,892) and total strikes (3,096).

Join us, boys.

How does the rest of UFC 308 compare to the main event? Here you will find a ranking of the top attractions.

1st Featherweight Championship: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway

An undefeated champion versus a revived legend. What more could fight fans ask for? Even before he knocked out Volkanovski, Topuria was proving to be a consummate finisher, with eight submissions and five KOs among his 15 wins. But his challenger has never been knocked out in his 33-fight career. Holloway was only finished once, tapping into a triangle armbar from Dustin Poirier in his UFC debut 12 years ago. Yes, “Blessed” Max has been around for quite a long time and has achieved a lot. Here he has the chance to surpass himself.

2. Middleweight: Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Finally, Chimaev’s dominance is tested. Sure, his last win was against a former UFC champion, but Kamaru Usman dominated at welterweight and the Chimaev fight was at middleweight. And Usman was brought in as a replacement opponent just 10 days before fight night.

Now Chimaev faces another former champion, and a real middleweight – and not just any 185-pounder. Whittaker is a rumbling whirlwind for opponents no matter where a fight takes place. If Chimaev can handle everything Whittaker brings, he will have earned the title shot that much of the MMA fanbase thought was his destiny. With just three fights in the last three years, the Chimaev hype train has slowed, but it could start up again on Saturday.

3. Light Heavyweight: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic

I was tempted to rank this event higher than the co-main event because there is more at stake here, as the UFC has guaranteed Ankalaev a shot at the title if he puts in a strong performance here. But can he make this promise to the bank?

Ankalaev is undefeated in his last 12 fights, the second longest such streak in light heavyweight history (Jon Jones, 19). By the time the final light heavyweight title fight was booked, he had already done enough to secure the win. But Ankalaev was passed over in favor of Khalil Rountree Jr., who the UFC knew wouldn’t dampen the excitement of an Alex Pereira appearance with one of the awkward takedowns Ankalaev might attempt. Now the UFC is putting another obstacle in Ankalaev’s way. If he beats Rakic, he would surely be next, right?

4, 5, 6 and 7, in any order. The others undefeated

There’s one undefeated fighter in the main event (Topuria) and one in the co-main event (Chimaev), and while they’ll command the night’s attention, they’re far from the only flawless contenders at UFC 308. Two have faced off before to the main map. Featherweight Lerone Murphy (14-0-1), just five months removed from a dominant performance against Edson Barboza, faces a less demanding test against Dan Ige. And in the middleweight division, Shara Magomedov (14-0) meets Armen Petrosyan. There are two undefeated contenders in the preliminary rounds: men’s bantamweight Farid Basharat (12-0) fights Victor Hugo and light heavyweight Rafael Cerqueira brings an 11-0 record in his UFC debut against Ibo Aslan. Six undefeated fighters on the card is virtually a guarantee of impending turmoil.