The world is just two weeks away from the high-voltage UFC 308 pay-per-view event, set to return to the ‘fight capital,‘ Abu Dhabi, for the 18th time. In the much anticipated main event, BMF titleholder Max Holloway will look to dethrone the reigning featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria, in a clash of top-tier fighters that is expected to be a barn-burner.

Adding to the excitement, the co-main event will feature a scintillating middleweight showdown between rising star Khamzat Chimaev and former champion Robert Whittaker. Chimaev has his sights set on breaking into the top 10 rankings. As time passes, the fight card has generated such immense buzz that even UFC head honcho Dana White couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement.

Since day one, UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi has faced setbacks. Initially, it was supposed to feature reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev against top contender Arman Tsarukyan in the main event. However, Makhachev’s wrist injury, suffered during UFC 302, led to a postponement of the fight until next year, 2025. In its place, the main event will now be Max Holloway vs. Ilia Topuria, set for the upcoming event.

Anticipating this kind of uncertainty again, Dana White provided an update on the situation during an interview at the recent Dana White Contender Series (DWCS) post-fight press conference on October 9. When a reporter asked, “How’s everything trending? In a couple of weeks, we’ve got that big fight with Topuria and Holloway across the world. How’s that trending? How’s that lighting up?”

Dana White didn’t waste a moment to share, “Yeah, today was matchmaking day, so we were in there making some fights and beefing up some of the cards. That was literally one of the big topics today—how bada** that card is.” UFC CEO further reflected on the situation, gaining confidence as he knocked on the table, stating, “And hopefully, it stays together. So, yeah, I’m excited about it.”

White’s concern regarding any uncertainty is not just unwarranted, as the canceled fight list in the UFC 308 does not only include Islam Makhachev-Arman Tsarukyan, but one more rematch had to be scrapped off.

French phenom Ciryl Gane was set to make his return to the Octagon in a rematch against Alexander Volkov. In their first meeting back in 2019, Gane had picked up a five-round unanimous decision win. But Volkov has won five of his last six fights, with his only loss against interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. It has been over a year since Gane last competed, but a win over Volkov would have solidified his status as the top heavyweight contender. But later in September, Volkov announced to pull out of the event.

“I have to inform you that my fight on October 26 in Abu Dhabi is cancelled due to my knee injury. I will try to return to the gym and fight as soon as possible. So stay tuned and thank you for your support and understanding,” Volkov had written on his Instagram. French outlet La Sueur stated that the bout was expected to be rescheduled for UFC 310 in Las Vegas on December 7. However, MMA Fighting claimed that a source close to the fight said that there’s “no guarantee” of that happening.

If this is a setback for the promotion, there must also be concerns brewing about Khamzat Chimaev. The fighter, who is currently labeled as the ‘king of withdrawals,’ being on the same card, probably also raises the tension of White. However, as intermittent updates from Khamzat suggest, he is determined to take up the fight to assert his dominance in the weight class.