Volkanovski vs Topuria UFC Odds: UFC 298 To Crown New Stars?
Ilia Topuria Leads Budding Stars in UFC 298 Main Card
UFC Betting Odds Quickly Tighten on the Challenger
We are going to crown a new UFC featherweight champion this Saturday. At least, this is what many of the betting public expect due to how the Volkanovski vs Topuria UFC odds are shaping.
Ilia Topuria, the undefeated challenger, is now down to -110 after opening at +150. If he can live up to the promise, he may just lead a UFC 298 card filled with other potential future champions in it.
UFC 298: Main Card Info
Volkanovski vs Topuria
Day/Time:
Location: Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
Streaming: Pay-per-view
Volkanovski vs Topuria has Aldo vs McGregor Vibes?
From a hype and betting perspective, this featherweight title fight does harken to 2015 when Conor McGregor dethroned then-champion Jose Aldo. The brash Irishman had already declared himself champion and backed his talk by knocking Aldo out. Topuria has done something similar and is even producing an autobiographical film.
Win or lose, Topuria is swinging for the fences here. He’s still the slight underdog given the Volkanovski vs Topuria UFC odds. But plenty of bettors are buying into his promises as he looks to finally dethrone one of the longest-reigning UFC champions. But the champ won’t go down easy.
“Prediction is I teach him a good lesson,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “He’s gonna be embarrassed, eat some of his words, and it’s gonna be maybe the start of his journey. He’s young, he is confident, I’ll humble him, he’ll bounce back and start after I give him a good beating.”
The total is set at just 3.5 rounds with the ‘over’ juiced at -130. Both Topuria and Volkanovski have knockout power though only 50% of their wins, or less, have ended in a knockout.
Volkanovski has never lost at 145 pounds. He is coming off a KO loss in a short-notice fight at 155 pounds against the pound-for-pound top fighter Islam Makhachev. But given his resume – wins over four former champs – it may still be a good bet to side with him at -120 for the UFC this weekend.
Whittaker and Costa are Both on the Comeback
Speaking of former champions, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker anchors the co-main event against Paulo Costa. This is potentially a title eliminator for Costa if he can get past Whittaker though his +180 UFC odds are bearish on his chances. Costa has not fought since the summer of 2022.
But Whittaker is also coming from a brutal KO loss against the new champion, Dricus Du Plessis. He may be shopworn given all the damage he’s absorbed in his career, which includes three knockout defeats and a title fight where he absorbed over 110 significant strikes.
The Volkanovski vs Topuria UFC odds favor Whittaker at -220 with the total going over 2.5 rounds at -150. He can likely evade Costa’s powerful punches and earn his 11th decision victory in the octagon. But it’s tough to bet given these men’s recent circumstances.
Future Title Contenders Feature in Undercard
Ian Machado Garry could follow in Topuria’s footsteps as an undefeated contender fighting for a title. He needs a few more wins beginning with Geoff Neal, a top-10 fighter, in this welterweight bout. The oddsmakers favor Garry at -225 with the comeback on Neal at +185. This battle between strikers is not expected to make it to a decision and the total of 2.5 is favored to go under at -130.
The next UFC fight pits former two-division champion Henry Cejudo against the red-hot Merab Dvalishvili. The latter is favored at -195 with Cejudo at +165. Opposite to Garry vs Neal, this is a bout between two wrestlers. While Cejudo is the Olympic gold medalist, Dvalishvili averages over 6.5 takedowns per 15 minutes. Expect a decision here with the total going over 2.5 rounds at -300.
Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez and Roman Kopylov open UFC 298’s main card. Odds favor Hernandez at -200 with Kopylov at +165. These prospects turned contenders have opposing styles: a grappler versus a striker, respectively. The total could go over 1.5 rounds at -150. But expect a finish.
For UFC betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
