Sean O'Malley previews Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway at UFC 308, shares official prediction: "He's going to get the job done"

Sean O'Malley has cast his official prediction for the UFC 308 main event, which will see Ilia Topuria defend his featherweight title for the first time against Max Holloway.

Topuria and Holloway will meet inside the octagon at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi this Saturday. The bout marks 'El Matador's first appearance since he won the title back in February, when he knocked out Alexander Volkanovski in the second round.

For 'Blessed', the Hawaiian-native will make his second walk to the octagon of 2024, having previously faced Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. Holloway then delivered a career best performance, stepping up to lightweight to dominate 'The Highlight' before knocking him out in the final second of the fifth round to win the BMF belt.

The general consensus for the fight appears to be that if Topuria is unable to finish the fight early, Holloway will dominate the later rounds and clinch the victory via unanimous decision.

O'Malley's prediction also follows that same narrative, with the former bantamweight champ believing Max Holloway's experience of five round fights should see him walk away victorious. He said:

"In the main event we've got 5"4 Topuria versus Max the BMF Holloway, standing about 5"11. He's gonna out f*cking tower him...How do I see this fight playing out? I think Max is going to stand on the outside and he's gonna hit him with some long shots...Max is gonna pack and pack him from the outside. I believe that fight is going to go to a decision...I think Max Holloway's gonna get the job done, five round experience weighing heavy on me."

Check out Sean O'Malley's prediction from his Instagram here, courtesy of Championship Rounds on X:

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Dan Hardy concerned for Max Holloway ahead of UFC 308

Dan Hardy believes Max Holloway's time at 145 pounds may be coming to end, after expressing concern for his health ahead of UFC 308.

In Holloway's last fight, he made the switch to lightweight in order to face Justin Gaethje, taking months off to naturally build the weight and muscle mass in order to hit 155 pounds healthily.

According to Hardy, however, 'Blessed's added weight has likely made his cut back to 145 pounds more difficult. Whilst speaking to Ariel Helwani on his new self-titled show, the PFL analyst believes Holloway's future should now be at lightweight. He said:

"My only concern is the weight of Max. I feel like he's better at [155 pounds] now. But that's to be seen, we'll see what he looks like on the scales. If he's got the cheekbones appropriate for Halloween then I won't be feeling as good about it...I feel like weight cutting, it's getting to the stage now where people need to realize that it affects your performance."

Check out Dan Hardy's comments about Max Holloway here (26:45):