Hot off the heels of a sensational evening of mixed martial arts, the UFC is back in action on Saturday night, live from Sydney, Australia, for UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2.
In a rematch from their 2025 classic, Alexander Volkanovski will look to defend his undisputed gold in front of his home fans as he takes on the ever-dangerous Diego Lopes. Not only does UFC 325 feature this thrilling main event, there’s also several other fantastic fights scheduled on the main card.
With a great variety of scraps on tap this weekend, why not get in on the action by placing a bet using our UFC 325 picks?
Below, we’ve provided the best odds for each main card bout, as well as our expert insight & analysis, breaking down each fight, and giving you our best bet to have their hand raised at UFC 325.
Don’t wait, throw on the gloves and come out swinging, and let’s knock out the oddsmakers this weekend with our top UFC 325 picks.
- Salkilld by KO/TKO/DQ (-124)
- Tuivasa by KO/TKO/DQ (+380)
- Fiziev by DEC (+200)
- Saint-Denis by SUB (+163)
- Volkanovski by DEC (+170)
Alexander Volkanovski to Win by DEC
Quillan Salkilld vs. Jamie Mullarkey
Best Odds on Salkilld to Win: -1000 (Sports Interaction)
Best Odds on Mullarkey to Win: +700 (bet365)
Kicking off the action of the main card with a battle between Aussie combatants, Perth’s Quillan Salkilld will take on Central Coast’s Jamie Mullarkey in the opening matchup of UFC 325.
Entering into this bout as the biggest favourite on the card, buy into the hype of Salkilld as he scores an emphatic knockout victory over Mullarkey. Having built a reputation for himself as one of the UFC’s biggest rising stars, Salkilld has delivered each time he’s entered the octagon. With three-straight wins on his undefeated UFC record, Salkilld has also dealt two devastating first-round knockouts in his brief tenure with the company.
Taking on a game veteran in Mullarkey, this is set to be Salkilld’s biggest test yet, one that I fully expect him to ace. While Mullarkey is as battle-tested as they come in the lightweight division, he’s struggled mightily as of late, going 4-4 in his last eight matchups, with all four losses coming by way of knockout.
With Salkilld getting better with each appearance inside the cage, look for him to put on a masterful striking display as he lands a big shot that sends his countryman crashing to the canvas, cashing you an easy win to kickstart your UFC 325 bets.
Prediction: Salkilld to Win by KO/TKO/DQ (-124 @ TonyBet)
Tai Tuivasa vs. Tallison Teixeira
Best Odds on Tuivasa to Win: +300 (Sports Interaction)
Best Odds on Teixeira to Win: -333 (BetVictor)
Don’t blink or you might just miss this heavyweight slugfest as Tai “Bam Bam” Tuivasa takes on the towering Tallison “Xicao” Teixeira. In a battle between two fighters who don’t waste time chasing finishes inside the octagon, back the Aussie, Tuivasa, to put an end to his lengthy losing streak as he scores an empahtic knockout victory over Teixeira.
Entering the UFC, Teixeira had no shortage of hype, living up to it in his debut as he scored a 35-second knockout over Justin Tafa to remain undefeated in pro MMA. Looking like a future force in the heavyweight division, Teixeira tasted defeat in a big way as he was stopped in 35-seconds ironically, by the all-time knockout king, Derrick Lewis.
In a similar matchup, expect to see a repeat of his last bout as Tuivasa blasts Teixeira, scoring a knockout win of his own.
Having shared the cage with the best of the best at heavyweight, Tuivasa has not only held his own but even bested some of the top contenders in the division. Taking on an inexperienced and brazen opponent in Teixeira, look for Bam Bam to bide his time, weathering through the early storm before landing a big overhand that puts the giant to sleep, not unlike his victory against seven-footer Stefan Struve back in 2020.
Expect this clash to come to a conclusion in five minutes or less, with Tuivasa proving he still belongs among the Top 15 heavyweights in the UFC, sending the crowd ablaze as he earns the underdog victory by knockout.
Prediction: Tuivasa to Win by KO/TKO/DQ (+380 @ TonyBet)
Raphael Fiziev vs. Mauricio Ruffy
Best Odds on Fiziev to Win: +105 (Sports Interaction)
Best Odds on Ruffy to Win: -125 (bet365)
In what’s sure to be a technical striking masterclass, this will be one of the most exciting fights of UFC 325 as Raphael Fiziev takes on Mauricio Ruffy. Pitting two gifted strikers against one another, back Fiziev to remain in the win column as he outclasses Ruffy, netting himself the victory by decision.
In a fight that’s likely going to stay standing, Ruffy should possess a key edge in the bout as he stands three-inches taller, with a four-inch reach advantage, but look for the sensational Muay Thai style of Fiziev to negate this advantage, instead finding opportunities to close the distance and work from inside the pocket.
Fiziev showcased his ability to best taller fighters in his last trip to the octagon as he outstruck 6’3″ Ignacio Bahamondes over the course of three rounds. With Ruffy possessing less depth to his finishing abilities compared to Bahamondes, as well as Fiziev having shared the cage with some of the top talents at 155lbs, expect to see him use his high fight IQ to manage distance and land clean shots in return as he frustrates his opponent over the course of 15 minutes.
Look for Fiziev to put another bump in the road for the hype train of Ruffy, handing him his second-straight defeat as he proves the oddsmakers wrong, scoring a decision victory at UFC 325.
Prediction: Fiziev to Win by DEC (+200 @ TonyBet)
Dan Hooker vs. Benoit Saint-Denis
Best Odds on Hooker to Win: +275 (bet365)
Best Odds on Saint-Denis to Win: -333 (BetVictor)
In what’s sure to be a violent battle in the co-main event of UFC 325, expect fireworks inside the octagon as New Zealand’s Dan “The Hangman” Hooker takes on France’s Benoit “God of War” Saint-Denis. In a duel between two of the most decorated finishers at 155lbs in the UFC, look for the versatile skillset of Saint-Denis to give him the winning edge as he submits Hooker in their high-stakes showdown.
While both fighters have proven their ability to land devastating knockout blows against their opponents, the major gap between their skill sets lies in their grappling. Saint-Denis, having recorded four wins by submission in the UFC, has shown an aptitude for breaking down his opponents on the feet, before choosing the perfect time to shoot for a takedown and lock in a fight-ending choke.
As they say, Hooker will always have a puncher’s chance, but with his takedown defence being subpar, as displayed his last time out in a submission loss to Arman Tsarukyan, look for this fight to go the same way as Saint-Denis dominates on the ground, finishing the Hangman by rear-naked choke.
Prediction: Saint-Denis to Win by SUB (+163 @ BetVictor)
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes
Best Odds on Volkanovski to Win: -145 (Sports Interaction)
Best Odds on Lopes to Win: +125 (bet365)
The stage is set for a massive main event as the fighting pride of Australia, Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski, looks to make it back-to-back victories over surging contender Diego Lopes.
In what was a bit of rushed matchmaking by the UFC, both fighters will be meeting for the second time in under a year, with not much having changed since that time, expect history to repeat itself as Volk defends the gold, securing the win on the judges’ scorecards.
While many were skeptical of the future for the featherweight GOAT in his return to the octagon last April, Volkanovski silenced the naysayers with a masterful performance against a dangerous opponent in Lopes. Continuing to be one of the best boxers in the UFC, Volk used his sensational hand speed and head movement to close the distance and land big shots throughout the fight.
The major concern for many was if Volk would be able to absorb the punishment dealt to him from Lopes, something he took on the chin without issue throughout their five-round war.
Since their last fight, Lopes has managed to pick up a highlight-reel spinning back-elbow knockout over a game Jean Silva, but this win still demonstrated weaknesses in his game, primarily in his striking defence.
It may have been a fun fight, but it wasn’t particularly close the first time these combatants met, and with not enough time having passed for either fighter to really have any difference made in their games, expect more of the same as Volk outlands Lopes and rides the momentum of his hometown crowd, securing yet another title defence as he wins the main event by decision.
Prediction: Volkanovski to Win by DEC (+170 @ TonyBet)