Can The Great Return Crown? Alexander Volkanovski Vs. Diego Lopes Betting Predictions & Fight Picks (UFC 314, April 13)

This weekend’s UFC event will be an interesting one, as the vacant featherweight belt will be on the line in the main event. Alexander Volkanovski is a former featherweight champion with a lot of experience, and he will face Diego Lopes, who is doing very well lately and is on a five-fight winning streak.
Key Details About the UFC 314 Main Event
Ilia Topuria vacated his featherweight title after moving up to the lightweight division, so Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes will be fighting in a five-round clash for the belt. There are also some other exciting fights on the 314 full card, as Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett will be the co-main event in a lightweight clash, and Yair Rodriguez will take on Patricio Pitbull in another anticipated featherweight bout. The event will take place on Sunday, April 13, at the Kaseya Center in Miami.
ℹ️ Event: | UFC 314 Main Event, for vacant Featherweight Championship title |
🏟️ Venue: | Kaseya Center, Miami, Florida, United States |
🗓️ Date: | 13 April 2025 |
⏰ Time: | From 3:00 AM GMT on Sunday |
Volkanovski vs Lopes Odds
The odds are very close in this fight, and there’s no clear favorite, so let’s take a look at what the best UFC mobile betting apps have to say about the latest Volkanovski vs Lopes odds:
The UFC bookmakers have Alexander Volkanovski as a slight favorite with odds of 1.80 (4/5) to beat the Brazilian fighter, while Diego Lopes will be the underdog with odds of 2.0 (Evs) to beat “The Great” in his first-ever UFC title fight. The Aussie fighter has a lot more experience, as he is a former UFC featherweight champion, which is why the bookies are leaning towards him being the favorite.
Alexander Volkanovski’s Current Form in the UFC
Alexander Volkanovski is certainly not in his best form right now, as he is coming off back-to-back losses against Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev. The Great took a 14-month break to recover from those two losses, but he could surprise the Brazilian by returning to top form in this fight. Volkanovski has a great 26-4 MMA record, having defended the featherweight title five times successfully from 2020 to 2024, but he lost the belt in his last fight to Ilia Topuria in UFC 298.
Volkanovski Advantages Over Lopes
The biggest advantage for Alexander Volkanovski in this bout is his vast experience. This will be Alexander’s 10th consecutive UFC title fight, while it will be Diego’s first. Volkanovski is a more well-rounded fighter with great striking and grappling abilities. He has a good fighting IQ and adapts quickly to his game plan to take advantage of his opponent’s weakness. The Great has excellent endurance and cardio, which will allow him to apply constant pressure on Diego.
Diego Lopes’ Current Form in the UFC
Diego Lopes is having one of the hottest streaks in the featherweight division right now, having won five consecutive fights after losing his first bout in the UFC, defeating fighters like Sodiq Yusuff and Brian Ortega. The Brazilian fighter has a 26-6 MMA record, and he has finished 22 of his wins via submission or knockout, while only four of those wins went to distance. Lopes is one of the most promising rising stars, so winning his first UFC belt will be a big achievement for him.
Lopes Advantages Over Volkanovski
Diego Lopes is six years younger than Volkanovski, and that’s a big age difference in his favor. The Brazilian also has clear height and reach advantages over the Great, as his height is 5’11 compared to Alexander’s 5’6. Diego has a creative grappling approach and is largely unpredictable with his submissions, which could be a major advantage. He has dynamic finishing abilities as well, even though Volkanovski was knocked out only twice in his UFC career.
Alexander Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes Betting Tips
After breaking down the Volkanovski vs Lopes main event fight at UFC 314, we’ll look at the best bookies for MMA fights and provide some of the best tips for the fight. Our predictions for Alexander Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes are as follows:
Alexander Volkanovski to Win @ 1.80 (4/5)
2 (100%)
0
The PFL betting websites have enticing odds on Alexander Volkanovski in this bout. The Great is expected to perform much better after the break, and he has a huge advantage in experience in title bouts. Volkanovski proved in his trilogy against Max Holloway that he is great at making real-time adjustments, which is one of Diego Lopes’ weakest points. Alexander has an elite takedown defense that can limit Diego’s strongest weapon in grappling as well.
Total Rounds – Over 3.5 @ 1.80 (4/5)
2 (100%)
0
Diego Lopes used to finish most of his fights in the first round, but he has shown a lot of respect to his top-tier opponents in his last two fights and was less aggressive and more cautious, which is why both of those bouts went over the total. Alexander Volkanovski has gone over 3.5 rounds in seven of his last nine fights, making it likely the trend continues.
Alexander Volkanovski to Win by Decision or Technical Decision @ 3.10 (21/10)
2 (100%)
0
Alexander Volkanovski has been going to the distance more often than not lately, as six of his last 10 bouts have finished on points. Diego Lopes’ last two fights have also gone to the distance, and he will be up against his toughest test so far and will fight for as long as he can. Volkanovski is incredibly strong mentally and has the cardio to push Lopes to the distance and win a close fight.
Best UFC 314 Betting Picks
We will go with Alexander Volkanovski to have a big bounce back and get the win, but Diego Lopes is surely capable of taking the fight to a distance. Make sure to take advantage of the betting bonuses on the live sports betting sites to have more fun watching the event.
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