Alex Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria UFC 298 Odds, Time, and Prediction

This is a title fight, in which Volkanovski will try to defend his UFC Featherweight belt. Will he do it? The UFC 298 odds suggest he might, but you can be certain that Topuria will give him war. Anything can happen here, which is precisely why this is a title bout.

Alex Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria Odds

Moneyline	Odds
Alex Volkanovski	-120
Ilia Topuria	-110

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: Honda Center, Anaheim (Los Angeles), California
• Date: Saturday, February 17, 2023
• Time: 11:00 p.m. ET
• How to Watch: PPV

Alex Volkanovski’s First Fight After KO Loss to Makhachev

Alex Volkanovski is the reigning UFC Featherweight champion, but last year, he wanted to become the UFC Lightweight champ as well. He fought against Islam Makhachev for the title on two occasions. In their first duel, he lost after five rounds of intense fighting. In the rematch, however, he got knocked out.

Alexander Volkanovski was “drinking every day” before getting a short-notice call to rematch Islam Makhachev. pic.twitter.com/X4ErinTlWn

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) February 7, 2024

It was his first-ever knockout loss, but the Aussie fighter has an explanation for why it happened. First of all, he accepted the fight on very short notice, with just a couple of weeks to prepare. Not only that, but according to Volk, he was drinking and partying for weeks before the fight.

Now, four months after the loss, he’s coming back to the featherweight division. That’s where he’s undefeated since 2013 when he lost by technical knockout in what was his only fourth professional fight.

Ilia Topuria Looks Confident in His Abilities

Ilia Topuria is reportedly filming a documentary about his road to the UFC Featherweight title. That’s how confident this guy is that he’ll win on Saturday. El Matador has every right to be cocky, though. After all, he’s undefeated in his professional career with a 14-0 record.

However, he’s never fought against such a good fighter as Volkanovski. In fact, he’s only fought two ranked fighters – Josh Emmett and Bryce Mithcell.

#MATADOR · Road to the belt.
Ilia Topuria · The Film.
Coming in 2024.@srmonoprod #IliaTopuria #UFC pic.twitter.com/S6LAZHjqoO

— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) October 10, 2023

Still, judging by what we’ve seen from this guy so far, he’s definitely got a bright future in the UFC. The 27-year-old is a hell of a striker, with some MMA pundits hailing Topuria as the best boxer in the division.

He’s also great when it comes to wrestling, and his BJJ skills have helped him beat eight opponents by submission.

Alex Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria Prediction

These two are actually pretty similar fighters. Both are great when it comes to striking and are incredibly tough, not caring about getting hit. They also excel in terms of wrestling and grappling. The only major difference between the two is that Volkanovski has way more experience with fighting at an elite level.

He’s been the UFC Featherweight champion since 2019, defending his title against Max Holloway, Brian Ortega, The Korean Zombie, and Yair Rodriguez. Can he add Topuria’s name to the list? We think he can.

Pick: Alex Volkanovski