UFC 294: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2 Fight Card Odds and Picks \u2013 Info<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Saturday, October 21th, at 10:00 am ET<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Moneyline odds:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Islam Makhachev -263 \/ Alexander Volkanovski +198<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Kamaru Usman +230 \/ Khamzat Chimaev -312<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Magomed Ankalaev -370 \/ Johnny Walker +266<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ikram Aliskerov -666 \/ Warlley Alves +416<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Said Nurmagomedov -232 \/ Muin Gafurov +177<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tim Elliott +326 \/ Muhammad Mokaev -476<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mohammad Yahya +126 \/ Trevor Peek -161<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Javid Basharat -588 \/ Victor Henry +390<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sedriques Dumas -238 \/ Abu Azaitar +183<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Anshul Jubli -322 \/ Mike Breeden +235<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nathaniel Wood -344 \/ Muhammad Naimov +255<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jinh Yu Frey +357 \/ Victoria Dudakova -526<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bruno Silva +202 \/ Sharabutdin Magomedov -270<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Where can I watch it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n UFC Fight Pass<\/em><\/a> and <\/em>ESPN+<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Islam boasts an impressive record of 24 wins and only 1 loss. That\u2019s some serious dominance. However, has been completely inactive since the February fight against Volkanovski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Makhachev may have been preparing for Oliveira, but he\u2019s still the more powerful striker and the superior grappler, and if he chooses to use that wrestling more than he did the first time, it\u2019s a bit difficult to see Volkanovski stopping him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alexander Volkanovski stands at 26 wins with 2 losses, and after the first fight, he returned to 145 pounds successfully, dispatching Yair Rodriguez via TKO in the summer. Essentially, he looked as good as he\u2019d ever done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The big issue for him here is preparation time. The featherweight champ is renowned for his expert game plans and leaves no stone unturned in his training camps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here, however, he\u2019s barely had two weeks to come up with anything. Sure, he fought Makhachev before, but he needed to make adjustments that he probably wouldn\u2019t have planned for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Volkanovski proved to be arguably the toughest test of Makhachev\u2019s career when they battled for five rounds at UFC 284 in February, but The Great ultimately fell short by unanimous decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story of that fight was essentially that Volkanovski was the better technical striker, but he couldn\u2019t hurt Makhachev badly and ate a lot of heavy shots from the Dagestani in return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the ground, meanwhile, Makhachev was able to largely control the Australian, even if he didn\u2019t come close to a finish of any kind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall this should be another fantastic bout between two true greats. However, the fact that it\u2019s coming on this kind of late notice is disappointing and isn\u2019t likely to lead to another classic as we saw in February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, it seems more likely to end in Makhachev\u2019s favor, if not by a finish, then by a larger margin than before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Usman has lost his last two bouts to current welterweight champion Leon Edwards and is looking to make a short-notice return against \u201cBorz\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Nigerian Nightmare boasts a solid striking game, landing 4.46 significant strikes per minute with a 52% accuracy rate. He\u2019s defensively responsible with a 54% strike defense, making it hard for opponents to land clean shots. Usman, a former NCAA Division II wrestler, is also a grappling powerhouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chimaev, is an aggressive wrestler, averaging 3.98 takedowns with a remarkable 57% accuracy. His takedown defense is a perfect 100%. Chimaev\u2019s submission average of 3.5 per 15 minutes is a clear indicator of his prowess on the ground. He is also a striking machine, landing an impressive 7.30 significant strikes per minute with a 59% accuracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He holds the edge in the grappling department, both in takedowns and submissions. Chimaev\u2019s last fight was a victory against Kevin Holland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this epic UFC 294 co-main showdown, Khamzat Chimaev\u2019s striking is a force to be reckoned with, and his wrestling game is top-notch. He can win by keeping the fight standing and utilizing his striking advantage, especially in the earlier rounds. However, he should be cautious about gassing out, as Usman\u2019s experience could lead to a comeback in later rounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kamaru Usman\u2019s path to victory lies in his experience and his takedown defense. If he can weather Chimaev\u2019s early storm and take the fight into deeper waters, his chances of securing a victory increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our token is on Chimaev\u2019s explosive start to put pressure on Usman until getting the win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ankalaev is one of many Dagestani fighters on this UFC 294 card and has a professional MMA record of 17-1-1, with nine wins coming by TKO\/KO. He has one of the most decorated combat sports resumes before the UFC out of anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ankalaev is a Master of Sport in amateur MMA\u2013winning three gold medals at the WMMAA World Championships from 2013 to 2016 and seven gold medals in the Russian Championships over his amateur career. He also has a gold medal in the Combat Sambo Cup of Dagestan, achieving his Master\u2019s in Sport for Combat Sambo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Walker is a Brazilian mixed martial artist with a professional MMA record of 21-7 at the age of 31. He has an impressive 19 total finishes in his pro career, including 16 by TKO\/KO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The No. 7 ranked light heavyweight now trains at the famous SBG Ireland gym, where Conor McGregor does most of his work with legendary coach John Kavanaugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Walker is a freak-of-nature athlete to see in MMA\u2013listed at 6\u20196\u201d with an 82\u201d reach and seemingly can jump out over the octagon cage if he wanted to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ankalaev\u2019s feet are strongly rooted in the canvas, and his approach is very measured. Walker has slowed down his approach a ton and has improved a ton, but he still looks like he\u2019s waiting to jump 40\u201d into the air and knee someone\u2019s head off at any moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They both have a lot of power and can finish the fight with one clean strike landing. Ankalaev will switch stances, and he likes to counter his opponents with a lightning-quick left hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Walker has been developing his style over the last few fights to use all of his athletic ability in the most efficient way. He throws wild kicking techniques and is very difficult to hit with his unorthodox style, but he leaves his chin open a lot of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are expecting Ankalaev’s approach to be smart enough to wear down and halt Walker and beat him down as the round goes forth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ikram Aliskerov, a 30-year-old middleweight, began his UFC tenure with a 1st round knockout back in May. That brought his MMA record to 14-1 with ten wins inside the distance and his only loss to Khamzat Chimaev before the UFC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aliskerov is a well-schooled, dangerous, and athletic kickboxer with the power to stop a fight in an instant and the fluidity to effortlessly land his strikes. He excels as a forward-moving counter-striker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Warlley Alves, 32, has been in the UFC since 2014. In that time, he has amassed an 8-6 record with six finish wins and three finish losses. Most recently, Alves has lost back-to-back fights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alves is exciting, powerful, and unpredictable in the cage. In some fights, like in his last win, he blitzes forward unloading windmill combinations the moment the ref says, \u201cFight!\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We fully expect Alves to fight similarly to how he fought in his last win against Lazzez. At the time, Alves immediately blitzed forward and fought as if the fight was only 5 minutes long. He attacked with little regard for defense and relied on surprise and raw power to overwhelm. Considering the skill gap he has in this fight, his best chance at a win is to blitz forward again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of that, Aliskerov should have had ample opportunities early to finish the fight. And, if Alves shocks the betting world and clips him, a round prop covers that outcome as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We expect Alves to blitz forward immediately, Aliskerov to catch him with a counter, and finish the fight soon after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nurmagomedov is a professional MMA fighter from Dagestan with a record of 17-3 with nine finishes under his belt, including five submissions. One of those was a ‘submission of the month’ in January 2022 when he guillotined Cody Stamann in less than a minute and also took home a performance bonus that night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gafurov is a Tajik Sambo fighter with a professional MMA record of 18-5, winning ten fights via TKO\/KO and seven submissions so far at the age of 27. He has fought in ONE Championship, UAE Warriors, and LFA before making his UFC debut earlier this summer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gafurov still has strength, cardio, and a big right hand that he lands quite often. And it alters the fight when it connects. He got clipped with a left high kick and a few slick counterpunches in his UFC debut against Castaneda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nurmagomedov is just simply really good. He switches stances with ease, and he just seems to go with the flow in every fight. He might have a game plan going into it. But it looks like he is prepared for anything that happens and turns it into a positive for himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Catching kicks, countering a takedown with one of his own, or landing super creative and well-timed spinning techniques. He also knows this next UFC fight is arguably the most important one yet in front of an Abu Dhabi crowd on this massive PPV card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are siding with Nurmagomedov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The post-The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) UFC return for Tim Elliott (20-12-1) wasn\u2019t quite the triumph he wanted, dropping five of his next seven bouts inside the Octagon. He\u2019s since righted the ship with a 4-1 run, the sole loss a narrow one to Matheus Nicolau.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After making his name in BRAVE CF, The Punisher burst out of the UFC gate with a 58-second club-and-sub of Cody Durden in his Octagon debut. He had to settle for a decision against Charles Johnson his next time out but returned to his finishing ways via back-to-back submissions over Malcolm Gordon and Jafel Filho.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Five of his six professional finishes have come via submission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mokaev\u2019s passivity is the biggest knock on him, but it may be his saving grace here. Elliott thrives in chaos, relying on intense scrambles to steadily wear down his opponents and eliminate any technical disadvantages through attrition. Mokaev has the cardio to shoot takedowns more than two dozen times in 15 minutes and is more than happy to avoid the sorts of risks that Elliott loves to capitalize on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mokaev shouldn\u2019t be a 5:1 favorite, but we just can\u2019t sell ourselves on an Elliott victory against a much younger and more athletically gifted wrestler, especially since Elliott has landed one submission in the last eight years. In the end, Mokaev survives a few hairy scrambles to grind out a decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mohammad Yahya (12-3) battled out of a 4-3 slump to enter the world\u2019s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion on a five-fight win streak. Said streak saw him knockout Yazid Chouchane for UAE Warriors gold and subsequently make two successful defenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Peek clubbed his way to an upset knockout of Malik Lewis on Contender Series, then celebrated his UFC contract by similarly stopping Erick Gonzalez. Then came late replacement Chepe Mariscal, who out-struck and out-grappled Peek en route to a unanimous decision win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of his wins have come via knockout, six of them in the first round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We like the matchmaking here, honestly. Yahya is by far the more technical boxer and has a solid grappling base, but can be overly passive. Peek, by contrast, has no technical base whatsoever but makes up for it with gusto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They\u2019ve each struggled with the others\u2019 key weapons as well; Yahya got dropped hard by an ugly overhand not long ago and Peek couldn\u2019t handle Mariscal\u2019s more focused approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe this is just us wanting the more entertaining outcome, but we favor Peek. Yahya stands very upright and doesn\u2019t have great footwork, so Peek shouldn\u2019t have too much trouble bullying him to the fence and unloading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yahya also gassed badly against Souhil Tahiri last time, suggesting he can\u2019t handle Peek\u2019s pace. This could turn into a repeat of the Mariscal fight, but we like Peek to sprawl and brawl his way to a finish late in the first or early in the second.<\/p>\n\n\n\nUFC 294:<\/strong>\u00a0Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Islam Makhachev?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Alexander Volkanovski?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski Final Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
UFC 294:<\/strong>\u00a0Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Kamaru Usman?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Khamzat Chimaev?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev Final Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
UFC 294:<\/strong>\u00a0Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Magomed Ankalaev?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Johnny Walker?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker Final Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
UFC 294:\u00a0<\/strong>Ikram Aliskerov vs. Warlley Alves<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Ikram Aliskerov?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Warlley Alves?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ikram Aliskerov vs. Warlley Alves Final Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
UFC 294:\u00a0<\/strong>Said Nurmagomedov vs. Muin Gafurov<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Said Nurmagomedov?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Muin Gafurov?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Said Nurmagomedov vs. Muin Gafurov Final Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
UFC 294:<\/strong>\u00a0Tim Elliott vs. Muhammad Mokaev<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Tim Elliott?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Muhammad Mokaev?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tim Elliott vs. Muhammad Mokaev Final Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
UFC 294:<\/strong>\u00a0Mohammad Yahya vs. Trevor Peek<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Mohammad Yahya?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Trevor Peek?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Mohammad Yahya vs. Trevor Peek Final Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n