UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 – Full Card Analysis

UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes II – 1.31.2026 – Fight Predictions and Analysis

Welcome to our collaborative coverage of UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes II. The rematch will decide our featherweight championship as it all goes down today in Sydney, Australia. Be sure to check out our full reasoning for every pick as our records will not reflect confidence in each selection. We will be picking every fight, but likely only recommend betting on a select few. 

Current Record

• Anthony: 7-4-0 (Last Year 331-183-3, 64%)
• Nick: 9-2-0 (Last Year 326-188-3, 63%)

*Fight odds were last updated on 1-30-2026 at 8pm EST

Early Prelims- Start 5:00pm EST

Sulangrangbo -250 vs Lawrence Lui +200

• Anthony: The event today begins with three fights to conclude the Road to UFC Tournament. This should be a competitive matchup between Lawrence Lui and Sulangrangbo. The favorite is the 20 year old from China training his life at Enbo Fight Club. He has shown that he is a dangerous striker but apart from that I view his overall skillset as limited. He is quick and likely to land punches here against Lui who is there to be hit given his frame and stance. Lui has a much longer reach than Sulangrangbo but he does not always fight using his size that well. Lui is content to exchange shots in the pocket, trusting his head movement and landing with elite counterstriking. I will be betting on the underdog Lui as I really do think that he is way more technical on the feet. Lui can move forward and also land takedowns here against a more one-dimensional threat. I hope he will be able to get Sulangrangbo biting on feints and succumbing to his offensive output. City Kickboxing tends to put forth strong performances when the promotion shows up to this region. Lawrence Lui by Round Three KO
• Nick: This matchup represents the Championship Final for the most recent Road to UFC Tournament at bantamweight. The winner of this fight will be awarded a UFC contract and become an official member of the UFC roster. Sulangrangbo is 20 years old and 10-3 professionally. Fighting out of China, he enters this match-up on the back of a decision win over Sim Kai Xiong in which he showed excellent footwork and a generally high Fight IQ. A lengthy southpaw striker, he fights well at range. He does a good job hitting his opponents without taking much damage in exchanges. He carries some power on the feet, but most of his KO wins have come against a very low level of opponent. Additionally, his grappling has yet to be tested against quality competition. Lawrence Lui fights out of City Kickboxing in Auckland, NZ. He is 29 years old and 7-1 professionally, most recently securing a KO win over Van Y Nghiem to secure his spot in this match-up. Primarily a striker, four of his professional wins have come via KO. He fights well behind his jab, and he does a good job building combinations that freeze his opponents. The line feels wide here as Sungrangbo is just 20 years old, but I do see him as the rightful favorite. He’s going to be the much quicker and more explosive fighter in this matchup, so it seems likely Lui is going to struggle to keep up for fifteen minutes. Sulangrangbo by Round Two KO

Sebastian Szalay -130 vs Keiichiro Nakamura +110

• Anthony: Next is a featherweight matchup between Sebastian Szalay and Keiichiro Nakamura. This will be a sick battle between strikers and the best of these Road to UFC bouts. Szalay has a very fun style fighting from a karate stance with his hands at his side. He does well staying on the outside against opponents and landing strikes when darting in and out of range. Nakamura has the longer reach here but he is a bit less technical than Szalay. Nakamura is powerful and dangerous here early but I think throughout this bout Szalay will land the more consistent strikes. It is fair to see this fight is near even odds but I much prefer Szalay and plan on betting him. Nakamura has early finishing equity here but otherwise I expect Szalay to pull away. While it is not ideal to keep his hands down facing Nakamura it allows Szalay to easily defend takedowns. He has good trips that he may also utilize to bring Nakamura down to the ground. I think we will see him landing great counters and eventually finding himself a stoppage win late. Sebastian Szalay by Round Three KO
• Nick: This matchup is the Championship Final for the most recent Road to UFC Tournament at featherweight. The winner of this bout will be awarded a UFC contract and become an official member of the UFC roster. Keiichiro Nakamura is 27 years old and 6-1 professionally. Primarily a striker, six of his seven professional wins have come via KO. He enters the match-up off of a semi final decision win over Kaiwen Li back in August. Nakamura can fight in both stances, but he is primarily a south paw. While he can be tentative at times, he does a good job staying efficient with his output and his finishing instincts have proven to be a strength of his to this point in his career. He usually becomes more aggressive as his fight wears on and once he starts to find success he’s shown he can lean into that momentum. Sebastian Szalay is 31 years old and 10-1 professionally. A former Eternal MMA Featherweight Champion, Szalay is generally well-rounded and has faced a solid level of regional opponent compared to many of the other fighters in the Road to UFC tournament. Szalay has solid cardio and good takedown defense, but he tends to fight to decisions. While not known as a finisher, he is coming off an impressive TKO win over Chang Min Yoon in the Semifinal back in August. He was hyper aggressive in that fight, overwhelming his opponent and showing a new level of violence that hadn’t really been shown by him prior. Nakamura is the more potent finisher in this matchup, but I expect Szalay can use his superior footwork and defensive striking ability to win this fight at range. Sebastian Szalay by Decision

Dom Mar Fan -150 vs Sang Uk Kim +125

• Anthony: This is the lightweight tournament final between Sang Uk Kim and Dom Mar Fan. We should be in for a competitive matchup here between two solid all-around athletes. Dom Mar Fan is very well-rounded and a promising prospect at just 25 years old. He trains with Tom Nolan at Team Compton gym and benefits from fighting here at home today. Fan’s style tends to lead to many fights going the distance. He is a patient fighter that does well defending takedowns and scoring with his own offensive wrestling when he can. Fan poses little threat to find a stoppage victory but he will put forth good effort throughout this entire fight. Kim seems dependent on scoring a finish in order to win this bout. Although Kim does have power in his hands it will be difficult for him to score a knockout in this bout. His best opportunity of beating Fan will come by finding an opportunistic submission. If Kim is too quick rushing to advance his positions on the mat a more savvy fighter like Fan will reverse him and win these rounds by fighting the smarter gameplan. Predicting a winner I have to choose Dom Mar Fan who is rightfully the small betting favorite. Dom Mar Fan by Decision
• Nick: This matchup represents the Championship Final for the most recent Road to UFC Tournament at lightweight. The winner of this fight will be awarded a UFC contract and become an official member of the UFC roster. Dom Mar Fan is 25 years old and 8-2 professionally. He secured his spot in the tournament final off a decision win over Jae Hyun Park back in August. Fan is primarily a grappler, with three of his eight professional wins coming via submission. His striking continues to improve, but it’s rare he’s not trying to take his opponents to the mat. He has solid cardio and durability, and he has proven he can do a great job outworking his opponents in his fights that make it to the scorecards. Sang Uk Kim is 13-3 professionally and 32 years old. Kim is a well rounded fighter with five of his professional wins coming via KO and four coming via submission. Kim is a gritty and aggressive fighter who tries to chase finishes in most of his fights. In doing so, he can be hittable in exchanges and his cardio has failed him in some of his fights that went the full distance. This is a low level matchup, but the value seems to be on the Kim side here. He’s the more well-rounded and durable fighter in this fight which should be enough for him to edge this one out on the scorecards. Sang Uk Kim by Decision

Yizha -210 vs Kaan Ofli +170

• Anthony: Next is a bout at featherweight between Yizha and Kaan Ofli. This should be an exciting matchup featuring good exchanges and compelling scrambles. Yizha is a fun athlete to watch as he gets after it very early in each of his matchup. He hits with a lot of power for featherweight although the punches normally come a bit telegraphed before. Yizha does not load up on his strikes early but punches do seem to become more labored for him as he tries to keep that same power late. Yizha is also an opportunistic grappler with submission wins by armbar and many chokes before. I expect to see this fight decided more so in those grappling exchanges than with these two standing and exchanging blows. Ofli is very confident with his own wrestling and perhaps interested in securing some time in top position over Yizha. I also believe that Ofli can escape submission attempts and roll to safety against this level of opponent. Yizha definitely has more ways to win this fight while Ofli should probably be favored slightly if it does go to the scorecards. Yizha will be off to an early lead here unless he is able to finish Ofli. We will see the Australian pull off this upset only by dragging Yizha into tough spots through rounds two and three. Yizha by Decision
• Nick: At just 29-years old, Yizha already has a 26-5 professional record. He’s fought against a questionable level of regional opponent, but fourteen of his professional wins have come via submission and six have come via KO. Yizha is relatively well rounded, but his greatest strength is his dangerous BJJ. He’s a decent wrestler with underwhelming takedown entries, but if he can get his opponents to the mat he is very dangerous on top. He is coming off an impressive KO win over Westin Wilson back in August. Kaan Ofli is a well-rounded fighter who shows a solid wrestling base, dangerous BJJ, and serious power on the feet. His ability to work back to his feet if he is taken down allows him to strike aggressively. He likes to throw a lot of straight punches and looping hooks as a means to overwhelm his opponents. He boasts a strong leg kick, and he does an excellent job using his effective striking to bait his opponents into takedowns. As talented as he is offensively, he is somewhat small for the division. Additionally, his aggressive style often creates openings for him to take damage in lengthy exchanges. This is a relatively low level match-up, but I do see Yizha as the rightful favorite. He’s going to be the bigger and more explosive fighter in this match-up. Ofli has a path to victory if he can keep this fight on the mat, but that seems unlikely as Yizha continues to improve. Yizha by Round Two KO

Preliminary Card- Starts 7:00pm EST

Jonathan Micallef -130 vs Oban Elliott +110

• Anthony: This is a fight between welterweights Oban Elliott and Jonathan Micallef. These odds have stayed very close as it is one of the tougher fights to handicap on tonight’s card. We are likely going to see a battle here between striker and grappler. Elliott has already beaten robust competition while putting his wrestling on display. The Welsh Gangster relies on a grappling heavy gameplan to wear on opponents and test their gas tank. He does well when he is testing his cario against their own and pushing a pace very early. Elliott is always limiting his opponent’s space, forcing exchanges in the clinch and along the fence side. He is generally a boring fighter to watch but with some improvements I think he could make more noise in this division. Micallef is a steady boxer who does well putting his offense first. I do not like seeing how often Micallef does get hit but fortunately this is not a fight where he has to worry about fading his opponent’s power. Micallef will be comfortable for any periods here where he is striking with Elliott at range. Elliott has made it a point to work on his boxing skills but his hand speed is still no match for Micallef’s. I expect him to be hugging onto Micallef here for large portions of the fight looking to exploit that grappling advantage. Elliott is an underdog that I am betting although the path to getting his hand raised will be tough. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the judges favour the local fighter from Victoria, Australia even if Elliott does do enough to win two rounds. Oban Elliott by Decision
• Nick: Oban Elliott is 12-3 professionally, having primarily fought for Cage Warriors while fighting out of Wales. Elliott is decent everywhere, but he doesn’t really have any standout skill. He has three wins via submission and three via KO, but he’s somewhat awkward in his approach. He can be hittable in exchanges, and his Fight IQ and general instincts seem inconsistent at best, but there’s no denying he is improving as he is now 3-1 in the UFC. Jonathan Micallef is 8-1 professionally, with two wins coming via KO and three coming via submission. He’s still developing as a prospect at just 26-years old, but he is a dangerous offensive grappler and he seems to be mostly durable. Micallef is coming off an impressive win in his UFC debut against a formidable opponent in Kevin Jousset. He showed a well-rounded game in that match-up, and he’ll be taking on a similar level of opponent here against a talented but inconsistent fighter in Oban Elliott. This should be a competitive fight for however long it lasts. I slightly prefer Elliott here as the more well-rounded fighter in this match-up. Micallef is dangerous, but Elliott has solid durability and cardio. I expect he can pull away here as this fight wears on. He’s the higher volume striker and the more aggressive fighter in this matchup. Oban Elliott by Decision

Jacob Malkoun -150 vs Torrez Finney +125

• Anthony: Next is a fight between middleweights Jacob Malkoun and Torrez Finney. This should be a very interesting battle between skilled grapplers. Finney is undefeated still as a professional with a record 11-0. Finney averages just 1.77 significant strikes per minute, largely focusing his energy on pursuit of takedowns and control time along the cage. It is a very boring style for Finney but he has been effective executing that gameplan facing poor opponents. Malkoun poses a legitimate threat grappling that I am not sure Finney has felt before. He is a black belt in jiu jitsu and much better than Finney when it comes to navigating positions. Finney also really struggles to hold down opponents which is surprising given his stacked frame. Malkoun will continue to battle through grueling scrambles here against Torrez Finney. I expect Malkoun to also land solid strikes in every round. Malkoun has a great jab and I think he will be able to hit Finney rather often as he shoots forward looking to engage in the clinch. Both men are very durable and I expect to see them battle for a full fifteen minutes here. The judges should favor Malkoun as long as he can do enough on offense to impress more than Finney can when grappling. He is not my most confident wager but at these odds Malkoun does clearly seem like the better side. Jacob Malkoun by Decision
• Nick: In many ways, these are two very similar fighters. They both prefer to grapple, they both shoot for takedowns relentlessly and there are questions that need to be answered regarding both of their striking abilities. Given Malkoun was the 2019 ADCC Asia trials winner and a 2019 Pan Pacific gold medalist in Jiu-Jitsu, his grappling success at this level shouldn’t be surprising. He’s coming off an impressive KO win over Andrei Petroski, but he has been out of action since that fight back in 2024. He is 8-3 professionally and continues to flash major improvements every time we see him in the cage. Torrez Finney is 11-0 professionally, and one of only fighters to win three times on Contender Series before being awarded a contract. Finney is short for the division, an explosive athlete as his short frame is absolutely loaded with muscle. Primarily a grappler, Finney finds most of his success just powering his opponents to the mat. He has KO power on the feet, but his striking is far from refined. He won his UFC debut taking Robert Valentin down repeatedly, but it was an underwhelming and boring performance in which he didn’t cause much damage. Finney should be able to have success early here, but as this fight wears on I expect Malkoun can keep this fight standing and win this fight on the feet. He’s the higher volume striker here with the better overall process. There’s some concern backing him as the favorite given his long layoff, but I see him winning the second and third round. Jacob Malkoun by Decision

Cam Rowston -360 vs Cody Brundage +270

• Anthony: The next matchup is a fight at middleweight between Cody Brundage and Cam Rowston. This is a favorable opponent for the exciting Australian prospect Cam Rowston. He is a tall middleweight who knows how to land meaningful shots using his great frame. Training with the team at City Kickboxing has allowed Rowston to refine his timing and overall skills on the feet. Rowston is also a talented grappler that should be able to combat any wrestling that Brundage attempts today. Brundage remained active fighting three times last year but his overall resume leaves a lot to be desired. Brundage is a mediocre fighter in terms of skill but he has also had performances that display rather lackluster effort. It is not good that he is synonymous with taking the easy way out of fights with one win by disqualification on his record as well as a bout ruled No Contest. I think Rowston is a great bet to win here while I also suggest betting on the u1.5 rounds. Brundage struggles to survive very long in his fights and I think one way or another this one gets called before the first half is done. Brundage has unreliable cardio and very little grit for a cage fighter. Rowston should be able to make this one look easy and land strikes that hurt Brundage early on. Cam Rowston by Round One KO
• Nick: Cam Rowston is 13-3 professionally, with five wins coming via KO and seven coming via submission. Rowston is well-rounded, but prior to is UFC debut he had been taking on a relatively low level of competition, fighting primarily for Eternal MMA in Australia. He’s a dangerous striker with opportunistic BJJ, but he lacks the athleticism we generally see in the middleweight division. He does seem to be making dramatic improvements from fight to fight, and he’s coming off an impressive KO over a decent fighter in Andrei Petroski. Cody Brundage has a powerful wrestling base and he does a good job pouring damage on his opponents if he can find himself in top position. He can be dangerous on the feet, but he telegraphs most of his strikes and recently it seems his cardio has become a major weakness. He is 11-7-1 professionally, but he’s been wildly inconsistent since he made his UFC debut. Rowston is going to be the longer fighter and the better technical striker in this match-up. Brundage can be dangerous early, but Rowston has the skills to win this fight no matter where it goes. Cam Rowston by Round Two KO

Billy Elekana -250 vs Junior Tafa +200

• Anthony: The featured prelim is a fight at light heavyweight between Junior Tafa and Billy Elekana. While Tafa had shown some flashes of talent before he has not been able to string together several complete performances. There are some deficiencies in terms of his skills that make him tough to back even as a sizable underdog. Tafa likely has the edge here with his power on the feet but otherwise Elekana is the much more complete fighter all-around. Elekana’s experience gives him a clear advantage here if he is able to drag Tafa into deeper waters. Normally Elekana is specifically fighting with that style, building momentum and giving better efforts in rounds two and three. He does great work grappling but Elekana can also put together very nice combinations and looks good when he finally starts to pick up the pace. Elekana does not hit nearly as hard as Tafa but he will score consistently with his offense throughout this bout. I think his length will give Tafa some issues as he is looking to close the distance. Elekana can also win easily by submission if he wants to wrestle as he did in his last matchup. I think he is tough to trust as a betting favorite although this matchup should not be too hard for him to win. Elekana’s cardio will likely prove to be the deciding factor as Tafa will slow down. Billy Elekana by Round Two Submission
• Nick: Billy Elkena is 9-2 professionally and 30-years old. He is 2-1 in the UFC, coming off a submission win over Kevin Christian back in November of 2025. Elekena seems decent everywhere, but he lacks finishing ability and his cardio seems like it will be more of a weakness than a strength at this level. That being said, he does seem to be improving from fight to fight and against fighters that lack grappling ability he has been able to dominate on the mat. Junior Tafa had a lot of hype coming into the promotion, but he has been mostly a disappointment so far. He has knockout power, but his cardio is suspect and he hasn’t really shown technical boxing ability on the level of other up-and-comers. Additionally, his grappling ability is nowhere near UFC level. He has lost three of his last four fights and he could be fighting to hold his roster spot here. This fight will be competitive on the feet, but Elekena is the better grappler here by a ridiculous margin. As long as he can get this fight to the mat he should justify his price as the favorite. Billy Elekana by Round One Submission

Main Card- Starts 9:00pm EST

Quillan Salkilld -1000 vs Jamie Mullarkey +650

• Anthony: The main card opens at lightweight with Quillan Salkilld facing Jamie Mullarkey. This is a short notice appearance for Mullarkey who steps in to fight here in Sydney after Rongzhu has withdrawn. I think the odds are a bit disrespectful for this matchup but Salkilld really does seem likely to beat Mullarkey nine times out of ten. At 26 years old, Salkilld is definitely a prospect that Australians can get very excited about. He is an aggressive grappler but also very precise and quick with his kickboxing. Salkilld does well trading in the pocket and landing the low calf kick against opponents. He also scored a nasty headkick knockout facing Nasrat Haqparast in his last fight. Mullarkey is very much a hittable opponent and I’m not sure quite durable enough to brawl with Salkilld here. These two will likely get after it early but I do not think Mullarkey is quite strong enough to pull off this upset. He does not quite have the power of Salkilld or anywhere near as good wrestling. Quillan Salkilld by Round Two KO
• Nick: Salkild is just 26-years old, and 10-1 professionally, having not lost a fight since his professional debut back in 2021. Salkild is relatively well-rounded with four professional wins coming via KO and three coming via submission. He fights at a torrid pace and he’s shown to have excellent cardio, having won a five-round fight regionally for the Eternal MMA Lightweight Championship in 2023. He is 3-0 in the UFC, and while his skills aren’t entirely developed he does seem to be a fighter with a high ceiling and a prospect to keep an eye on moving forward. He’s coming off an impressive highlight reel headkick KO over a tough opponent in Nasrat Haqparast. Jamie Mullarkey is a well-rounded brawler, who has consistently shown both his toughness and durability. He is more than willing to eat punches to throw them in striking exchanges. While he does leave openings to be countered at times, there is no denying the fact he’s dangerous everywhere. His chin does seem to be weakening a bit over his last few fights, which makes him a dangerous fighter to back with any sort of confidence. It is also notable that he’s taking this fight on short notice.The line is wide here, but these are two fighters whose careers are headed in opposite directions. Salkilld should dominate. Quillan Salkilld by Round One KO

Tallison Teixeira -360 vs Tai Tuivasa +270

• Anthony: Next is a matchup at heavyweight between Tai Tuivasa and Tallison Teixeira. Tuivasa is a tough fighter to bet on tonight despite being offered as a sizable underdog. He has now lost five consecutive matchups with his last appearance coming back in 2024. It has been reported he really spent a while getting fat in retirement before recommitting and structuring his training for a few more bouts. I think Tuivasa can fair well in this matchup against a less skilled opponent but Teixeira still presents a difficult test for the Australian. Teixeira is 6’7 with an eight-inch reach advantage in this matchup. Tuivasa will be attempting to land one big shot on Teixeira while the Brazilian likely connects easily with powerful combination punches of his own. Teixeira has never fought for more than one round, winning in every matchup before running into Derrick Lewis in his last fight. Lewis was able to knock out Teixieira in less than one minute. Tune in to see a great KO here in this fight likely coming very quickly. Teixeira will force Tuivasa to engage as he gets off early strikes of his own. I do not think either man is durable enough to take many unanswered shots from the other. Tallison Teixeira by Round One KO
• Nick: Teixeira is 8-1 professionally, with seven of his wins coming via KO. Teixeira is still developing as a prospect at just 26-years old, but he’s already an extremely dangerous striker. Additionally, he is more athletic and explosive than the majority of the heavyweight division. He’s coming off his first career loss which came via KO to Derrick Lewis. He’ll be looking to bounce back here against another established vet in Tuivasa. Tai Tuivasa’s clearest path to victory is always via the knockout punch. He’s coming off five straight losses and he’s been out of action since 2024, but he’s still a fan favorite due to his fun personality and kill-or-be-killed style in the cage. Tuivasa nearly retired and fell out of shape, but it seems he is focused coming into this fight. Tuivasa has an experience advantage here, but his long layoff and retirement talk are certainly cause for concern. Teixeira will have a considerable reach advantage here and he’s going to be the much better fighter if this somehow hits the mat. Tallison Teixeira by Round One KO

Mauricio Ruffy -130 vs Rafael Fiziev +110

• Anthony: The featured bout is a great matchup at lightweight between Rafael Fiziev and Mauricio Ruffy. We should be in for a battle between strikers with both men supremely confident in their weapons. Ruffy tends to hunt for explosive finishes, setting up good attacks with his feints and excellent timing. It will be interesting to see how his sniping style fares against a skilled boxer like Fiziev. I like to see Fiziev here fighting more regularly as he is very fun to watch. These two may not appear to be equal size in the cage but I am sure Fiziev can handle being at the disadvantage in terms of a few inches reach. He is incredibly skilled when striking, perfecting his attacks in close range and when employing his muay thai. Ruffy will need to be careful to engage confidently against someone with Fiziev’s speed and combination striking. He has not yet been tested in grueling fights where he is forced to eat shots in combinations. Fiziev also holds a decisive advantage grappling against Ruffy from what we have seen. Fiziev obviously prefers to keep his fights standing but uses well-timed takedowns to control his opponents as needed. He has scored a total of six takedowns in his previous two matchups, facing talented strikers Ignacio Bahamondes and Justin Gaethje. Fiziev seems like the right side in this fight having the better output and much more reliable cardio. I suggest betting on Fiziev here at pick’em odds and I’d even take him if he were to close as the slight favorite. Rafael Fiziev by Decision
• Nick: Mauricio Ruffy is 12-2 professionally, with eleven of his wins coming via KO. Primarily a striker, Ruffy is an explosive athlete who has shown quality skills on the feet. He has tremendous power for the division, but he’s still somewhat unproven against top level competition. He’s coming off a loss to Benoit Saint Denis in which he was dominated on the mat, but many still have him pegged as a prospect to keep an eye on at lightweight. Rafael Fiziev is a former striking coach at Tiger Muay Thai. He has ridiculous head movement and throws extremely powerful punches and kicks. He is a problem for anyone in this division when it comes to fighting on the feet. He has knockout power in all of his limbs and his grappling seems to improve every time we see him fight. As talented as Ruffy is, Fiziev has found success against a much higher level of opponent. He’s going to be the higher volume striker here and he can lean on his grappling if he’s struggling at all on the feet. Rafael Fiziev by Decision

Benoit Saint-Denis -360 vs Dan Hooker +270

• Anthony: The co-main event is a battle at lightweight between Dan Hooker and Benoit Saint-Denis. Hooker is a sizable underdog in this matchup looking to impress the fans here on limited notice. He lost in a fight this November facing Arman Tsarukyan in a grueling two round bout. Hooker fractured his nose in that matchup but nonetheless here he is fighting once again. The most recent performances from Hooker have him fighting more freely and as confident as ever before. He has a great sprawl and 77 percent takedown defense, the one flaw is just some stronger opponents having no trouble taking him down. Saint-Denis will likely attempt to grapple Hooker here while chasing an early submission. Hooker’s ability to defend grappling always gets tested but Saint-Denis is also very dangerous when brawling on the feet. He has won every one of his fights via finish including a knockout of Beneil Dariush just seconds into their fight last fall. Saint-Denis has now won three matchups in a row and continues to climb up the rankings. He is notoriously dominant when he does establish early, strong positions but quick to fade when his opponents start to rally. Hooker is very familiar with war and accustomed to battling back against opponents with a hard rally after dropping round one. Both athletes will be huge with nearly two days to rehydrate but that may allow Hooker to absorb more strikes than he normally could take. Dan Hooker by Decision
• Nick: Benoit Saint-Denis is a BJJ specialist with a solid wrestling base and an impressive arsenal of submissions at his disposal. Prior to back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano in 2024, he had strung together five straight wins under the UFC banner. He is now on a new three-fight win streak, coming off an impressive KO win over Beniel Dariush. On the feet, he works well behind a powerful body kick. He is an aggressive striker who is at his most dangerous in the early rounds. His cardio seems to be somewhat of a question mark, but it is notable that he’s been taking on a mostly elite level of competition.Dan Hooker is an extremely talented kickboxer. He has powerful leg kicks that he combines with high volume and speed to wear on his opponents. He’s a master of angles and does a great job finding openings for big elbows, knees and punches. As talented as he is on the feet, his defensive grappling is mediocre at best and his durability has been somewhat inconsistent against elite level competition. Hooker is always live as an underdog, but he has had issues in the past against fighters as aggressive or as grappling-heavy as Saint-Denis. He’ll be live for the upset if he can extend this fight, but that seems like an unlikely outcome. Benoit Saint-Denis by Round Two Submission

Alexander Volkanovski -150 vs Diego Lopes +125

• Anthony: The main event has Diego Lopes once again challenging Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight championship. This bout is less than one year removed from the first meeting between these two. I still believe Volkanovski is in phenomenal shape for this weight class and likely to execute at a top-level every time out. Lopes has been dynamite since joining the promotion and bouncing back from the Volkanovski loss in his last appearance. Lopes not only put a beating on Jean Silva but he did so while looking as dangerous as ever. Heading into his first meeting with Volkanovski I did think that Lopes was too green to win. He seems to have a better chance of pulling off this rematch as he enters with some sort of adjustments in mind. Volkanovski was able to put a pace on Lopes and totally outwork him over their first five round war. Big shots did land for the Brazilian but Volkanovski was able to withstand them then. This is the same story with Lopes most live for the upset very early. In his career Lopes has fourteen victories coming by round one finish. I expect him to continue blitzing forward and getting his hands engaged early. Volkanovski averages 6.18 significant strikes per minute. He is going to switch stances and land consistently against Lopes just as he did in their first meeting. I also think the champion can make further adjustments to really make this win more convincing. It would not surprise me to see Volkanovski use his wrestling more here to wear less damage. Volkanovski will be patient in the first two rounds and then take over here taking the last three convincingly. He is comfortable fighting here at home in Australia where he is revered as the best of all time. And Still. Alexander Volkanovski by Decision
• Nick: This fight represents a rematch for the UFC Featherweight Championship that was won by Volkanovski back in April of 2025. Lopes had trouble getting going in that match-up, and Volkanovski outclassed him for the better part of all five rounds. Diego Lopes is 26-7 professionally with eleven wins coming via KO and twelve coming via submission. He’s primarily a grappler with slick BJJ and excellent overall scrambling ability. He has notable wins over the likes of Brian Ortega, Dan Ige, and most recently Jean Silva. He showed an elite version of himself in that Silva match-up, wearing damage well and dominating that fight on the mat. Alexander Volkanovsk has an extremely high fight-IQ. He’s a gifted striker who does an excellent job mixing kicks into his combinations. He does a good job closing distance against taller opponents and his low and powerful base makes him difficult to grapple with. He’s capable of finding entries for takedowns, but he’s most comfortable fighting on the feet. Volkonovski does an excellent job baiting his opponents with feints. He’s very difficult for his opponents to read and he makes them pay whenever they try to put him on the defensive. Lopes should give a better showing this time around, but it’s tough not to project a similar outcome. Volkanovski is the better technical striker with the far superior footwork, and it should benefit him to be fighting in front of his home crowd. And Still. Alexander Volkanovski by Decision

-Nick Marro

Twitter: @NickMarroDFS

-Anthony Marro

Twitter: @AnthonyMarro_

Photo: UFC.com