On Saturday night, one of the best UFC Betting events will take place in Miami. UFC 314 features the featherweight title bout between #1 ranked Alexander Volkanovski and #3 ranked Diego Lopes. But that is not all. In the lightweight division, there is a ranked matchup between #7 ranked Michael Chandler and #12 ranked Paddy Pimblett. Also, another ranked fighter, #13 Bryce Mitchell, will take on Jean Silva in a featherweight matchup. Meanwhile, #5 Yair Rodriguez will face newcomer Patricio Pitbull in the featherweight division. ESPN+ will televise all the action.
UFC 314 Volkanovski vs. Lopes – Featherweight Title Bout Main Card
| Date and Time: | Saturday, April 12, 2025, 10 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Kaseya Center, Miami, FL |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN+ |
Featherweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alexander Volkanovski | -142 |
| Diego Lopes | +120 |
Alexander Volkanovski’s career sports betting record is 26-4. In comparison, Diego Lopes’s record is 26-6.
Of course, Alexander Volkanovski is best known as the former UFC featherweight champion. Of great concern is that Volkanovski has dropped three of his most recent four bouts.
Initially, Volkanovski won the UFC featherweight championship agaisnt Max Holloway on December 14, 2019, in a unanimous decision. That bout was held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Next, Volkanovski won a split decision agaisnt Holloway in a rematch on July 12, 2020. It was the first title defense for Volkanovski and took place in Abu Dhabi.
Volkanovski went on to win three more title defense bouts. He beat Brian Ortega by unanimous decision on September 25, 2021, in Las Vegas. Next was a 4th-round TKO win over Jung Chang Sung on April 9, 2022, in Jacksonville. And then came a unanimous decision win over Holloway on July 2, 2022, in Las Vegas.
Problems began for Volkanovski on February 12, 2023. On that day he lost to Islam Makhachev by unanimous decision for the UFC lightweight championship. That bout took place in Perth, Australia. But Volkanovski recovered to win his featherweight title belt in a 3rd round TKO agaisnt Yair Rodriguez on July 8, 2023. That bout took place in Las Vegas, NV. Next came a rematch with Makhachev for the lightweight title on October 21, 2023, in Abu Dhabi. Volkanovski lost in a 1st round knockout. Finally, a loss to Ilia Topuria on February 17, 2024, cost Volkanovski his featherweight title belt. Topuria won a 2nd round knockout in Anaheim, CA.
Previously, Diego Lopes was a Lux Fight League Featherweight champion in 2021. He moved to the UFC in 2023 and is riding a 5-bout winning streak. Lopes is coming off a unanimous decision win over Brian Ortego on September 14, 2024. That fight was held in Las Vegas. Specifically, his bout against Volkanovski is his first title fight in the UFC.
Lightweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Michael Chandler | +134 |
| Paddy Pimblett | -155 |
Overall, Michael Chandler’s career record is 23-9, and Paddy Pimblett’s is 22-3.
Featherweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Bryce Mitchell | +270 |
| Jean Silva | -340 |
Bryce Mitchell stands at 17-3 with the UFC Betting odds for his career. By contrast, Jean Silva has a career record of 15-2.
Featherweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yair Rodriguez | -200 |
| Paricio Pitbull | +160 |
In sum, Yair Rodriguez has a career record of 16-5. This is Patricio Pitbull’s first UFC fight.
UFC 314 SBG Free Picks
In this situation, Alexander Volkanovski has the experience and motivation to make a strong comeback to reclaim his title belt. Diego Lopes, while impressive, lacks Volkanovski’s superior resume.
UFC 314 SBG Best Bets: Alexander Volkanovski.