UFC WagerTalk handicapper Andy Lang<\/a> <\/span>gives his UFC 325 picks and predictions for January 31<\/strong> with the main event headlined by Alexander Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes<\/strong> in a featherweight title fight. The main card starts up at 9:00pm ET from Qudos Bank Arena,\u00a0Sydney,\u00a0Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Yizha -210 vs Kaan Ofli +162\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yizha is the better fighter here and the line makes sense. He lost his UFC\u00a0debut to Gabriel Santos, a strong opponent, but showed toughness by\u00a0surviving after getting rocked and going the distance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yizha prefers to\u00a0 grapple but has shown he can finish, knocking out his last opponent\u00a0 early, and looks skilled everywhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ofli picked up his first UFC win\u00a0against Ricardo Ramos, but that came after nearly being submitted and\u00a0 relying on fence grabs to escape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ramos is known for making mistakes,\u00a0and Ofli\u2019s striking isn\u2019t good enough to keep Yizha honest. Yizha is the\u00a0pick, and fight not to go the distance is a strong angle<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jonathan Micallef -146 vs Oban Elliott +114\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Elliott was a bit exposed in his last fight, as expected. He has heart, but\u00a0he doesn\u2019t fight naturally, thinking too much and often being a step\u00a0behind in movement and reactions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While Elliott can wrestle, he lost\u00a0 clinch and wrestling exchanges against KO last time out. Micallef is a\u00a0 solid striker with submissions on his r\u00e9sum\u00e9, though he isn\u2019t especially\u00a0fast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Elliott\u2019s weaknesses are there to exploit, but it\u2019s unclear if Micallef\u00a0will capitalize fully. I\u2019ll take a stab on Elliott as the underdog<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jacob Malkoun -170 v Torrez Finney +132 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The UFC clearly doesn\u2019t want Finney winning the way he has been\u2014 simply picking guys up, taking them down, and laying on them without\u00a0throwing strikes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even in his last fight, a judge awarded the bout to the\u00a0opponent despite Finney controlling the entire fight because of his lack\u00a0of offense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Malkoun has legitimate wrestling and grappling skills to\u00a0 defend takedowns, and his striking is significantly better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He\u2019ll make\u00a0Finney work, and with Finney carrying so much muscle, fatigue will be a factor. Malkoun should win<\/strong>, and a late finish due to exhaustion\u00a0wouldn\u2019t be surprising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cam Rowston -295 vs Cody Brundage +220<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Rowston is the easy pick here. Since his Contender Series loss to\u00a0Finney, he\u2019s shown new aggression and finishing ability, scoring first round knockouts both on Contender Series and in his UFC debut. His\u00a0striking looks sharp, he uses his length well with body kicks, and his\u00a0counters are clean. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Brundage has a history of fading and quitting, with\u00a0multiple fights stopped after questionable back-of-the-head strikes. His\u00a0ground game, striking, and cardio all lack upside. Rowston should\u00a0dominate this matchup<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Billy Elekana -220 vs Junior Tafa +168\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Anytime there\u2019s an opportunity to bet against a Tafa, it\u2019s worth looking\u00a0 at, and this price is appealing. Junior Tafa keeps changing weight classes\u00a0 and losing, with no takedown defense, no ground game, and very limited\u00a0cardio. <\/p>\n\n\n\n His only UFC wins came against fighters no longer on the roster,\u00a0and he\u2019s been beaten by leg kicks and submissions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Elekana lost his UFC debut on extremely short notice, faded after an aggressive first\u00a0round, but has since won two straight with full camps. He has better\u00a0cardio, more weapons, and multiple paths to victory. Elekana is the clear pick<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Quillan Salkilld -700 vs Jamie Mullarkey +525\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mullarkey steps in on short notice to save the fight for fellow Australian\u00a0Salkilld. While Mullarkey is coming off a win, it was a decision against\u00a0 Bedoya, who hasn\u2019t won a UFC fight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mullarkey appears to be nearing\u00a0 the end of his competitiveness at this level, lacking power, durability,\u00a0 and upside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Salkilld is riding a three-fight UFC win streak, coming off a\u00a0devastating knockout, and continues to improve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At just 26 years old,\u00a0he\u2019s well-rounded with power and a solid ground game. Salkilld should\u00a0win, likely inside the distance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tallison Teixeira -340 v Tai Tuivasa +250 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tuivasa has lost five straight and continues to be booked on Australian\u00a0cards for crowd appeal. He\u2019s a tough brawler who throws big strikes\u00a0without much setup, movement, or variety. Teixeira has never been out\u00a0of the first round, so someone is likely getting knocked out early. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He\u2019s\u00a0taller, more technical, and owns a significant reach advantage. Betting\u00a0 value is limited due to heavy juice, even on early-finish props. This\u00a0should be fun to watch, but not a strong betting opportunity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rafael Fiziev -115 vs Mauricio Ruffy -115\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a striker-versus-striker matchup and the odds reflect how close it\u00a0is. Ruffy is a dynamic striker, but his last fight exposed serious holes in\u00a0his wrestling, takedown defense, and ground game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n His strength of\u00a0 schedule doesn\u2019t compare to Fiziev\u2019s, who has faced elite competition\u00a0like Gaethje, Gamrot, and Bahamondes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fiziev showed improved\u00a0wrestling in his last fight and remains sharp with leg kicks and clean\u00a0striking. Ruffy has knockout upside, but Fiziev\u2019s experience and\u00a0completeness give him the edge. Fiziev by decision is the pick<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benoit Saint Denis -295 vs Dan Hooker +220\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hooker was dominated by Tsarukyan, but Tsarukyan is operating at an\u00a0 elite level right now. Saint Denis controlled Ruffy on the ground, but\u00a0Hooker\u2019s takedown defense is far better than Ruffy\u2019s, and Ruffy was\u00a0 able to get up multiple times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hooker is a proven warrior who recently\u00a0beat Gamrot and Jalin Turner. Saint Denis still has durability concerns\u00a0after absorbing significant damage in recent fights, including being\u00a0heavily hurt by Moicano. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hooker\u2019s willingness to brawl makes him a\u00a0dangerous wildcard. I\u2019ll take Hooker for the upset<\/strong> and look at the under.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This rematch should be competitive, as their first fight was close with\u00a0Volk edging early rounds while Lopes improved late. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lopes is very\u00a0hittable and was getting tagged badly against Silva before landing a\u00a0 spinning elbow finish. While Lopes can secure takedowns, he hasn\u2019t\u00a0done much with them lately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Volk is 37 and hasn\u2019t fought in nearly a\u00a0 year, but looked sharp in the first meeting despite taking damage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lopes\u00a0holds the reach and height advantage, and if he brings more urgency\u00a0early, he can flip the result. This is dog or pass, with Lopes capable of\u00a0sneaking out a close win<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you subscribed to WagerTalk TV? If not, what are you waiting for?! Set up alerts so that you never miss an episode of your favorite shows. Drop the gloves with the Puck Time crew and swing for the fences on First Pitch. From betting tips to free picks, WagerTalk TV<\/a> is your one-stop shop for streaming sports betting content.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nAlexander Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes:<\/strong> UFC 325 Main Event<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Saturday, January 31<\/th> UFC 325 Betting Notes (Courtesy of Caesars)<\/th><\/tr> Moneyline:<\/td> Alexander Volkanovski -150 vs Diego Lopes +125<\/td><\/tr> Rounds:<\/td> 4.5 Rounds (Over -115 \/ Under -115)<\/td><\/tr> Fight Time:<\/td> Main Card Starts at 9:00pm ET \/ 6:00pm PT<\/td><\/tr> Arena:<\/td> Qudos Bank Arena,\u00a0Sydney,\u00a0Australia<\/td><\/tr> TV:<\/td> Paramount+<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n UFC 325 Predictions: Undercard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
UFC 325 Main Event: Alexander Volkanovski -150 v Diego Lopes +125<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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