Alexander Volkanovski (-125) over Ilia Topuria
DraftKings Sportsbook
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- This matchup is a huge step up in level of competition for Topuria, who could struggle against an established champion like Volkanovski.
- Volkanovski has lost twice in his last three fights, but both of those losses came at a higher weight class against an elite Islam Makhachev.
The UFC featherweight championship is on the line in Saturday’s UFC 298 main event. Alexander Volkanovski will be defending that title against Ilia Topuria, who is taking part in his first title fight both in UFC and in the entirety of his career. Here, we give you our UFC best bets for Volkanovski vs Topuria as they get set to do battle at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.
Volkanovski vs Topuria UFC 298 Betting Pick
Volkanovski ML (-125) over Topuria
Why Bet On Alexander Volkanovski:
✅ Volkanovski has fought in eight UFC title fights in his career, compared to none for Topuria. That experience edge will be a huge benefit to the current featherweight champion.
✅ Topuria has also not faced the quality of opponent that Volkanovski has in his career so far. He should struggle in this step up in level.
✅ The champ has lost two of his last three fights, but those were against an all-time great in Islam Makhachev at a heavier weight class. Volkanovski should be able to bounce back here.
Alexander Volkanovski
Alexander Volkanovski is one of the great champions in the UFC featherweight division and he looks to notch another title defense in this division on Saturday night. Volkanovski has lost two of his last three fights, but some context is required when looking at his recent results. Both of those losses came against Islam Makhachev in the lightweight division. Volkanovski still has not lost as a featherweight in UFC, and we expect him to continue that streak.
For Volkanovski to avoid being beaten and losing his second title, he will need to keep Topuria at some distance. Topuria has earned finishes in all but two of his career fights, displaying a nice arsenal of striking and submission capability as well. If the Australian can avoid letting Topuria get him to the ground, Volkanovski should be able to use his experience and striking ability to his advantage.
Ilia Topuria
Ilia Topuria has not lost an MMA fight in his career so far, going 14-0-0 to this point. But Topuria will be taking part in his first ever title fight in this matchup with Volkanovski, who is one of the more experienced champions in the promotion today. While Topuria has a ton of weapons in his arsenal, the one he is missing (experience), could cost him.
There are also questions about the quality of competition that Topuria has faced in his career leading up to this bout. Topuria’s toughest ever opponent has likely been Josh Emmett, who is a good fighter, but is not on the level of the Volkanovskis of the world either. How Topuria reacts to not being clearly the best fighter in the octagon for a change will go a long way in determining the outcome of this title fight.
