Expert prediction
UFC 298: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria Prediction, Odds, and Picks (Feb 17)
Pick rationale
Analysis & key factors
- Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria headlines UFC 298.
- Volkanovski got KO-ed in his last fight.
- Topuria is still without a single loss in his pro career.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria is the main event of UFC 298, which will take place at Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Saturday, February 17.
The Volkanovski Topuria fight is a battle for the UFC Featherweight Championship. This is going to be the sixth time Volk is defending his title, while Topuria is fighting only the second 5-round fight of his career.
How to Watch
- When: Saturday, February 17, 2023, at 11:00 p.m. ET
- Where: Honda Arena, Anaheim (Los Angeles), California
- How to Watch: PPV
Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alexander Volkanovski | |
| Ilia Topuria |
Fight Preview
Alexander Volkanovski is one of the greatest fighters of his generation. He’s 26-3, with one of those losses happening in his fourth professional fight, back in 2013. The other two happened to Islam Makhachev in the battle for the UFC Lightweight Championship.
Volk wanted to be a double-champ, so he moved up a weight class last year to fight the Dagestani martial artist. Their first fight was very close, with Volk getting a couple of media scores. The three judges, however, scored against him.
He fought Makhachev again in October, accepting the fight on just a few days’ notice. It was an ambitious decision, but it proved not to be a very wise one – Makhachev knocked him out in the first round.
Volkanovski did not have a full camp before the Makhachev fight, but he’s 100% ready to fight the undefeated Ilia Topuria. The bad news for Volk is that Topuria is a hell of a striker.
In fact, some believe that the Georgian-Spanish martial artist is one of the best boxers in the 125lb division. He’s also great when it comes to wrestling, with a takedown defense of 92%.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria Prediction
In his last fight, Volkanovski suffered his first KO loss ever. However, the full-camp Volkanovski went to war with Makhachev a year ago, only losing by decision in the end. And Makhachev is a much more powerful fighter than Volk’s next opponent.
Sure, Topuria lands a lot of strikes, but we doubt he can finish the Aussie fighter. But what about the other way around? Can Volk finish him?
READ ALSO: PFL x Bellator: Champs: Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader Prediction, Odds, and Picks (Feb 24)
We think he might. The thing is that Topuria has never fought such an elite opponent as Volk. His toughest fight was against Josh Emmett, which he won by decision. Emmett is a tough guy, but he lands fewer strikes and fewer takedowns than Volk, not to mention that Volk has a significantly better finish rate than him.
Free Pick:
MMA
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