Best UFC 298 Odds: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria Featherweight Title Bout

UFC 298 odds for Saturday night’s main event at Anaheim’s Honda Center have seen some movement since the betting lines first opened. UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is now back to being a slight favorite over undefeated challenger Ilia Topuria, despite some statistics that may not be on the champion’s side.

In the co-main event, former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker faces a must-win against a dangerous underdog in Paulo Costa.

We’ll dive into full odds and analysis of the UFC 298 fight card below, but first here’s a look at the best UFC 298 odds and best sportsbook promo codes for Saturday’s pay-per-view event. Click on any of the links below to head to betting sites with the best UFC odds.

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UFC 298 ODDS FOR ENTIRE CARD

UFC 298 Main Card

Featherweight Title Bout: Alexander Volkanovski () vs. Ilia Topuria ()

Robert Whittaker () vs. Paulo Costa ()

Geoff Neal () vs. Ian Machado Garry ()

Merab Dvalishvili () vs. Henry Cejudo ()

Anthony Hernandez () vs. Roman Kopylov ()

Prelims

Amanda Lemos () vs. Mackenzie Dern ()

Marcos Rogerio de Lima () vs. Justin Tafa ()

Rinya Nakamura () vs. Carlos Vera ()

Zhang Mingyang () vs. Brendson Ribeiro ()

Early Prelims

Josh Quinlan () vs. Danny Barlow ()

Oban Elliott () vs. Val Woodburn ()

Andrea Lee ()vs. Miranda Maverick ()

HOW TO WATCH UFC 298

Early prelims, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Prelims, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
Main card, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ pay-per-view

UFC 298 MAIN EVENT PREVIEW

Volkanovski is just a few months removed from a knockout loss in his second failed attempt to move up and claim a UFC title in a higher weight class. Enduring that so soon before this title fight would be troubling enough, but there’s also his age to consider. Volkanovski turned 35 in September. In all of UFC title fight history, fighters 35 and over are just 1-21 in title fights against younger opponents in the lighter weight classes (welterweight and below).

Topuria is 27 and unbeaten in 14 pro fights. He’s developed a reputation as a finisher and has vowed to knock Volkanovski out in the first two rounds. Age aside, Volkanovski hasn’t lost a single fight at 145 pounds. He’s been the featherweight champion for longer than Topuria has been in the UFC. You can confidently bet on Volk at top UFC betting sites.

Conclusions

This is a tough stylistic matchup for the champ and in difficult circumstances. That knockout loss in October could be a bigger factor than his age, but either way, he’ll have his hands full against a fast, young fighter like Topuria. Still, Volkanovski has a ton of big-fight experience and a more well-rounded game. If he can get through the first two rounds, he has a knack for taking over fights late.

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Alex Volkanovski

• 1.5x: Higher Than 0.5 Finishes
• 0.65x: Lower Than 0.5 Finishes
• 1.75x: Higher Than 0.5 Knockouts
• 7.5x: Higher Than 0.5 Submissions
• Higher or Lower: 20.0 Minutes of Fight Time
• Higher or Lower: 89.5 Significant Strikes
• Higher or Lower: 73.55 Fantasy Points

Ilia Topuria

• 1.5x: Higher Than 0.5 Finishes
• 0.65x: Lower Than 0.5 Finishes
• 2.25x: Higher Than 0.5 Knockouts
• 2.75x: Higher Than 0.5 Submissions
• Higher or Lower: 81.5 Significant Strikes

UFC 298 CO-MAIN EVENT PREVIEW

Whittaker comes in as the favorite, and rightly so. He’s a better all-around fighter, and three-round bouts are barely enough to make him breathe hard. He also desperately needs to win this if he’s going to stay relevant at middleweight, and he’ll probably have to get it done on the scorecards since he’s not exactly known as a finisher these days.

Costa, on the other hand, is most dangerous early in a fight when he can bring all that power to bear. His cardio has been a question at times, so the longer this fight goes, the worse his chances get. He needs to sting Whittaker early and stay on him before he can recover.

Conclusions

Skill-for-skill, this should be Whittaker’s fight. He’s the smarter fighter with more tools at his disposal. Costa’s best hope is that he can catch a gun-shy version of Whittaker, who lost some confidence with his knockout loss to current champ Dricus Du Plessis last July.

Other UFC 298 Odds To Consider

Ian Machado Garry vs. Geoff Neal

Garry is a genuine talent who’s still discovering how high he can rise in this sport. Neal is a lot closer to a gatekeeper, though a capable one who’s built to expose any fighters who aren’t ready for the next level. Garry has a lot of pressure on him after he asked for and got more of the spotlight than he might be ready for. But as long as he’s focused and prepared, he should beat Neal over the course of three rounds.

Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo

This is Dvalishvili’s chance to prove that he deserves a title shot right now, and he knows it. He’s the kind of fighter who does more or less the same thing regardless of opponent, and so far, it’s served him well. A younger version of Cejudo might have been the perfect man to stand up to that high-paced attack. But at 37, it’s doubtful the former champ is still that guy.

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