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

There is a rivalry that goes back ten years. A long-term title reign is in jeopardy. A compelling comeback story. A long-standing record that is about to be broken.

In the case of the UFC 308 main event, however, the sales pitch for the featherweight championship match between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway may stick to recent events. It could start and end in early 2024. One fight apiece – the most recent for each of them – is all we need to know to be sold on Saturday’s bout in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (ESPN+ PPV at 2 p.m. ET, prelims on ESPN+ at 10 a.m.) .

For Topuria, that one convincing fight came in February, when he took the title away with a knockout that abruptly ended Alexander Volkanovski’s four-year reign. As for Holloway, his hard sell came two months later, when he wrote perhaps the greatest KO in MMA history by sending Justin Gaethje face-first to the canvas with just one second left in their fifth round of violence.

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

Bring it on, guys.

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

1. Featherweight Championship: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway

An undefeated champion versus a revived legend. What more could fight fans ask for? Even before knocking out Volkanovski, Topuria proved he was a true winner, with eight submissions and five KOs among his fifteen victories. But his challenger hasn’t been knocked out in his 33-fight career. Holloway has only been finished once, when he tapped a Dustin Poirier arm triangle in his UFC debut… 12 years ago. Yes, “Blessed” Max has been around for a long time and has achieved a lot. Here’s a chance for him to outdo himself.

2. Middleweight: Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Finally, Chimaev’s dominance is being tested on a grand scale. Sure, his most recent win was against a former UFC champion, but Kamaru Usman reigned at welterweight and the Chimaev fight took place at middleweight. And Usman was brought in as a replacement opponent just 10 days before the fight night.

Now Chimaev faces another ex-champ, this one a true 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 has assumed is his destiny. Having only three fights in the last three years has slowed the roll of the Chimaev hype train, but things could start chugging 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 the stakes are clearer, as the UFC has assured Ankalaev of a title shot if he puts in a strong performance here. However, can he present that promise to the bank?

Ankalaev is undefeated in his last twelve fights, the second-longest streak in light heavyweight history (Jon Jones, 19). He had already done enough to get the first win when the final light heavyweight title fight was booked. But Ankalaev was passed over for Khalil Rountree Jr., who the UFC knew wouldn’t be able to extinguish the excitement of an Alex Pereira performance with one of those obnoxious takedowns Ankalaev might attempt. Now the UFC is placing another obstacle in front of Ankalaev. If he beats Rakic, he would definitely be next, right?

4, 5, 6 and 7, in no particular order. The other undefeated

There’s one undefeated fighter in the main event (Topuria) and one in the co-main (Chimaev), and while they’ll be the focus of the evening, they’re far from the only flawless competitors at UFC 308. Two previously fought on the evening. the main card. Featherweight Lerone Murphy (14-0-1), just five months removed from a dominant performance against Edson Barboza, faces a less ancient test against Dan Ige. And middleweight Shara Magomedov (14-0) takes on Armen Petrosyan. There are two undefeated competitors in the prelims: 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 virtually guarantees turbulence in the future.