On February 17, the energy in California will rise as Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria hit the ground at Honda Center in Anaheim, United States. Our UFC 298 Volkanovski vs. Topuria prediction will provide the best tips and odds for this riveting match showdown as we analyze the betting preview.
Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria will battle in a highly awaited UFC featherweight championship battle under the leading light of the UFC 298 show. This event was initially expected to headline UFC 297 one month prior but was pushed back after Volkanovski was pulled to face UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.
| ℹ️ Event: | UFC 298 Main Event, for Featherweight Championship title |
| 🏟️ Venue: | Honda Centre, Anaheim, California, United States |
| 🗓️ Date: | 17 February 2024 |
| ⏰ Time: | From 4:00 am GMT on Saturday |
The best MMA bookmakers currently favor Alexander Volkanovski as a marginally preferred contender, offering odds of 1.80 (4/5). Ilia Topuria enters the match as the underdog with competitive odds of 1.91(10/11) in this main event ahead of Saturday night’s fight.
Alexander Volkanovski failed against UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, having been knocked out in the first round, but he is still the top dog in featherweight. Ahead of the event, Volkanovski enjoyed his role in the build-up, given that his opponent had been doing most of the trash-talking. He also boasts the longest win streak in the division’s career history, as two losses to Islam Makhachev in the upper division were his only defeats since 2013 when he was competing at welterweight on the Australian regional circuit. Volkanovski will be back after being knocked out in the first round by Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.
Volkanovski is a superior pure puncher to El Matador and has never lost at featherweight. He is also powerful and deceptive on the feet while pairing that with relentless offensive and defensive wrestling. He’s refined defensively, has a strong chin, and is comfortable completing five rounds. Volkanovski got good leg strikes and a general stand-up game. The Great holds the second most title fight wins in 145-pound history in the UFC, trailing only fellow divisional GOAT candidate Jose Aldo, meaning he is more experienced than Topuria.
Ilia Topuria (14-0) looked pretty persuasive when first appeared in the UFC cage in 2020. Topuria lands an average stat of 4.44 significant strikes per minute and holds a massive 67.4% significant strike difference in his fights, which places him in the third spot in division history. After four straight finishes since joining, the Georgian fighter outperformed Josh Emmett in June 2023 during UFC on ABC 5’s main event and got a chance to fight for the title. He is also the undefeated featherweight contender, making him an interesting and unpredictable opponent eve for The Great.
Topuria is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which could pose some danger to Volkanovski if the fight goes to the ground. Topuria is young, hungry, undefeated, and one of the sport’s fastest-rising stars. Topuria has pretty fast hands, making him able to be both attentive and dangerous in the boxing part of the clash. His hands’ accuracy and speed combine well with great power, and can easily finish the fight with a KO/TKO, and that can be a problem even for a fighter of Volkanovski caliber.
We have looked at the high UFC odds, and now it is the time to do something about it. As you can see, Volkanovski is the favorite to win, though Topuria’s odds are certainly better than those of some of Volkanovski’s past opponents. Here are our top Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria tips and expert analysis for this thrilling face-off.
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Volkanovski will be back to work in his weight class, and Alexander will be defending his championship title in this match against Topuria. Nobody can argue that Volkanovski is a superior pure puncher than Topuria, and that’s where the Aussie takes over. Alexander defends himself better and is far smarter with Octagon usage. He landed the third most significant strike in the division’s history with 1320.
The Australian is constantly in motion, even while defending, so hitting him in the right spot will be hard. He continuously switches stances to advance his striking, and when he gets in tight, a takedown to the ground is always available. So, if I’m betting the chalk, we take Volkanovski to win.
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Volkanovski has always been a straight shooter, and it is interesting he seems more confident in winning in the early rounds. The truth is both fighters have plenty at stake in this fight. A loss from Volkanovski would seriously doubt his power in the division, while Topuria’s reputation as an undefeated prospect will also melt immediately if he cannot deal with Volkanovski, which is on the decline. With plenty at stake, both fighters should try to look dominant and finish the things before the last round.
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Ilia Topuria has the potential to end this match early with a knockout, although that is a pretty risky bet. Alexander Volkanovski lost in a recent outing through a bad knockout when he was fighting against Islam Makhachev in UFC 294. Since Topuria averages 0.81 knockdowns per 15 minutes in featherweight bouts, that can land Volkanovski on the ground.
This Volkanovski vs. Topuria betting preview will be incomplete without stating our top picks for the showdown:
This featherweight fight between Topuria and Volkanovski’s betting preview is ripe with betting opportunities for the UFC 298 main event. Bookmakers have laid out compelling odds, and with our expert UFC 298 betting tips and predictions, you can earn by placing a punt at your favorite best legal gambling sites.
