UFC 294: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2 odds, Abu Dhabi predictions: MMA expert makes surprising fight card picks

Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will make the second defense of his title on Saturday in the main event of UFC 294 in a rematch against featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski. Their five-round showdown tops the main UFC 294 fight card from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main event was pulled together on short notice after former champion Charles Oliveira had to withdraw from his own rematch with Makhachev because of a training-camp injury. The rematch with Volkanovski, who took the fight on short notice, likely holds more public interest regardless. Volkanovski moved up a weight class in February in a bid to become a double-champion and came up short in a close decision.

Makhachev is a -260 favorite (risk $260 to win $100), while Volkanovski comes back at +210 in the latest UFC 294: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2 odds. Before finalizing any UFC 294 picks, make sure you .

Marley won the first-ever "ToutMaster" UFC betting contest sponsored by MMAOddsBreaker and appears regularly on multiple MMA betting and daily Fantasy shows. He watches every single fight for every professional MMA card and does extensive research before each event.

Over the past four years, $100 bettors who have followed Marley's picks are up nearly $12,000. In 2022, the accomplished MMA analyst launched the UFC season by advising SportsLine members to back Calvin Kattar (+200) against Giga Chikadze (-240) in the featherweight main event. Kattar's lopsided decision victory gave Marley's followers another easy winner. Anyone who has followed him has seen massive returns. 

Now, with UFC 294: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2 in sight, Marley has studied the card from top to bottom and revealed his top picks and best bets. You can only see Marley's MMA picks at SportsLine.

UFC 294: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski preview 

The first meeting between Makhachev and Volkanovski was an outlier in the sense that the fight seemed to stir more controversy and dialogue in its aftermath than it did at the time it occurred. Makhachev (24-1) used a big edge in grappling and ground control to win a unanimous decision, an outcome that appeared just and most MMA observers accepted.

However, in the ensuing days following their UFC 284 clash, an onslaught of sentiment questioning the scoring criteria surfaced, with many questioning whether Volkanovski (26-2) was short changed for his advantage on the feet while Makhachev, while effective with control, failed to end the fight with a submission and did little striking damage while in control.

Although Volkanovski returned to featherweight and successfully defended his title for a fifth time against Yair Rodriguez in July, the popular Australian slugger made it clear that he coveted a rematch with Makhachev.

When the UFC 294 main event with Oliveira fell through, Makhachev and Volkanovski both agreed to the sequel on less than two weeks' notice. The Russian champion, who has 11 submissions on his record, has vowed to not leave the rematch in the hands of the judges. Volkanovski has similarly promised to end the fight inside the distance. See all of Marley's UFC 294 picks here. 

Top UFC 294 predictions

One of Marley's top UFC 294 picks: He is going with Mohammad Yahya (+120) to pull the mild upset of Trevor Peek (-140) in a lightweight matchup on the preliminary card.

Peek (8-1) has earned a reputation as a must-watch prospect because of a sinister and reckless style that has resulted in all eight of his wins coming by knockout. But he is looking to overcome the first defeat of his career, a decision loss to Jose Mariscal in June.

Yayha (12-3) will be making his debut under the UFC banner. He is known for his athleticism and versatility and comes into Saturday's matchup behind a five-fight winning streak.

"Yayha looks like the more technical striker, which might not be enough to win, but I like him to have the grappling edge. That is how I see him winning this fight," Marley told SportsLine. See who else to pick here.

How to make UFC 294 picks

Marley has strong picks for Makhachev vs. Volkanovski and every other bout on the UFC 294 card. He's also backing a fighter who "will take advantage of an opponent who appears in decline" to emerge with a dominant victory. See Marley's picks at SportsLine. 

UFC 294 fight card, odds

Alexander Volanovski (+210) vs. Islam Makhachev (-260)Kamaru Usman (+220) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (-280)Magomed Ankalaev (-360) vs. Johnny Walker (+285)Ikram Aliskerov (-600) vs. Warlley Alves (+440)Said Nurmagomedov (-220) vs. Muin Gafurov (+180)Tim Elliot (+350) vs. Muhammad Mokaev (-485)Mohammad Yahya (+120) vs. Trevor Peek (-140)Javid Basharat (-550) vs. Victory Henry (+410)Abu Azaitar (+170) vs. Sedriques Dumas (-205)Anshul Jubli (-310) vs. Mike Breeden (+250)Shara Magomedov (-240) vs. Bruno Silva (+185)

Nathaniel Wood (-340) vs. Muhammad Naimov (+270)