UFC 325 combat card predictions: Professional picks for Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2

Alexander Volkanovski seems to be to make the primary protection of his second reign as featherweight champion in the primary occasion of Saturday’s UFC 325. Sanding throughout from Volkanovski would be the man he defeated to win the vacant title, Diego Lopes.

The championship rematch headlines a stable card of fights from Sydney, Australia. UFC 325 additionally marks the second occasion within the landmark seven-year media rights deal between UFC and Paramount Skydance and can, as with all UFC playing cards transferring ahead, stream reside on Paramount+ for simply the price of a regular subscription.

Join Paramount+ and watch UFC 325 reside on Saturday evening for no further charge — each UFC numbered occasion and UFC Combat Night time is included with the value of your subscription! Plans begin as little as $8.99/month or $89.99/yr!

There’s enjoyable motion fights to be discovered throughout this occasion. Rafael Fiziev and Mauricio Ruffy are positive to ship the products after they conflict in a light-weight contest on the primary card. Plus, fan favourite Tai Tuivasa is all the time keen to put all of it on the road when he enters the Octagon. He will get a stiff take a look at from rising contender Tallison Teixeira. And the primary card opener might give us one other spotlight to recollect when Quillan Salkilld returns to tackle veteran Jamie Mullarkey. Salkilld scored a pair of unbelievable knockouts in 2025 that left followers speechless, together with a head kick of Nasrat Haqparast that earn CBS Sports activities’ KO of the Yr.

Guess UFC 325 at DraftKings Sportsbook, the place new customers get $300 in bonus bets with a successful $5 wager:

With a lot occurring on Saturday evening, let’s look nearer on the full combat card with the newest odds earlier than we get to our employees predictions and picks for the PPV portion of the festivities which you could contemplate earlier than hitting the sportsbooks.

UFC 325: What can change for Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes in a rematch simply 9 months later

Brian Campbell

UFC 325 combat card, odds

Odds by way of DraftKings Sportsbook (as of Jan. 29)

• Alexander Volkanovski (c) -148 vs. Diego Lopes +124, featherweight title
• Benoit Saint Denis -310 vs. Dan Hooker +250, lightweights
• Rafael Fiziev -120 vs. Mauricio Ruffy +100, lightweights
• Tallison Teixeira -345 vs. Tai Tuivasa +275, heavyweights
• Quillan Salkilld -1050 vs. Jamie Mullarkey +675, lightweights
• Billy Elekana -250  vs. Junior Tafa +205, mild heavyweights
• Cam Rowston -360 vs. Cody Brundage +285, middleweights
• Jacob Malkoun -162 vs. Torrez Finney, +136 middleweights
• Jonathan Micallef -135 vs. Oban Elliott +114, welterweights
• Yizha -205 vs. Kaan Olfi +170, featherweights
• Dom Mar Fan -148 vs. Sangwook Kim +124, lightweights
• Sebastian Szalay -135 vs. Keiichiro Nakamura +114, featherweights
• Sulangrangbo -250 vs. Lawrence Liu +205, bantamweights

UFC 325 predictions, picks

With such an enormous foremost occasion on faucet, the crew at CBS Sports activities went forward with predictions and picks for the primary card from Brian Campbell, Brent Brookhouse, Shakiel Mahjouri, Michael Mormile and Brandon Sensible.

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes predictions

Campbell: Volkanovski appeared to show again the clock final April when he captured the vacant title by outpointing Lopes. However an sincere Lopes, who nonetheless managed to drop Volkanovski, admitted after the combat that he didn’t comply with his nook’s gameplan and received caught merely following his opponent round in hopes of a knockout. Anticipate a extra seasoned and extra harmful Lopes within the rematch. Not solely did he depend on grappling and the traps he set with hanging to finally end Jean Silva final September, he has been working relentlessly on rounding out his sport. If Lopes does a greater job chopping off the cage and utilizing each his dimension and the specter of the takedown to make the 37-year-old Volkanovski really feel his age, this must be a really completely different combat. And whereas Volkanovski’s chin did maintain up throughout their first combat regardless of having been recent off of back-to-back knockout losses, his time on the high could also be working out. Lopes by way of TKO3

Brookhouse: It is onerous to consider that this combat performs out a lot in a different way than the primary combat until Volkanovski has aged significantly prior to now yr. Sure, 37 is previous for a fighter, particularly a featherweight, however Volkanovski is a uniquely expert tactician in his skill to not solely put together, however execute a gameplan. I do not see any purpose to suppose that losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria sign a fighter is “finished” at an elite stage, merely that he bumped into two of one of the best fighters on the planet of their prime. Lopes does not have a dependable takedown sport, which signifies that it is a hanging battle, and Volkanovski is nice at working angles and discovering timing. Sure, Lopes did harm Volkanovski within the first combat, however that got here in between Volkanovski clearly controlling the remainder of the motion. I merely do not consider that Lopes can out-gameplan and outexecute Volkanovski. Volkanovski by way of UD

Mahjouri: If this combat have been a yr from now, I would decide Lopes in a heartbeat. The challenger has each bodily benefit over the champ: peak, attain, sturdiness, and energy. Lopes’ inexperience price him the primary combat. Volkanovski showcased why he is a featherweight GOAT. He managed the lead outdoors foot positioning, feinted brilliantly, and considerably outstruck Lopes. The champ pitched a near-perfect sport, but nonetheless gave up one or two rounds to Lopes’ energy. That is the concern right here. Lopes’ bodily presents will change into a much bigger issue as he narrows the technical gaps. The query is whether or not Lopes can cowl sufficient distance in 9 months to beat Volkanovski. Will probably be a a lot nearer second combat, however Volkanovski ought to have sufficient within the tank to win a slim resolution. Volkanovski by way of UD

Mormile: Volkanovski UD

Sensible: Volkanovski by way of UD

Dan Hooker vs. Benoit Saint Denis predictions

Campbell: Reformed following a pair of TKO defeats, Saint Denis has regarded like a totally completely different fighter in three walks to the Octagon underneath the tutelage of recent coach Nicholas Ott, which produced a trio of stoppage wins in 2025. The duty at hand towards Hooker on Saturday will probably be for ‘BSD’ to disregard the urge to throw warning to the wind off the beginning and get right into a full-blown slugfest. Saint Denis is at his greatest when he balances endurance and grappling with the specter of his highly effective hanging. And contemplating Hooker was completed in lower than two rounds by Arman Tsarukyan simply two months in the past, this could possibly be the right catapult for the French “God of Struggle” to attain a scientific stoppage victory and enter the highest 5 at 155 kilos. Hooker is all the time sport for battle, however his one-dimensional fashion has caught up with him on the elite stage. Saint Denis by way of KO2

Brookhouse: Saint Denis by way of SUB2

Mahjouri: Hooker has no designs on altering his fashion. He is hell-bent on motion, and it will price him towards on Saturday. Neither man has excellent sturdiness, however Hooker has extra put on and tear. That is regarding towards Saint Denis, the youthful and arguably extra highly effective fighter. Saint Denis seems to be revitalized working with high middleweight contender Nassourine Imavov. The French particular forces soldier has the pure presents and evolving skillset to make brief work of Hooker. It is crucial, nevertheless, that he does not abandon his protection. Hooker can nonetheless crack and can catch Saint Denis if he is not cautious. Saint Denis by way of KO2

Mormile: Saint Denis by way of submission

Sensible: Saint Denis by way of TKO3

Rafael Fiziev vs. Mauricio Ruffy predictions

Campbell: Ruffy by way of UD

Brookhouse: If anybody can add wrestling threats to this combat, it is Fiziev. Ruffy has by no means scored a takedown within the UFC and he was taken down 3 times whereas being dominated by Saint Denis. Fiziev, in the meantime, has scored six takedowns in his two most up-to-date fights, together with two towards Justin Gaethje. In a reasonably even battle of strikers, although Ruffy could also be a bit extra dynamic in his angles and shot choice, one fighter having the sting in grappling is sufficient to tilt the combat on paper. Whereas both man might catch the opposite on the toes, Fiziev’s new confidence in his wrestling provides me some consolation in siding with him. Fiziev by way of UD

Mahjouri: This is perhaps an much more compelling motion combat than the co-main occasion. Fiziev and Ruffy are on the cusp of getting into the light-weight elite. Fiziev is a first-class Muay Thai striker with an enhancing wrestling sport. Ruffy, a textbook KO artist, just lately migrated from the Combating Nerds to featherweight champ Volkanovski’s camp. I used to be ready to depend Fiziev out, however I feel he is a sufferer of unhealthy luck. His three UFC losses are a majority resolution to Justin Gaethje, a freak knee harm towards Mateusz Gamrot and a detailed rematch towards Gaethje, which he took on two weeks’ discover after a year-and-a-half layoff from the aforementioned harm. Fiziev confirmed indicators of life in a bounce-back win towards Ignacio Bahamondes, complementing his hanging with newfound wrestling. Ruffy would possibly revolutionize himself with Crew Volkanovski, however I will have to see the outcomes earlier than assessing his future. Fiziev by way of UD

Mormile: Fiziev by way of UD

Sensible: Fiziev by way of UD

Who wins Volkanovski vs. Lopes, and the way precisely does the combat finish? Go to SportsLine now to get detailed picks and evaluation from the incomparable knowledgeable who’s up over $21,000 on his UFC picks since Might 19, 2018, and discover out.