{"id":440495,"date":"2026-01-29T08:58:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T08:58:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/440495\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T08:58:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T08:58:29","slug":"ufc-325s-best-betting-props-parlays-and-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/440495\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC 325\u2019s best betting props, parlays and picks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">UFC 325 happens this weekend (Sat., Jan. 29, 2026) inside Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia and broadcast live <a href=\"https:\/\/paramountplus.qflm.net\/c\/482924\/175360\/3065?subId1=SBNation&amp;subId2=UFC324&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paramountplus.com%2F%3Fcbscidmt%3Dufc&amp;partnerpropertyid=7032191\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">on Paramount+ for the second time ever<\/a>. Paramount+\u2019s second premium live event features a legitimate title on the line, none of this interim nonsense.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2 is for Volkanovski\u2019s UFC Featherweight title. Lopes gets the call to rematch Volkanovski despite Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy having very good cases for a title shot. Lopes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-results\/389356\/noche-ufc-3-results-diego-lopes-stops-jean-silva-via-spinning-elbow-in-wild-bloodbath\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">looked like a star<\/a> at his last night, in front of a partisan crowd celebrating Mexican heritage. That resonance with a fan base might have given him the edge when it came to bagging this second title shot.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The co-main event sees Dan Hooker take on Benoit Saint-Denis in what should be an action-filled fight. Rounding out the main card is Rafael Fiziev vs. Mauricio Ruffy, Tai Tuivasa vs. Tallison Teixeira and Quillan Salkilld vs. Jamie Mullarkey.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">There are a some interesting Australian prospects on the \u201cPrelims\u201d, in the form of Cam Rowston and Jonathan Micallef. The early \u201cPrelims\u201d are Road to UFC finals featuring names only known to the most hardcore Asia\/Oceania MMA watchers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">As always, there\u2019s lots to bet on this card and we\u2019ve got odds for all the fights below:<\/p>\n<p>UFC 324 Main Card Money Line Odds<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2025\/12\/gettyimages-2251063985.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"4000\" data-pswp-width=\"6000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"Alexander Volkanovski will try and defend home soil at UFC 325.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2251063985.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Alexander Volkanovski will try and defend home soil at UFC 325. Mark Metcalfe\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n<p>Alexander Volkanovski (-155) vs. Diego Lopes (+130)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Volkanovski and Lopes first fought in April 2025, with Volkanovski earning a unanimous decision to reclaim the UFC Featherweight title. Lopes had his moments in the fight, but this wasn\u2019t a hard decision for the judges. Lopes seemed to get stuck in one gear, marching forwards at Volkanovski trying to land a KO shot. This led to Volkanovski tapping Lopes on the chin, repeatedly, before getting out of the way of that big shot. Lopes has a hell of a chin, but all those strikes eventually served to slow him down.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Since that loss Lopes won a wild fight against Jean Silva, which ended due to some brutal elbows onto the top of Silva\u2019s head (see that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-espn-plus-fight-pass-events-schedule-mma\/389243\/highlights-noche-ufc-3-video-results-espn-texas-lopes-silva-spinning-elbow-knockout\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Volkanovski hasn\u2019t fought since their first fight. His win over Lopes came after back-to-back stoppage losses to Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The main difference between these two and the last time they have met is that they\u2019ve both gotten about a year older. For the 31 year-old Lopes, that can be seen as a positive. For the 37 year-old Volkanovski, it could be seen as a negative. But I\u2019m not too fixated on the age gap here. They aren\u2019t that far apart and Volkanovski didn\u2019t look old last April.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Lopes would have had a morale boost from his Silva win. But Volkanovski will be feeling confident based on him winning the first fight. Lopes now knows what doesn\u2019t work against Volkanovski. But Volkanovski does know what works against Lopes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">As you can see, I\u2019m finding it hard to pick a clear winner in this one.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Volkanovski\u2019s numbers are fantastic, as you\u2019d expect from a champion who has been at this for a while. He lands 6.18 significant strikes a minute with a 56 percent accuracy. He absorbs 3.36 with a 58 percent defense. That puts him fourth in the division for strikes landed per minute and second for striking differential. He\u2019s also third for takedown defense and top in bottom position percentage time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Lopes is notable for being the only fighter in the division who is top five in both knockdowns per 15 minutes and submissions per 15 minutes. That\u2019s an amazing feat, but, as we saw in April, it didn\u2019t translate to Lopes being able to stop the famously tough (and crafty) Volkanovski.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I\u2019m leaning Volkanovski in this one, but I don\u2019t want to do a moneyline bet here.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The round total is set at 3.5 and I think that\u2019s low. I see this going to a decision, just like the last fight. The over is -165 and the under is +120.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Fight to end by decision is also tempting for me. That\u2019s +100 and it might be the only way for me to find plus money on this fight. Lopes has been stopped in the distant past. But I feel like he\u2019s a different fighter now and he\u2019s unlikely to get folded by Volkanovski\u2019s striking. I think he\u2019s also too good on the ground to get stuck and be pummelled enough to elicit a TKO.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I am weary of Lopes having enough in his locker to finish Volkanovski. If he changes his approach for this fight, which he should, and looks to mix in some takedowns and kicks along with his power punches, then he might find more success across all those attacks. If he hits a groove, he could add his name to the very impressive list of names who have stopped Volk.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Given that concern, I\u2019ll go with the over and \u2014 that way \u2014 I\u2019m safe if there is a late finish.<\/p>\n<p>Best bet: Over 3.5 rounds (-165)<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2025\/12\/gettyimages-2251250588.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"2984\" data-pswp-width=\"4476\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"Dan Hooker wants to ruin Benoit Saint Denis\u2019 title chances at UFC 325.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2251250588.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Dan Hooker wants to ruin Benoit Saint Denis\u2019 title chances at UFC 325. Mark Metcalfe\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n<p>Dan Hooker (+250) vs. Benoit Saint-Denis (-310)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Hooker was humbled by Arman Tsarukyan in November, in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/latest-news\/417882\/ufc-325s-dan-hooker-reveals-arman-tsarukyan-fractured-his-nose-with-headbutt-he-got-me\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">bad tempered<\/a> fight that had Tsarukyan looking like a champion in waiting. Hooker was taking down a bunch in that fight and also beaten up on the feet, to a degree we weren\u2019t expecting in this match-up. Before that he earned a very nice split decision over the favored Mateusz Gamrot.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Saint-Denis flattened Beneil Dariush with a left hook after just 16 seconds in November (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-322-jack-della-vs-islam-makhachev-start-time-full-results-espn-mma\/24440803\/ufc-322-results-brutal-benoit-saint-denis-batters-beneil-dariush-in-16-second-ko\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). That followed up his masterful performance over the dangerous Mauricio Ruffy, who he totally neutered by taking down and refusing to let up. Before that he got a finish over short notice opponent Kyle Prepolec. These three wins have help fade memories of the brutal beatings he took to both Renato Moicano and Dustin Poirier in 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I think there is a fair bit of daylight between Saint-Denis and Tsarukyan, but they\u2019re close enough in skillset and talent that I think we could see a similar fight here to what happened recently in Qatar. I don\u2019t see the same level of aggression (fuelled by bitterness) when it comes from Saint-Denis, but I think his wrestling pedigree, and submissions, will cause Hooker a lot of problems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Hooker has never been an elite Lightweight. He\u2019s managed to score fights with plenty of elite opponents, though, thanks to his personality and his reputation for putting on exciting fights.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Hooker\u2019s action style is best summed up by the fact he lands 4.89 sig. strikes a minute and also absorbs 4.73 sig. strikes a minute. If he had a lopsided winning record that would be fine, but he\u2019s 14-9 in UFC with three TKO losses. He\u2019s a typical take one to land one guy, but that tactic hasn\u2019t equated to much success (other than his success at constantly getting fight bookings).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Saint-Denis absorbs a fair bit of punishment, too. He absorbs 4.21 sig. strikes a minute, but lands over 5. And those numbers are skewed by the two fights with Moicano and Poirier where he absorbs 100 sig. strikes and landed just 53.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">BSD has clearly learned a lot after those losses, though. It\u2019s hard to say that Hooker has ever shown he\u2019s learned much from his losses, though, which are plentiful.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I think Saint-Denis is going to do just fine on the feet and might even hurt Hooker there. But I also think he\u2019ll really shine on the ground, again, an area where Hooker will be out of his element, again. I\u2019ll take Saint-Denis -7.5 expecting a finish.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Best bet: Benoit Saint-Denis -7.5 (-145)<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2221382705.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"3640\" data-pswp-width=\"5460\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"Rafael Fiziev has a fellow action fighter waiting for him at UFC 325.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2221382705.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Rafael Fiziev has a fellow action fighter waiting for him at UFC 325. Photo by Ed Mulholland\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n<p>Rafael Fiziev (-102) vs. Mauricio Ruffy (-118)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Fiziev put on a very good show in June, taking a unanimous decision over the rising Ignacio Bahamondes. Before that he returned from a two year hiatus to fight Justin Gaethje on somewhat short notice. He and Gaethje put on a Fight of the Night performance, but he was a clear second best on the night. His fight prior to this was the bout with Mateusz Gamrot in 2023 where he suffered a terrible knee injury.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Ruffy was dominated last time out. Benoit Saint-Denis grounded and smothered him, before eventually strangling him for the second round submission (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-espn-plus-fight-pass-events-schedule-mma\/387698\/highlights-benoit-saint-denis-derails-mauricio-ruffy-hype-train-with-dominant-submission-ufc-paris-video-results-espn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). Prior to that he went viral with his heel kick KO over King Green (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/2025\/3\/8\/24381143\/knockout-mauricio-ruffy-flatlines-king-green-with-perfect-wheel-kick-at-ufc-313\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). That kick probably caused the Fighting Nerds hype-train to hit critical mass.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">This is a very interesting fight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Fiziev is more experienced and battle tested. Ruffy is longer and has the more recent highlight reel KOs. When it comes to Ruffy, this is what we said about Bahamondes, too. Bahamondes has an identical reach to Ruffy (four inches longer than Fiziev) and yet, Fiziev was able to out land him 62-50. He also held Bahamondes to 34 percent accuracy on his sig. strikes, over ten points lower than his career average.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Ruffy was just badly exposed for having a total lack of takedown defense or any form of get ups. Normally we\u2019d say that Fiziev is not the man who is very likely to exploit that. However, he took Bahamondes down four times (on four attempts) in his last fight. And he took Gaethje down twice (on two attempts) in their most recent fight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Prior to the Gaethje rematch the last takedown Fiziev landed was on Marc Diakiese in 2020.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I think this maturing game for Fiziev has come about because Ataman has had a dose of reality lately. His long time on the sidelines due to injury might have showed him how short his time in the sport could be and that if he wants the most success possible, he needs wins and not highlights.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">If he looks for the win on Saturday, I think he\u2019s going to get it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Best bet: Rafael Fiziev moneyline (-102)<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2167214889.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"3828\" data-pswp-width=\"5352\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"Tai Tuivasa returns at UFC 325.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2167214889.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Tai Tuivasa returns at UFC 325. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n<p>Tai Tuivasa (+245) vs. Tallison Teixeira (-305)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Tuivasa remains a ranked UFC heavyweight despite not fighting since August, 2024 and despite being on a five fight losing streak. Those losses include a split decision against Jairzinho Rozenstruik and submissions against Marcin Tybura and Alexander Volkov.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The giant Teixeira impressed with a 35 second finish over Justin Tafa (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/2025\/2\/8\/24361717\/video-highlights-ufc-312-results-espn-ppv-australia-teixeira-knockout-tafa\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). That earned him a main event against Derrick Lewis four months later. That fight ended in 35 seconds, too. After a wild exchange, Lewis did enough to make Teixeira turn from the action and that was enough to elicit an early stoppage. Lewis had already stripped down to his undies and was whipping up the crowd before Teixeira had a chance to complain about what had happened.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">This feels like a horrible match-up for Tuivasa. He\u2019s five inches shorter than Teixeira and is giving up a whopping eight inches of reach. He\u2019s also six years older, in human years (he\u2019s much older in fight years). The match-makers must be really asleep at the wheel if they think this kind of fight is a good idea. It seems most likely that the crowd are going to get very excited to see Tuivasa and then very depressed to see him pasted by this young up-and-comer. Tuivasa should have been given a much more winnable fight here, to at least give the fans the chance to see a celebratory shoe-y!<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Best bet: Tallison Teixeira by KO\/TKO\/DQ (-250)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Betting on sports involves risk, so please only wager amounts you can afford to lose. If you or someone you know if struggling with gambling help can be found with the organizations listed below:<\/p>\n<p>USA: National Problem Gambling Helpline \u2014 Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER to receive support and learn about available services.UK: GamCare &#8211; Call 0808 8020 133 to speak to an advisor about gambling (or visit gamecare.org.uk for live chat and forum options).Canada: Visit responsiblegambling.org for resources on helplines in Canada\u2019s various provinces and territories.Australia\/New Zealand: National Gambling Helpline \u2014 Call (800) 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.<a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2243252223.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"4052\" data-pswp-width=\"6078\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"Quillan Salkilld might find it hard to follow up on his last performance at UFC 325.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2243252223.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Quillan Salkilld might find it hard to follow up on his last performance at UFC 325. Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n<p>Quillan Salkilld (-1050) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (+675)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Salkilld is one of the hottest prospects on the roster right now. The 26 year-old just took Nasrat Haqparast\u2019s head off with a head kick from hell (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-news\/399656\/ouch-ufc-321-fighter-broke-his-own-foot-landing-brutal-head-kick-ko\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). Before that he out wrestled Yanal Ashmouz for a comfortable decision. And before that he wiped out Anshul Jubli with the first punch he threw (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/2025\/2\/10\/24362901\/sorry-but-viral-ko-everyone-celebrated-ufc-312-was-definitely-an-early-stoppage-sydney-mma\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">He was supposed to fight Rongzhu on Saturday. That would have been a lot of fun, but the Chinese fighter had to withdraw from the bout.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">In steps Jamie Mullarkey. Mullarkey got a much needed win in September, earning a decision over Rolando Bedoya. Before that he was lit up and put away by Maurio Ruffy (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/2024\/5\/4\/24149045\/watch-full-fight-video-highlights-ufc-301-results-ppv-brazil-espn-ruffy-knockout-mullarkey-mcgregor\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>) and Haqparast.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Someone needs to revoke Mullarkey\u2019s agent\u2019s license for this. This just feels like a horrible idea. Mullarkey gets hit with 4.34 sig. strikes a minute, which is way above average. And Salkilld lands 5.49 sig. strikes a minute at a very high 57 percent accuracy. We\u2019ve seen Salkilld land sickening KOs with his hands and his feet at this point and I can\u2019t help but believe we\u2019re going to see Mullarkey face down after just a few exchanges.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Salkilld has shown intelligence, thus far, in his UFC career. He knows when to wrestle and when to strike. Against Mullarkey he must sense that striking is his quickest and clearest path to victory. To escape those ridiculous (but fair) moneyline odds, I\u2019ll play the under.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Best bet: Under 1.5 rounds (-160)<\/p>\n<p>UFC 325 \u2018Prelims\u2019 Under Card Odds<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2025\/09\/gettyimages-2019039095.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"3705\" data-pswp-width=\"5557\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"Junior Tafa continues his Light Heavyweight adventure at UFC 325.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2019039095.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Junior Tafa continues his Light Heavyweight adventure at UFC 325. Cooper Neill\/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Junior Tafa (+205) vs. Billy Elekana (-250)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Tafa\u2019s Light Heavyweight debut didn\u2019t go great in July. He lost to Tuco Tokkos by a second round arm triangle (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/2025\/7\/12\/24466375\/full-fight-video-highlights-ufc-nashville-results-espn-tokkos-submission-tafa-choke\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). Before that he beat Sean Sharaf by TKO, back in October 2024. Also in 2024 Tafa fell victim to a Valter Walker heel hook and a TKO from Marcos Rogerio Lima.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Elekana clubbed and subbed Kevin Christian in November for his first UFC finish (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-espn-plus-fight-pass-events-schedule-mma\/400175\/ufc-vegas-110-video-highlights-results-espn-mma-elekana-submission-christian\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). Prior to that he won a decision over Ibo Aslan, which was quite possibly the worst fight of 2025. Before that he lost his short notice UFC debut to Bogdan Guskov.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I\u2019m really not very sold on either of these guys. If anything, I am at least somewhat moved by Elekana\u2019s ability to win his last two and also look not totally out of his depth in that debut with Guskov. Despite Tafa being a former Heavyweight, Elekana will actually match him for height and have a two inch reach advantage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I think Tafa might struggle with how much more risk adverse Elekana is, compared to most his former foes at Heavyweight. If he\u2019s not able to get into a brawl, we might see him get a little sulky (as we\u2019ve seen in the past).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The round total for this is 1.5. That feels a little low. Both these guys are pretty durable and if Elekana plays keep away, then this fight could go into those deep waters.<\/p>\n<p>Best bet: Over 1.5 rounds (-125)<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2237796703.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"3184\" data-pswp-width=\"4776\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"Cam Rowston, and his long neck, makes an appearance at UFC 325.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2237796703.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Cam Rowston, and his long neck, makes an appearance at UFC 325. Ed Mulholland\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n<p>Cam Rowston (-360) vs. Cody Brundage (+285)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Rowston lived up to his \u2018Battle Giraffe\u2019 nickname in his debut, towering over Andre Petroski, whom he put away with strikes in the first round (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-espn-plus-fight-pass-events-schedule-mma\/391973\/watch-video-highlights-ufc-perth-results-espn-australia-rowston-knockout-petroski\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). He\u2019s 13-3 as a pro. His most recent loss was to Torrez Finney on Contender Series in 2024. One of his other losses is to Jacob Malkoun in 2017.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Brundage lost a close fight to Eric McConico in August. I, and many others, scored that fight for Brundage, though. Before that he had a draw against Mansur Abdul-Malik in a fight that was called off early due to an accidental headbutt. Prior to that he earned a first round TKO win over Julian Marquez in a wild fight (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/2025\/3\/5\/24378951\/ufc-middleweight-julian-marquez-released-from-ufc-after-tko-loss-live-by-the-sword-die-by-the-sword\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I quite like Rowston and not just because of his funny nickname. His size, and reach, could cause Brundage a lot of problems. Brundage is a very unpredictable fighter who is capable of pouring on a lot of offense (wrestling and striking) and also being very sloppy and leaving himself open.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The one thing holding me back on picking Rowston is the takedown defense. Finney was able to get him down ten times on 14 attempts. I feel like Brundage, if he chooses a smart approach here, could find a lot of success dumping Rowston into the corner of the cage and sitting on him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The round total for this one is pretty low, at 1.5 rounds. If Brundage goes for Rowston\u2019s weakness, then I think this fight will last longer than one and a half rounds. If Brundage comes to swing punches, then I think it finishes before that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I\u2019ll bet on a fighter making a good decision here (terrible idea, I know).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Best bet: Over 1.5 rounds (-110)<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2208731032.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"5376\" data-pswp-width=\"8064\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"Will Torrez Finney make this UFC 325 fight unwatchable?\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2208731032.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Will Torrez Finney make this UFC 325 fight unwatchable? Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n<p>Jacob Malkoun (-155) vs. Torrez Finney (+130)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Malkoun hasn\u2019t fought since March, 2024. That\u2019s when he finished Andre Petroski with a second round TKO (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/2024\/3\/30\/24116754\/highlights-jacob-malkoun-ruins-andre-petroskis-homecoming-phantom-punch-ko-ufc-atlantic-city\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). Before that he was DQ\u2019d against Cody Brundage for strikes to the back of the head. Malkoun has been with UFC since 2020. He\u2019s got a 4-3 record in the promotion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Finney is 11-0 and coming off a split decision win over Robert Valentin in April. The only reason that was a split decision was because one judge was so disgusted with Finney\u2019s total commitment to takedown attempts, with zero striking before or after, that he scored the fight for Valentin out of spite.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">There\u2019s gonna be takedowns in this fight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Finney, thanks to his hilariously awful fight with Valentin, has scored 9.31 takedowns per 15 mins across his four fight UFC career. He lands them at 60 percent, which is pretty good \u2014 especially for a takedown spam artist who doesn\u2019t care that much about completing the takedown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Malkoun lands 6.62 takedowns per 15 minutes at a 42 percent accuracy clip. That kind of accuracy is more common when the number of takedowns per 15 mins gets up over 5. Malkoun has landed takedowns on some decent opposition, too. He got Brendan Allen down on seven out of fourteen attempts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Unlike Finney, Malkoun is not just a takedown artist. He lands 3.86 sig. strikes a minute, which gives him a positive sig. strike differential. Finney lands just 1.77 sig. strikes a minute. His good 60 percent accuracy on those strikes just tells you how little he is throwing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Malkoun being able to get takedowns and have some desire for hitting people is enough for me to take him here.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Best bet: Jacob Malkoun moneyline (-155)<\/p>\n<p>UFC 325 Early \u2018Prelims\u2019<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2198439593.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"4998\" data-pswp-width=\"7056\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"Jonathan Micallef will have his second UFC fight at UFC 325.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2198439593.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Jonathan Micallef will have his second UFC fight at UFC 325. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n<p>Jonathan Micallef (-135) vs. Oban Elliott (+114)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">This fight was supposed to happen in September, but it had to be cancelled after Elliott got sick.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Elliot was likely bitterly disappointed to lose the fight then. He was probably eager to get back in the cage and try to erase memories of his previous performance, where he was totally dominated by newcomer Seokhyeon Ko. Ko, a short notice replacement for Ramiz Brahimaj, put on one of the best UFC debuts I can remember seeing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Prior to that loss Elliott had looked quite impressive in wins over Bassil Hafez and Preston Parsons.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Micallef\u2019s proper UFC debut was impressive, too. He kicked the heck out of Kevin Jousset to score a lopsided decision win.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I was really high on Elliott before he was undone by Ko. Now I have to decide whether that was because Elliott was not as good as advertised or if Ko is potentially quite special. Ko\u2019s follow up fight certainly supported the latter there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">My question marks over Elliott aren\u2019t helped by how high I am on Micallef after his debut. Though, Elliott (even if he\u2019s not as good as I once thought) is still a decent step up from Jousset.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Micallef has a lot of reach over Elliott (five inches). That\u2019s a good attribute to have if you\u2019re an outside fighter like Micallef. Though, he\u2019s been shown to use his kicks to keep his opponents at range more than his punches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Elliott isn\u2019t adverse to wrestling, so he might be able to do something with all those body kicks that Jousset wasn\u2019t able to. Even so, I am still leaning towards Micallef in this fight, thinking he might be able to keep Elliott at arm\u2019s (or leg\u2019s) length for this fight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I don\u2019t see a finish in this fight, with both men being so technical and good defensively. Because of that I\u2019ll take the over.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Best bet: Over 2.5 rounds (-215)<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2231606863.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"2696\" data-pswp-width=\"4044\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"Yizha will be hunting bonuses at UFC 325.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2231606863.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Yizha will be hunting bonuses at UFC 325. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n<p>Kaan Ofli (+180) vs. Yizha (-218)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Ofli scored his first UFC win in October, with a submission win over Ricardo Ramos. Prior to that he lost a unanimous decision to Muhammad Naimov and was KO\u2019d by Mairon Santos to lose his finale fight on TUF.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Yizha blitzed through Westin Wilson in just 37 seconds in his last fight (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-espn-plus-fight-pass-events-schedule-mma\/384574\/video-highlights-results-espn-ufc-shanghai-yizha-knockout-wilson-37-seconds\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). Before that he lost a unanimous decision to Gabriel Santos. He looked competitive in that fight, though. And Santos is a name that is going to become much better known to UFC fans this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">There were signs of life, when it comes to Ofli\u2019s UFC career, late last year. However, I don\u2019t like how poor his wrestling defense looked against Naimov. Yizha is a very game and persistent wrestler and I can see him dragging Ofli around a bit. Yizha is also very aggressive on the feet. Ofli has been rather passive thus far. I think Yizha probably out lands him and also scores the takedowns he needs to get a decision.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Best bet: Yizha moneyline (-218)<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2231466827.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"5760\" data-pswp-width=\"8640\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"This is what Dom Mar Fan looks like.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2231466827.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This is what Dom Mar Fan looks like. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n<p>Dom Mar Fan (-175) vs. Sangwook Kim (+145)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">This fight, and those that follow, are Road to UFC fights. I\u2019m not going to break them down in any detail. The most I am going to do is watch their previous bouts and then pick a moneyline based on that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Mar Fan aka \u2018Street Buddha\u2019 fights out of Brisbane. He beat Jae Hyun Park, by decision, in the previous round. He\u2019s 8-2 and the only losses on his record are to Quillan Salkilld, who, we\u2019ve already established, is pretty darn good. His two losses to Salkilld were both by rear naked choke. One was for the title in Eternal MMA, one of Australia\u2019s better known promotions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Kim\u2019s nickname is \u2018Frog Man\u2019 and, based on watching Physical 100, I\u2019m going to guess that\u2019s because he\u2019s a current or former member of some sort of special underwater team. He got to the final here by submitting Yawei Ren. He\u2019s 32 and has a 13-3 record. One of his losses are to Jae Hyun Park, who Mar Fan, just beat. He also has a loss to Rongzhu, by decision. Kim also went 4-5 as an amateur.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Kim is more journeyman than prospect. I think Mar Fan will be a little cleaner in all departments. He\u2019ll also be getting some great cornering.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Best bet: Dom Mar Fan moneyline (-175)<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2231458981.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"4988\" data-pswp-width=\"7482\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"This is what Sebastian Szalay looks like.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2231458981.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This is what Sebastian Szalay looks like. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n<p>Sebastian Szalay (-125) vs. Keiichiro Nakamura (+105)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Szalay is 31 and fights out of Perth. He got a 41-second TKO win, over Chang Min Yoon, in the previous round. He also has a win over former Road to UFC finalist Baergeng Jieleyisi. He\u2019s also a former champ at Eternal MMA, one of Australia\u2019s better known promotions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Nakamura is 27 and 7-1. He won a decision over Kaiwen Li in the last round. He turned pro in 2022, yet in 2024 he went back to amateur MMA to compete in, and win, something called Fighting Agent War &#8211; THE MAX.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I think Szalay is probably on a higher level than Nakamura, given his past performances. I think that\u2019s enough for him to cancel out the size disadvantage he\u2019ll have in there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Best bet: Sebastian Szalay moneyline (-125)<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2216664098.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"5258\" data-pswp-width=\"7887\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"This is what Sulangrangbo looks like.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2216664098.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This is what Sulangrangbo looks like. Cooper Neill\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n<p>Sulangrangbo (-258) vs. Lawrence Lui (+210)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Sulangrangbo is a 20 year-old member of Chengdu\u2019s Enbo Fight Club, a gym that is infamous for \u2018adopting\u2019 scores of orphans (mostly from marginalized ethnic groups) and housing them in the gym, where they train MMA and learn to work, in various capacities, for gym owner En Bo. The kids also compete, from an early age, in MMA shows around Chengdu. Song Yadong is the most famous fighter to come out of this gym.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Sulangrangbo is 10-3. He lost his first two fights, back when he was just 15.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Lui is 29 and fights out of City KickBoxing. He was born in Hong Kong, but now reps New Zealand. He\u2019s 7-1 and has some appearances with Eternal MMA and XFC.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I like Sulangrangbo\u2019s youth and size in this match-up. Lui, who has the reach advantage, might cause a surprise, though.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Best bet: Sulangrangbo moneyline (-258)<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2231463496.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"2688\" data-pswp-width=\"4032\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"This is what Namsrai Batbayar looks like.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2231463496.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This is what Namsrai Batbayar looks like. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n<p>Namsrai Batbayar (-125) vs. Aaron Tau (+105)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Batbayer, who hails from Mongolia, is 9-1. All his finishes are stoppages (4 TKO, 5 submission). He punched his ticket to this Flyweight title with a first round submission over the 13-1 Agulali.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Tau is from New Zealand. He\u2019s 32, has an 11-1 record and he fights out of City Kickboxing. He took a unanimous decision over Shuai Yin in the last round.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Batbayar is younger seems to have more potent striking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Best bet: Namsrai Batbayar<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2221385632.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"2496\" data-pswp-width=\"3744\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"I\u2019m liking Ataman at UFC 325.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2221385632.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m liking Ataman at UFC 325. Mike Roach\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Here\u2019s a couple of long shots for Saturday night\u2019s action &#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Two fight parlay: Cody Brundage and Rafael Fiziev (+689)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Both of these fighters have plus odds (marginally in the case of Fiziev) and I think both have a great chance to win. And the reason for both is\u2026 wrestling. Brundage\u2019s wrestling is no secret and his opponent, Cam Rowston, is very raw in that dimension of MMA (and has had his takedown defense exploited in the past). Fiziev\u2019s wrestling has been evolving lately and he\u2019s used it with a lot of success in his recent fights. His opponent, Mauricio Ruffy, told the entire division that they should try wrestling with him with his last performance.<\/p>\n<p>Benoit Saint-Denis to win by Submission in Round 2 (+550)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I see a lot of similarities between this fight and both Saint-Denis vs. Mauricio Ruffy and Arman Tsarukyan vs. Dan Hooker. I think the Frenchman is going to be as good as he was on the ground against Ruffy and Hooker will be as powerless down there as he was against Tsarukyan. Saint-Denis vs. Ruffy ended in a second round submission. Tsarukyan vs. Hooker ended in a second round submission. This fight, then, could end in a second round submission.<\/p>\n<p>Tai Tuivasa vs. Tallison Teixeira: Fight to End in the Last 10 Seconds of Any Round &#8211; Yes (+3000)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Last week we had two fights end at 4:59 and one at 4:57. And one of them was a Heavyweight fight. Tai Tuivasa is a tough guy who still gets finished. Three of his last four finish losses have come in the fifth minute of a round. He also famously KO\u2019d Stefan Struve with one second left in the first round, back in 2020. I can see Teixeira putting a beat down on Tuivasa in the first, but the Aussie hanging in until the very last second.<\/p>\n<p>To checkout the latest and greatest UFC 325: \u201cVolkanovski vs. Lopes 2\u201d news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"UFC 325 happens this weekend (Sat., Jan. 29, 2026) inside Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia and broadcast&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":440496,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[444],"tags":[49,48,641,33601,638,82,182216,139445,702,17056,8729],"class_list":["post-440495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-fighting","tag-latest-ufc-mma-news","tag-mma","tag-sports","tag-ufc-325","tag-ufc-on-paramount","tag-ufc-news","tag-ufc-odds","tag-ufc-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=440495"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440495\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/440496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=440495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=440495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=440495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}