UFC 325 Predictions Volkanovski vs Lopes 2
The UFC heads to Sydney with a stacked card and a featherweight title rematch on top as Alexander Volkanovski (c) meets Diego Lopes for the second time at UFC 325. Volkanovski enters as the favorite (around -162), while Lopes sits as the live underdog (around +136) in the latest widely posted lines.
Below are my UFC 325 predictions for the main card. Bear in mind that the odds and bout order can move during fight week:
UFC 325 Predictions
Volkanovski vs Lopes 2 prediction
Pick: Alexander Volkanovski by decision
The simplest read here is that Volkanovski wins minutes when he is in the octagon and has done for most of his career. In the first fight, he showed he can manage Lopes’ danger, stay disciplined, and bank rounds with pace, positioning, and clean combinations.
Lopes is explosive and creative, and he absolutely has finishing upside if he can force messy exchanges or he catches Volk leaning on the exit. But over five rounds, Volkanovski’s experience in long title fights and his ability to make adjustments on the fly push me toward another points win, especially with a home-crowd boost in Sydney just adding that extra cherry on top.
Saint Denis vs Hooker prediction
Pick: Benoit Saint Denis to win
Hooker is tough, opportunistic, and dangerous when he can keep the fight in his preferred ranges. The problem for the New Zealander is Saint Denis tends to turn fights into sustained pressure, and that style can sap a striker’s output if they are forced to defend for long stretches. Saint Denis is currently priced as a heavy favorite, and I can see him getting the win here potentially via submission, although I could also see him grabbing the decision.
Fiziev vs Ruffy prediction
Pick: Rafael Fiziev to win
This feels like a “who wins the cleanest exchanges” fight at lightweight. Fiziev’s edge is that he is been-there, done-that against elite competition and is typically the sharper technician when the fight is fought at range. Ruffy can absolutely swing momentum with a big moment, but my lean is Fiziev controlling the striking tempo and landing the clearer shots.
Teixeira vs Tuivasa prediction
Pick: Tallison Teixeira to win
Heavyweight volatility is real, and Tuivasa is always one clean connection away from flipping a fight. Still, with Teixeira a strong favorite, the expectation is that he carries the more reliable tools for winning exchanges and limiting the kind of extended brawl where Tuivasa thrives. I am siding with the favorite, but I would not be shocked if this ends suddenly either way with a KO.
UFC 325 predictions table
| Fight | Pick | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Volkanovski vs Lopes 2 | Volkanovski by decision | Medium |
| Saint Denis vs Hooker | Saint Denis | Medium-High |
| Fiziev vs Ruffy | Fiziev | Medium |
| Teixeira vs Tuivasa | Teixeira | Medium |
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