UFC 325 Betting Preview: Odds, Picks & Best Bets

A featherweight title fight between champion Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes highlights the fight card at UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2. The pair met for the vacant title last April with Volkanovski winning the strap for a second time with a unanimous decision.

Lopes rebounded from his loss to Volkanovski to beat Jean Silva via TKO in September for his 27th professional victory with 23 of them by stoppage. Lopes is a former LUX Fight League featherweight champion before transitioning to the UFC. Lopes opened as a slight +126 underdog on the UFC betting odds with Volkanovski at -155.

UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 Preview

A total of 14 fights are on the UFC 325 ticket with the main event a title bout rematch between Volkanovski and Lopes. The action takes place on Saturday, January 31, 2026 from Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. The entire fight card will be streamed on Paramount+

UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 Predictions

• The odds are tight based on the last fight that ended in a unanimous decision in favor of Volkanovski. The scorecards were close in favor of the champ 48-47, 49-46, 49-46. Volk earned the belt for a second time after previously beating Max Holloway in 2019. Volkanovski successfully defended the title five times before suffering a loss to Ilia Topuria in Feb. 2024.
• Two of Volkanovski’s most recent losses were to current welterweight champ and No. 1 pound-for-pound ranked Islam Makhachev when Volk moved up to compete in the lightweight class. He had lost two in a row before beating Lopes at UFC 314.
• Though he’s six years his opponent’s senior, Volkanovski stalks his prey with precision work and veteran pacing. He can subdue opponents in a variety of ways but also has the stamina to go the distance.
• Volkanovski cemented his status as one of the greatest UFC featherweights by successfully defending his first title against some of the sport's best. Volk won the title from Holloway and beat him twice more in his run of title defenses. He also scored a unanimous decision over Brian Ortega and KO’d Jung Chan-sung, aka the Korean Zombie.
• Lopes is known as a finisher with 23 of his wins ending inside the distance. He made an immediate impression inside the Octagon going the distance with Movsar Evloev in his UFC debut on just five days notice. Lopes won his next three fights all by first round stoppage.
• A UD over Brian Ortega at UFC 306 set the stage for Lopes to compete for the featherweight strap. Lopes was more defensive at the start of his fight with Volkanovski and was unable to overcome an early deficit despite a late surge.
• Lopes thrives with a chaotic pace using his strength and reach to punish opponents. He played into the defensive strategy of Volkanovski in the first bout and should be more aggressive early in an attempt to disrupt the rhythm of his opponent.

UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 Betting Tips

• Listed UFC betting odds suggest a number of close fights on the 14-bout card. The tightest could be a main card battle between ranked lightweights Rafael Fiziev and Mauricio Ruffy. Both fighters opened with negative odds.
• Unbeaten in 4 UFC fights and riding a 10-fight winning streak, Quillan Salkilld is the biggest favorite on the board at -1000 in his main card lightweight bout with Jamie Mullarkey (+610).
• Though he hasn’t fought in nearly 2 years, Jacob Malkoun is a -150 favorite in his middleweight tussle with undefeated (11-0) Torrez Finney. Three wins in the contender series earned Finney a roster spot and a split decision over Robert Valentin last April in his UFC debut.

UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 Head to Head and Key Stats

(C) Alexander Volkanovski vs. (3) Diego Lopes – Featherweight Fight

• Volkanovski won 25 of his first 26 pro fights before losing to Makhachev for the lightweight belt at UFC 284. Including that result, Volk has dropped 3 of his last 5 fights. Overall he’s 27-4 with 13 KOs. Inside the Octagon Volkanovski is 14-3 with 7 KOs.

• Considered one of the greatest UFC featherweights and a 2-time champ, 2 of Volk’s losses came as a lightweight to Makhachev, the second on 10 days notice that resulted in a first round KO.

• A former belt holder in the LUX Fight League, Lopes owns a 27-7 career record with 11 KO’s and 12 submissions. Making his UFC debut on 5 days notice, Lopes lost a decision. He is 6-1 since ending the night for Jean Silva in his last fight with a spinning back elbow. Lopes had gone the distance in his previous 3 fights, including a close setback to Volkanovski at UFC 314.