The UFC heads to Sydney, Australia, on Saturday, January 31, for a solid UFC 325 card, as the promotion is holding back-to-back numbered events. The main event of the card sees Alexander Volkanovski defending his featherweight title in a rematch against Diego Lopes.
UFC 325: MMA Betting Picks and Odds Insight
Below, I'll share my UFC 325 predictions, including my favorite pick, an underdog, a prop and a two-fighter parlay. All UFC odds are via the DraftKings Sportsbook and are accurate as of the post date of this article.
Weight Class: Lightweight
Mauricio Ruffy (12-2) vs. Rafael Fiziev (13-4)
A banger of a lightweight fight takes place at UFC 325, as Mauricio Ruffy takes on Rafael Fiziev. Ruffy is coming off a submission loss to Benoit Saint-Denis, which was a bit of a surprise, but it was a good learning experience for him.
Ruffy is a dangerous striker, and he takes on Fizie,v who's also a striker, so the Brazilian shouldn't have to deal with the wrestling.
On the feet, Ruffy should be able to land the more damaging strikes, as Fiziev is there to be hit. This will be a close fight, but I like Ruffy to win what projects as a stand-up affair.
UFC 325 Bet: Mauricio Ruffy (-125)
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Weight Class: Middleweight
Torrez Finney (11-0) vs. Jacob Malkoun (8-3)
For my underdog at UFC 325, I'm taking on Torrez Finney to remain undefeated and defeat Jacob Malkoun.
Finney is a great wrestler, but his style isn't the most entertaining, as he can hold someone down and grind out the clock. Malkoun is a wrestler as well, but I believe Finney will have the wrestling advantage.
Finney didn't look great in his debut, but I like this style matchup, as Malkoun isn't a threat on the feet. This should be a very close fight, and one that could be a split, so I'll take a flier on Finney at plus-money.
UFC 325 Bet: Torrez Finney (+130)
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Weight Class: Lightweight
Benoit Saint-Denis (16-3) vs. Dan Hooker (14-3)
For my prop at UFC 325, I'm taking Benoit Saint-Denis to finish Dan Hooker by stoppage.
Saint-Denis had an impressive submission win over Ruffy in his last fight and now takes on Hooker, who I actually believe is a step-down in competition for the Frenchman.
Hooker can take a lot of damage on the feet, but he could get TKO'd. I think the more realistic scenario is Saint-Denis lands heavy shots on the feet and then takes him to the ground to get a submission win.
Regardless, I expect Saint-Denis to earn a stoppage win over Hooker in the co-main event of UFC 325.
UFC 325 Bet: Benoit Saint-Denis inside the distance (-130)
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Weight Class: Heavyweight & Light Heavyweight
Tallison Teixeira (8-1) vs. Tai Tuivasa (14-8)
Billy Elekana (9-2) vs. Junior Tafa (6-4)
For my parlay at UFC 325, I'm taking Tallison Teixeira and Billy Elekana to get their hands raised.
Teixeira is taking on the returning Tuivasa, who doesn't look like he is taking fighting seriously anymore. Although Teixeira is coming off a quick knockout loss to Derrick Lewis, this is a good step-down for him. I expect the Brazilian to land heavy shots early and get a TKO win over Tuivasa in the first or second round.
The other leg in the parlay targets another foreign fighter going into enemy territory and looking to beat an Australian. Elekana has won back-to-back fights, and in his debut on short notice, he nearly beat Bogdan Guskov in the first round before gassing out.
On a full camp, Elekana has solid cardio, while Tafa, to me, isn't UFC-caliber. I expect Elekana to use his wrestling to take Tafa down and get a submission win.
UFC 325 Bet: Tallison Teixeira and Billy Elekana parlay (-130)
UFC Best Bets
Here is a recap of my best UFC picks for this weekend's UFC 325 card.
- Mauricio Ruffy (-125)
- Torrez Finney (+130)
- Benoit Saint-Denis inside the distance (-130)
- Tallison Teixeira and Billy Elekana parlay (-130)
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