• MMA

UFC 298 Odds and Expert Pick: Alex Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria

Alexander Volkanovski is a slight favorite to retain his Featherweight belt this weekend, according to the latest UFC 298 odds. Volkanovski is the longest-reigning current UFC champion. He will attempt to defend his belt again this weekend against the undefeated Ilia Topuria.

Bovada Sportsbook makes it easy to bet on UFC 298 online. The betting site has odds on every fight scheduled for this event.

Continue reading to see the latest UFC 298 betting odds. I will break down the odds and give you my predictions for every fight on the main card.

Volkanovski vs. Topuria Odds

The main event for UFC 298 is a title fight between Alex Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria. Here are the latest Volkanovski vs. Topuria odds, courtesy of Bovada Sportsbook.

• Alexander Volkanovski (-130)
• Ilia Topuria (+110)
• Total Rounds: over/under 3.5 rounds

Oddsmakers have Volkanovski listed as a -130 favorite heading into this fight. This is his sixth title defense and his first since July 2023. Topuria, on the other hand, is heading into his first UFC title fight.

UFC 298 Odds

Four exciting main card fights are scheduled for this event Before Volkanovski and Topuria square off. Here are the latest odds and my UFC 298 picks for the other main card fights.

Anthony Hernandez (11-2) vs. Roman Kopylov (12-2)

• Anthony Hernandez (-250)
• Roman Kopylov (+200)

The main card of this event starts with Anthony Hernandez taking on Roman Kopylov. Kopylov stepped into this fight to replace Ikram Aliskerov, who had to withdraw. This fight is scheduled to take place at Middleweight, and Hernandez is listed as the -250 favorite.

Hernandez and Kopylov were supposed to fight last September. Both fighters are 4-1 in their last five fights and could be future title contenders. Hernandez is currently the 15th-ranked Middleweight, and Kopylov could jump into the rankings with a win.

This has the makings of a classic striver vs. grappler matchup. Kopylov has 11 KO wins, and Hernandez has submitted seven opponents in his professional career. Ultimately, I believe that Hernandez will get the win due to his superior grappling skills.

Merab Dvalishvili (16-4) vs. Henry Cejudo (16-3)

• Merab Dvalishvili (-225)
• Henry Cejudo (+185)

Up next is the Bantamweight fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo. Sports betting sites have Dvalishvili listed as the -225 favorite heading into this fight. Cejudo is the former UFC Flyweight and Bantamweight champion, but this will just be his second fight since coming out of retirement.

A pissed-off, angry and motivated @HenryCejudo who is putting everything into getting a W against Merab or calling time on his MMA career is something to take very seriously.

I would never count out a former Olympic Gold Medalist and 2-division UFC Champion. pic.twitter.com/EiinNuNKlN

— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) February 15, 2024

Both Dvalishvili and Cejudo are ranked in the top three of the Bantamweight division. The only fighter ahead of them is former champion Aljamain Sterling.

Dvalishvili has won nine straight fights but has a low finish rate as a pro. He has earned 12 of his 16 wins via decision, all of which were unanimous. Conversely, Cejudo has finished his opponents in eight of his 16 career wins.

I think Cejudo is still too good to bet against, even at this point in his career. His loss to Sterling in his return fight was by split decision. I believe Cejudo will win this fight and put himself right back into the title picture at 135 pounds.

Geoff Neal (15-5) vs. Ian Machado Garry (13-0)

• Geoff Neal (+188)
• Ian Machado Garry (-230)

Geoff Neal and Ian Machado Garry are also scheduled to compete at this event. The undefeated Garry is a -230 favorite in the latest UFC 298 betting odds at Bovada. Neal is listed at +188 payout odds for this Welterweight fight.

Despite losing three of his last five fights, Neal is still the eighth-ranked Welterweight. Garry is currently ranked 10th in the division and would likely move up with a win over Neal.

Neal’s recent losses have come against other fighters in the top 15, including Shavkat Rakhmonov, Neil Magny, and Stephen Thompson. Garry has also faced Magny and defeated him by unanimous decision.

I believe Garry will be the one getting his hand this weekend. He has the size advantage, and Neal appears to be in the midst of a skid. I think Garry will win this fight to improve to 14-0 as a pro.

Robert Whittaker (24-7) vs. Paulo Costa (14-2)

• Robert Whittaker (-250)
• Paulo Costa (+200)

The co-main event for UFC 298 is a Middleweight fight between Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa. Whittaker is a former champion in the division but lost the belt to Israel Adesanya in 2019. Despite being 1-2 in his last three fights, secure betting sites have Whittaker as the -250 favorite in this fight.

Costa is also 1-2 in his last three fights, and he lost his title fight against Adesanya. However, he has been far less active than Whittaker. Costa has competed just twice since losing to Adesanya in November 2020, and his last fight was in August 2022.

Both Middleweights have relied mostly on their striking ability to secure wins. They have combined for 20 KO wins in their respective careers. Whittaker also has five submission wins, compared to just one for Costa.

I believe that Costa can overcome the apparent grappling disadvantage and secure the win this weekend. Whittaker was knocked out by Dricus Du Plessis in his last fight. If Costa can have similar success on the feet, he should be able to secure the victory on Saturday.

Volkanovski vs. Topuria Odds and Pick

A night of highly-anticipated fights will be capped off by Volkanovski vs. Topuria with the Featherweight title on the line. Volkanovski (-130) is favored against the undefeated Topuria (+110).

Ilia Topuria stole Alexander Volkanovski’s belt at #UFC298 media day and the two exchanged some words 👀🏆 #UFC298 #UFC #MMA

pic.twitter.com/KAtObPGCVq

— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) February 14, 2024

Topuria (14-0) is the third-ranked Featherweight in the UFC and earned his title shot by defeating Josh Emmett last June. This is just his seventh fight in the UFC, but Topuria’s high finish rate has allowed him to shoot up the UFC rankings. Topuria has finished 12 of his 14 opponents in his professional career.

Volkanovski (26-3) has lost two of his last three fights. Both losses came against UFC Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in fights contested at 155 pounds. Volkanovski is undefeated at 145 pounds, and I do not believe that will change this weekend.

Despite his failed attempts to become a two-division champion, Volkanovski is still the king at Featherweight. This should be a good fight, but one that Volkanovski ultimately wins. He has been unstoppable in this division, and I believe Volkanovski will simply be the better fighter this weekend.

Total Rounds

• Over 3.5 rounds (-125)
• Under 3.5 rounds (-105)

Bovada has the total rounds for this Featherweight title fight listed at over/under 3.5 rounds. Both of these fighters have high finish rates, but the over is still favored for this fight at -125. Or you can bet the under at -105.

You can also set your own over/under in the Round Props section. I believe Volkanovski will win, and most of his fights as of late have gone to decision. So, I would take the over in this total rounds bet.

Volkanovski did stop Yair Rodgriguez in the third round during his last fight at 145 pounds. However, before that, six of his seven fights went to a decision. The lone exception was a fourth-round TKO win over Chan Sung Jung.

Method of Victory

• Volkanovski wins by decision (+235)
• Volkanovski wins by KO or TKO (+255)
• Topuria wins by KO or TKO (+350)
• Topuria wins by submission (+450)
• Topuria wins by decision (+475)
• Volkanovski wins by submission (+1400)

Bovada has multiple method of victory betting markets to choose from for this fight. The one I like the best is the standard decision, submission, or KO-style market. Volkanovski winning by decision (+235) is the favorite in this market.

As I mentioned above, I do believe Volkanovski will win and that this will be a longer fight. Also, the odds for Volkanovski winning by KO are not significantly better at just +255.

If the odds for a Volk KO win were better, I would at least consider taking that option. With that odds what they are, I would stick with Volkanovski by decision. If you are considering picking Topuria, though, I suggest the Topuria by KO (+350) option.

Which UFC 298 Odds Are Your Favorite?

Volkanovski returns to action this weekend to defend his Featherweight title against Topuria. Two former champions and two undefeated fighters will also compete on the UFC 298 main card this Saturday.

The list above contains the latest UFC 298 betting odds and my free betting predictions for every main card fight. I also detail two of my favorite prop bets for Volkanovski vs. Topuria. You can find even more betting options for this exciting UFC PPV at Bovada Sportsbook.