UFC 325 Best Bets: Volkanovski & Fiziev Headline My Expert Picks for Sydney

UFC 325 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney is set to go off on Saturday, and I have the UFC 325 best bets you need. In the highly anticipated main event title fight, featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski (-150) looks to defend his throne and shut down challenger Diego Lopes (+125) for a second time.

I'm also going to break down a great spot for Rafael Fiziev and more as I pick my best spots from the UFC 325 odds. The whole UFC 325 card is streaming live with a Paramount+ subscription - no pay-per-view required. The early prelims are set to go off at 5 p.m. ET, with the prelims at 7 p.m. ET, and the main card at 9 p.m. ET. 

💰 UFC 325 best bets

See all of our UFC picks for this weekend's fights; pick confidence based a 1-to-5-star scale.

🚀 My best UFC 325 pick: Volkanovski by decision vs. Lopes 

This fight between the champ Volkanovski and challenger Lopes, who clashed nine months ago at UFC 314. In their previous encounter, the Australian Volkanovski won a clean cut 4-1 decision on most observers' scorecards, outlanding his Brazilian counterpart 158 to 63 in the significant strikes category after five full rounds.

There’s no reason to believe either man has changed their game up that drastically since the first clash, despite the odds being a little tighter than the first meeting. Although it will be a competitive fight that will see the challenger Lopes win a round or two, expect a similar result, with the future hall of famer Volkanovski winning a decision after 25 minutes of thrilling action.

🔥 More UFC 325 predictions

Check out our best UFC betting sites for the latest odds for this weekend's fights.

Rafael Fiziev moneyline (+102) vs. Mauricio Ruffy 

Fiziev has all the tools to deliver a veteran performance and outwork Ruffy. A veteran of nearly 50 Muay Thai fights, Fiziev has all the striking skills to frustrate his opponent on the feet in addition to a grappling advantage that will see him mix in takedowns to help secure the victory. 

Although he’s just 1-3 in his last four fights, two of those were “Fight of the Night” performances against Justin Gaethje, proving he can still compete with the best. This is an excellent spot to buy low at plus money on a proven commodity.

Sangwook Kim moneyline (+125) vs. Dom Mar Fan

A former member of the Korean special forces, Sangwook Kim, is accustomed to high-pressure situations and is well-equipped to take advantage of this spot in the “Road to the UFC” finals.

At 32 years old, he’s already a finished product, but he brings a level of maturity unseen in most debuting fighters. A 16-fight pro veteran, Kim has never been finished in a fight and owns nine wins inside the distance. Look for him to deliver here as the betting underdog.

Jacob Malkoun vs. Torrez Finney Over 2.5 rounds (-200) 

Makoun has only finished one fight in the past seven years, and it came after his opponent accidentally knocked himself out attempting a takedown.

Finney is undefeated at 11-0 and hasn’t shown durability issues while having also gone to decision in two of his past three fights. Both men come from wrestling and grappling backgrounds, but together they have just one submission victory in 19 combined wins. Expect this one to go the distance.

📝 UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 fight card

• Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes, featherweight title fight
• Dan Hooker vs. Benoit Saint-Denis, lightweight
• Rafael Fiziev vs. Mauricio Ruffy, lightweight
• Tai Tuivasa vs. Tallison Teixeira, heavyweight
• Quillan Salkilld vs. Jamie Mullarkey, lightweight
• Junior Tafa vs. Billy Elekana, light-heavyweight
• Cam Rowston vs. Cody Brundage, middleweight
• Jacob Malkoun vs. Torrez Finney, middleweight
• Jonathan Micallef vs. Oban Elliot, welterweight
• Kaan Ofli vs. Yizha, featherweight
• Dom Mar Fan vs. Sang Uk Kim, lightweight
• Sebastian Szalay vs. Keiichiro Nakamura, featherweight
• Sulangrangbo vs. Lawrence Lui, bantamweight
• Aaron Tau vs. Batbayar, flyweight
• Tau vs. Batbayar was canceled at weigh-ins due to Tau weighing in three pounds over the limit

📺 How to watch UFC 325

• Date: Saturday, Jan. 31
• Time: 5 p.m. ET (early prelims), 7 p.m. ET (prelims), 9 p.m. ET (main card)
• Location: Qudos Bank Arena (Sydney)
• TV: Paramount+