In the motion picture world, the sequel is rarely as good as the original. However, that may not be the case in the fight game! Lovers of the octagon will be fired up for part two of Makhachev vs. Volkanovski.
According to multiple sportsbooks, Islam Makhachev is a large favorite. The 5-foot 10-inch Russian is currently listed as a -285 favorite over at DraftKings. Volkanovski may be a large underdog, but he'll enjoy a 1-inch reach advantage, which is something to keep in mind.
Our best bets card for UFC 294 is locked and loaded. We've found 6 wagers that'll keep you in action from the Prelims through the Main Event. Good luck!
Top Prelim Play: Trevor Peek (-160) (FanDuel)
Peek was 8-0 prior to his latest fight against Chepe Mariscal who defeated Peek via unanimous decision. Here, Peek is getting to faceoff with Mohammad Yahya who will be making his UFC debut.
Peek has some serious power and has won all his 8 fights via KO/TKO and is likely to finish this one in the same manner.
That said, we will lay the juice and just take the money line in case it does go to a decision.
Prelim Top Parlay: Wood, Mokaev, & Basharat (-120)
Basharat is undefeated at 14-0 and has won his last 3 fights via unanimous decision. He is facing Victor Henry who is 3-2 in his last 5. As the largest favorite on the card, Basharat helps drop the juice down a bit for this 3-man parlay.
Wood has won 4 of his last 5 fights, including his last 3 straight. He has been one of the most efficient fighters in the last 2 years and seemingly finds ways to tag his opponents while not getting touched in return.
He has Muhammad Naimov here who won his UFC debut over Mullarkey, but Wood here will be too much of a step up. Mokaev is 10-0 with 3 of his last 4 wins coming via submission.
He gets Tim Elliot who has a 20-12-1 record with 5 of those losses coming via submission. Mokaev has a 4-inch reach advantage and can completely dominate Elliot on the ground with his wrestling skills.
Prelim Top Underdog Play: Abu Azaitar (+205) (Fanatics)
Abu is a strong striker that was on a 5 fight win streak prior to his last fight which was against Marc-Andre Barriault that ended with a loss via KO/TKO in the final seconds of the fight.
He gets Sedriques Dumas here, who has a kick boxing background and enjoys exchanging strikes.
While he will have a reach advantage, we believe if Abu can get in tight and land, he has the power to put Dumas away.
Main Event Play: Makhachev/Volkanovski Go the Distance (-120)
This one ended in a decision last time and we are expecting the same outcome here. The fact that Volk did take the fight on short notice would worry us if it were any other fighter, but Volk is always in shape and has fought an extraordinary number of fights over the last 3 years.
I do not believe Islam is going to dominate like many expect this time around. In fact, due to the last-minute opponent change, I do not believe he will be as prepared as he was last time.
All in all, both fighters are near the top in the pound for pound rankings and have some of the best cardio.
Main Card Top Play: Usman/Chimaev OVER 1.5 Rounds (-145) (Draftkings)
Chimaev typically likes to press the fight early and try to get a quick finish. However, Usman is a former champion and veteran that will not allow him to engage early.
Chimaev is coming off an extremely long layoff and Usman has not fought anyone outside of Leon Edwards for a good amount of time as well. We believe this one is going to be a fight filled with faints and feeling out for a majority of the 1st round.
If Usman does not get caught early, this should at least get to the late part of the 2nd round.
Main Card Top Parlay: Ikram Aliskerov & Said Nurmagomedov (-140)
Said is coming off his 1st loss in his last 5 fights. Jonathan Martinez got the win via unanimous decision, and we believe this loss is going to help Said learn where his weak points were.
He has Muin Gafurov here who is just 2-2 in his last 4 fights. This could turn into a grappling contest as both men have a strength there but said is going to have a strong gameplan in this one.
Ikram is a large favorite here and rightfully so. He is on a 6-fight win streak and has picked up those wins in every possible way.
He faces an inferior opponent in Warlley Alves. He's just 1-3 in his last 4 fights and will likely be getting finished here by Ikram either by sub or KO.
