Volkanovski vs. Topuria odds, UFC 298 prediction: MMA expert makes surprising fight card picks
Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski says he plans to teach Ilia Topuria a lesson on Saturday night when they meet in the main event of UFC 298. Their five-round showdown highlights the main UFC 298 fight card starting at 10 p.m. ET from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The brash and undefeated Topuria, who is ranked third, has repeatedly predicted a dominant victory. However, the battle-tested Volkanovski has never lost at featherweight in the UFC and defended the title five times. Another victory would further cement his status as one of the all-time greats in the division.
Volkanovski is a -120 favorite (risk $120 to win $100), while Topuria is priced at +100 in the latest UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria odds. In the co-main event, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker takes on rugged former title challenger Paulo Costa (+185). Before making your picks for UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from proven SportsLine expert Kyle Marley.
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 five years, $100 bettors who have followed Marley's picks are up nearly $11,000. Just last week at UFC Fight Night, Marley advised SportsLine members to back underdog Jack Hermansson (+220) against rising prospect Joe Pyfer (-275) in the middleweight main event. Hermansson won a unanimous decision to give Marley's followers another easy winner. Anyone who has followed him has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria on deck, Marley has studied the card from top to bottom and revealed his top selections. Those picks are only available at SportsLine.
UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria preview
Volkanovski (26-3) sits at No. 3 in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings, and the accomplished Australian fighter has spent numerous weeks in the top spot since claiming the featherweight crown from former longtime champion Max Holloway in December 2019.
The versatile Volkanovski, who is a former professional rugby player, is among the best athletes the division has ever seen and improved his MMA arsenal after he became the champion. He has since faced every qualified contender who vied for the title, including taking two subsequent rematches against Holloway.
Some observers believed dangerous striker Yair Rodriguez had the potential to dethrone Volkanovski, but the champion somewhat easily discarded him with a third-round stoppage in July of last year. However, in his second bid for the lightweight title, Volkanovski suffered a head-kick knockout at the hands of Islam Makhachev.
Considering Volkanovski just turned 35, the age at which lower-weight fighters tend to fade, many MMA observers now wonder if that loss was a sign that the featherweight champion's best days are behind him.
The ultra-confident Topuria (14-0) believes his rapid ascent represents a changing of the guard and has repeatedly asserted he believes Volkanovski will no longer be a factor after Saturday's main event. Topuria's dynamic skill set and charisma quickly made him a fan favorite, but now many are wondering if he is underestimating the dominant champion.
Among his many bold gestures, the undefeated Spaniard changed the bios on his social media accounts ahead of the UFC 298 main event to declare himself the promotion's new featherweight champion. The 27-year-old has carved up his first six UFC opponents, but has yet to defeat a top-five adversary. See all of Marley's UFC 298 picks here.
Top UFC 298 predictions
We'll share one of Marley's UFC 298 predictions here: He is siding with Marcos Rogerio De Lima (-140) to get his hand raised against Justin Tafa (+120) in a battle of heavyweight sluggers on the preliminary card.
De Lima (21-9-1) is a 10-year UFC veteran who is known for his versatility and endurance to go along with powerful striking. The 38-year-old Brazilian saw a two-fight win streak halted in his last outing when he was stopped by two-time title challenger Derrick Lewis in the first round.
Tafa (7-3-1) is a relentless brawler who lost three of his four UFC appearances to jeopardize his standing on the roster. But the 30-year-old New Zealander has since embarked on a four-fight unbeaten streak that includes a first-round knockout of Austen Lane last September.
"De Lima should have a huge edge on the ground, if he is smart and looks for takedowns. I'll support that edge and pick De Lima to finish the fight on the ground," Marley told SportsLine. See who else to pick here.
How to make UFC 298 picks
Marley has strong picks for Volkanovski vs. Topuria and every other bout on the UFC 298 card. He's also backing a combatant who "is the more well-rounded fighter" to emerge with a huge victory. Those picks are only available at SportsLine.
UFC 298 odds, fight card
Alexander Volkanovski (-120) vs. Ilia Topuria (+100)Robert Whittaker (-225) vs. Paulo Costa (+180)Ian Garry (-225) vs. Geoff Neal (+185)Merab Dvalishvili (-210) vs. Henry Cejudo (+190)Anthony Hernandez (-205) vs. Roman Kopylov (+170)Amanda Lemos (-140) vs. Mackenzie Dern (+120)Marcos Rogerio De Lima (-140) vs. Justin Tafa (+120)Danny Barlow (-200) vs. Josh Quinlan (+170)Miranda Maverick (-180) vs. Andrea Lee (+160)
Oban Elliott (-300) vs. Val Woodburn (+240)
