Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for UFC 284 (Don't Expect a Title Change)

Makhachev vs Volkanovski Fight Info, Date & Time

UFC 284 — Main Event Lightweight Bout
Islam Makhachev (23-1, 4 KOs) vs. Alexander Volkanovski (25-1, 12 KOs)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023
Fight Time: This will be on the main card, which begins at 10 p.m. ET.
Venue: RAC Arena — Perth, Australia
Coverage: ESPN+, PPV

Makhachev vs Volkanovski Odds & Prop Bets

All UFC 284 odds, lines and prop bets are available on FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline:
- Islam Makhachev: (-400)
- Alexander Volkanovski: (+285)

Method of Victory:
- Makhachev by KO/TKO: (+470)
- Makhachev by Points: (+250)
- Makhachev by Submission: (+155)
- Volkanovski by KO/TKO: (+900)
- Volkanovski by Points: (+550)
- Volkanovski by Submission: (+2000)

Makhachev vs Volkanovski Prediction

The UFC 284 main event features two fighters who've been allergic to losing. On one hand, you have Islam Makhachev, who has won 11 straight fights — including a submission win over Charles Oliveira in his last outing, becoming the UFC Lightweight Champion in the process.

On the other hand, Alexander Volkanovski is on a 22-fight winning streak, having not lost in nearly a decade. He's also the current UFC Featherweight Champion and has four successful defenses under his belt, most recently defeating Max Holloway by unanimous decision in July 2022.

Although Volkanovski has the striking advantage (6.79 significant strikes per minute), Makhachev has fantastic can handle the barrage, proven by his 0.95 significant strikes absorbed with a 66% defense rate. The defending champion also has the grappling advantage, meaning Volkanovski will be in serious trouble if he ends up on the mat.

With Volkanovski also needing to come up in weight for this fight (his first lightweight bout since 2016), I'm giving the edge to Makhachev. He's already been dominating the lightweight division and has the tools to handle what Volkanovski will throw at him.

Winner: Islam Makhachev

Makhachev vs Volkanovski Best Bet

There's practically no value to taking Makhachev on the moneyline, which is why I'm looking at the method markets for the best bet. One thing that stands out about the lightweight champion is his ability to finish his opponent, proven by his having won each of his last five fights by either TKO or submission.

As great as Volkanovski is, Makhachev has him beat in pretty much all facets of the grappling/submission game. Look for Makhachev to make the challenger either snap or tap this weekend.

Bet: Makhachev by Submission (+155)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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