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All eyes will be on the Honda Centre in Anaheim on Sunday when Australia’s favourite son Alex Volkanovski defends his UFC Featherweight Championship against Ilia Topuria.
Volkanovski will start the fight as a narrow favourite, but this might be his toughest test yet in the Featherweight Division and he will need to be at his very best to hand Topuria the first defeat of his professional Mixed Martial Arts career.
Fellow Aussie Robert Whittaker will also be in action against Paulo Costa, while the entire card is pack full of quality!
We’ve analysed all the key fights and our best bets can be found below!
Alexander Volkanovski is poised to defend his remarkable legacy in the featherweight division against the undefeated Ilia Topuria.
In a recent departure from his usual featherweight competition, Volkanovski faced Islam Makhachev in a lightweight title rematch, a follow-up to their closely contested initial bout where the Australian suffered a decision loss despite a strong late showing.
Unfortunately, the rematch ended in a first-round knockout defeat for Volkanovski, courtesy of a well-executed head kick by Makhachev.
Between the Makhachev encounters, Volkanovski maintained his flawless record at featherweight by securing a third-round knockout victory over interim champion Yair Rodriguez.
With an impressive 11-0 record in the division, Volkanovski boasts notable triumphs, including three wins over Max Holloway and one over Jose Aldo.
On the other side, Ilia Topuria enters the bout with an undefeated professional record of 14-0, having won six consecutive fights in the UFC.
In his first headline event last June, Topuria displayed dominance against Josh Emmett, securing a unanimous decision victory.
Armed with eight career submission wins, Topuria has also knocked out three opponents in the UFC, making him a formidable challenger and one of the most challenging tests for Volkanovski’s reign.
2 Units Alex Volkanovski To Win By Points @ $3.75
Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa find themselves at pivotal moments in their respective careers, with the former champion seeking to reassert his standing and the latter aiming for a resurgence as a title contender.
Whittaker encountered his first middleweight setback outside of clashes with Israel Adesanya in his July bout, succumbing to a second-round knockout by Dricus du Plessis.
Despite these losses to Adesanya, Whittaker has maintained dominance with wins over Marvin Vettori, Kelvin Gastelum, and Jared Cannonier.
In contrast, Costa has faced challenges in recent years, marked by limited activity due to contract disputes and injuries.
His most recent appearance resulted in a unanimous decision victory over Luke Rockhold in August 2022, marking Costa’s first triumph in three years.
This victory followed a 2020 knockout loss to Adesanya for the title and a decision defeat to Vettori at light heavyweight.
During his peak, Costa showcased formidable knockout power, securing his initial four UFC victories through that method.
Both Whittaker and Costa now stand at crucial junctures, eager to shape the trajectory of their careers in the competitive middleweight division.
2 Units Robert Whittaker To Win By Points @ $2.25
Following a highly publicized withdrawal from his previous bout due to pneumonia, Irish fighter Ian Garry is set to make a comeback against Geoff Neal.
Garry comes into the bout with an impressive six-fight winning streak in the UFC, most notably securing a unanimous decision victory over Neil Magny in his last outing, who had stepped in on short notice for Neal.
Renowned for his striking prowess, Garry has notched three knockouts in the UFC, contributing to a total of seven among his 13 career wins.
One of his notable triumphs was a TKO victory over Song Kenan, where Garry demonstrated resilience after being dropped in the first round.
On the other hand, Geoff Neal will be making his return to the Octagon after nearly a year, with his last bout resulting in a back-and-forth contest against the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov, ultimately ending in a third-round submission loss.
Neal showcased his formidable punching power in a prior victory, knocking out Vicente Luque and securing his fourth such win in the UFC.
His only two promotional losses were via decisions, both occurring consecutively against Stephen Thompson and Neil Magny.
1 Unit Ian Garry To Win By KO/TKO @ $4