It’s time to run it back in the champ’s backyard.
Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski returns to the Octagon Saturday night, defending his featherweight crown in a rematch with Diego Lopes at UFC 325 in Sydney, Australia.
The 37-year-old Volkanovski rolled to a unanimous decision victory over Lopes last April, recapturing the 145-pound crown in dramatic fashion on the heels of back-to-back knockouts from Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria.
The defending champ enters as a -148 moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the full-throttle challenger sits as a +124 underdog.
Along with traditional sports betting and daily fantasy, you can now have more action than ever for UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2. Check out DraftKings UFC Pick6 for my favorite picks for Saturday’s UFC event.
Alexander Volkanovski More Than 104.5 Significant Strikes
Alexander Volkanovski swiftly dismissed the washed allegations in his last bout against Diego Lopes. The featherweight king pieced up his highly touted challenger for all five rounds, landing 158 significant strikes at a surgical 61% clip en route to a triumphant unanimous decision.
The Australian MMA icon is well-positioned to clear 104.5 significant strikes once again in the rematch. Despite having 13 knockouts to his name, Volkanovski isn’t necessarily known for his finishing ability. Meanwhile, Lopes hasn’t gotten stopped in over eight years.
Benoit Saint Denis More Than 3:30 Control Time
Dan Hooker has enjoyed a resurgent run in the twilight of his career, but he’ll now look to rebound from a submission loss to Arman Tsarukyan against the “God of War.” Benoit Saint Denis is one of the most vicious lightweights on the active roster, boasting a 100% finish rate comprising five knockouts and 11 submissions.
Rather than test Hooker’s elite striking, Saint Denis would be wise to exploit his mismatch on the ground. Before knocking out Beneil Dariush in just 16 seconds last November, the French lightweight had cleared 3:30 of control time in three of his previous four fights.
Hooker, often vulnerable to takedowns and submissions, has surrendered over four minutes of control time in back-to-back bouts. The “Hangman” allowed 4:59 to Mateusz Gamrot before getting suffocated for 6:02 against Tsarukyan.
Mauricio Ruffy Less Than 48.5 Significant Strikes
It feels unlikely that Mauricio Ruffy exceeds 48.5 significant strikes on Saturday night — primarily because anyone who absorbs that many shots from the “Fighting Nerds” prospect must have a chin made of vibranium.
Eleven of the Brazilian lightweight’s 12 victories have come by knockout, and he needed just four significant strikes to starch King Green last March. Facing another full-throttle striker in Rafael Fiziev, it seems more plausible that one of the fighters hits the canvas before Ruffy can reach the lofty strike total.
Rafael Fiziev Less Than 1.5 Takedowns
On the flip side of the matchup, Rafael Fiziev has found some recent success on the ground. He has logged six takedowns across his last two fights against Justin Gaethje and Ignacio Bahamondes. However, “Ataman” averages just 0.89 takedowns per 15 minutes and appears unlikely to score multiple takedowns against Mauricio Ruffy.
The “Fighting Nerds” prospect owns an impressive 84% takedown defense since joining the UFC in May 2024, and he’ll be eager to showcase improved stuffing ability after his last fight against Benoit Saint Denis. The “God of War” landed three of ten takedown attempts before forcing Ruffy to tap out in the second round of their September bout.
Tallison Teixeira More Than 0.5 Knockouts
Brazilian heavyweight Tallison Teixeira currently holds -200 odds to knockout Australian fan-favorite Tai Tuivasa — and for good reason. Before getting caught by Derrick Lewis last July, “Xicao” boasted an 8–0 professional record with a 100% finish rate, including seven-straight first-round KOs.
The towering 26-year-old kickboxer seems poised to add to his highlight reel against the spiraling Tuivasa, who returns home on a five-fight losing streak — underscored by a pair of knockouts.
Quillan Salkilld More Than 110.5 Fantasy Points
Perhaps the most intriguing Australian prospect on the roster, Quillan Salkilld returns home with a 3–0 UFC record — and as a -1000 favorite in his lightweight bout against Jamie Mullarkey.
Salkilld boasts two knockouts in three trips to the Octagon. He starched Anshul Jubli in just 19 seconds in his UFC debut last February before flattening Nasrat Haqparast with a devastating roundhouse in October. In between, the former Eternal MMA champ flashed his suffocating grappling, landing eight takedowns en route to a dominant unanimous decision over Yanal Ashmouz.
The 26-year-old prospect has averaged 116.8 fantasy points since joining the MMA’s flagship promotion. And he appears well-positioned for another dazzling performance against the veteran Mullarkey, who has struggled to find consistency throughout his UFC tenure.
What is DraftKings Pick6?
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of 2+ players and select whether or not you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
How to Play DraftKings Pick6
Create a Pick Set
Create a Pick Set by choosing 2+ players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you can not pick the same player twice, and you must pick players from at least two different teams.
Enter an Amount
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
Sweat Your Picks
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Compete for Prizes
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
Play at DraftKings Pick6 or by downloading the DraftKings Pick6 app on Apple or Google!
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