It’s time to run it back in the champ’s backyard.
On Saturday night, Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski will defend his featherweight championship in a rematch with Diego Lopes at UFC 325 in Sydney, Australia.
The 37-year-old Volkanovski secured a unanimous decision over the surging Lopes for the vacant belt last April in a dramatic recapturing of the featherweight crown, following back-to-back knockouts from Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria.
The reigning champ enters as a -155 moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the full-throttle challenger sits at +130 on the moneyline. The total is set at 4.5 rounds.
Let’s dive into the betting splits for Saturday night’s main event.
Betting Splits
Surprisingly, Lopes has controlled much of the betting action, capturing 55% of total bets and a whopping 83% of the handle, while Volkanovski has garnered just 45% of wagers and 17% of the handle.
Lopes leads the UFC 325 main card with the highest percentage of the betting handle. Meanwhile, emerging prospect Quillan Salkilld has amassed a main-card-high 91% of total bets for his lightweight bout with Jamie Mullarkey, which he enters as a staggering -1000 favorite.
When he’s not whipping up mouth-watering meals on YouTube, Volkanovski (27–4, 13 KOs) has dominated the Octagon as arguably the greatest featherweight in UFC history. Before dropping the title to Topuria, he recorded five consecutive defenses against the likes of Yair Rodriguez, Brian Ortega, and Max Holloway (twice).
Lopes (27–7, 11 KOs, 12 SUB) has dazzled since his UFC debut in May 2023. Known for his exciting fight style, he’s already beaten a handful of division staples and enters Saturday’s rematch riding momentum from a second-round knockout of Jean Silva last September.
As for the finish, Volkanovski holds +150 odds to win by decision and sits at +300 to secure a knockout. Meanwhile, a Lopes knockout is priced at +350.
