Yes, it might be April 1st at the time of writing of this article, but we’re not kidding you – the next big UFC event is the number 314, and it is scheduled for April 12th. The venue is an extraordinary one, and Dana White made an excellent decision to host this major fight night in Miami, Florida. The headliner is an impressive battle between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes. In addition to this clash of the titans, we’re also going to have an opportunity to watch fifteen more bouts in Miami.
If you’re looking forward to betting on any of the scheduled fights, Stake.com needs to be your go to online casino and sportsbook as they have a general sponsorship with UFC and with a couple of their top fighters. With two more weeks to go to this event, you will have more than a couple opportunities to go through the odds, and inquire about betting markets surrounding UFC 314.
If you’re not in the mood of doing that, we’re sure this article is going to give you inspiration to do it. Why? Well, we’re in a mood to cover everything betting related to this event, as far as the top duels go, and leave you itching for more. So, dig in, as UFC 314 waits for no one.
Volkanovski vs. Lopes Picks – UFC Predictions & MMA Betting Odds
The UFC knows how to pick their main bouts. The proof of this is the Volk vs. Lopes fight. There is no better fight on the card, and this one takes the center stage with a good reason. If there are those who are unaware, the main bout of the UFC 314 event is a title bout. After Ilia Topuria moved from featherweight to lightweight, his title was vacated. The winner of this match will take that same title home. At the moment, betting markets are suggesting that both the bookies and the bettors alike have Volkanovski as the favourite. The odds can often mislead, and we do not see the Volk vs. Diego Lopes duel as a one-sided battle. It will be an evenly matched fight, decided after exchanging kicks, hits, and blood.
Volkanovski vs Lopes – Date & Location
This much should be clear so far. The date night for the Volkanovski vs. Lopes encounter is April 12th. The venue is Miami, Florida. While we believe these two could pack the Hard Rock Stadium, the location where these men and the rest of the card are going to face is Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. So, it’s not the home of the Miami Dolphins, but the one of Miami Heat. So far, the Miami Heat hall has hosted four UFC events with the most recent one being an UFC event last March. So, as far as Miami goes, UFC loves to be there during the spring. Now that we’ve shared so much with you, it is the right time to move onto the UFC Picks & Expert UFC Predictions.
UFC 314 Fight Card Picks & Odds
You heard it here first – there is going to be 15 bouts at UFC 314. Among the named 15 fights, there are going to be two from the female division. In addition to the Volk vs. Lopes headliner, another duel that attracts a lot of media attention is the co-main event. The bookies are already drooling over the fight between Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett. This lightweight bout, designed to last five rounds, is going to be a consolation prize for Chandler. He was left longing for a fight against Conor McGregor, and their bout was even scheduled before The Notorious One pulled out due to an injury. At this moment, it appears that McGregor’s career is over, so Chandler had to accept this bout if he’s to continue his. While not a duel against the Irish legend, Conor McGregor, no one can argue that Chandler didn’t receive a high profile fight in the end. Just like the main card, this is an almost equal duel, with the bookmakers having Paddy entering the bout as a slight favourite.
While the top fights promise a lot of fun it is only fair to take a look at other top draws at UFC 314 in addition to covering these two some more.
Volkanovski vs. Lopes
With Volkanovski we have a proven winner in the octagon. The former featherweight champion currently holds a 26-4 record. The most impressive part about Volk’s career is the fact that he was a champion for a massive stretch from December 2019 to February 2024. Now that Ilia Topuria has vacated the title, he has a chance to establish his dominion once again. In the past he has defended the belt five times, so the chances are he can take it home once more. If you’re into UFC Betting, you know that he needs to be favoured against Diego Lopes. His reign ended with Topuria ascension, and now with the Spanish fighter gone, he could once again become the king of featherweight. In between his five title defenses, he also faced Islam Makhachev to whom he lost twice by decision once and one by a knockout. The interesting part about Volkanovski and his late career is that he hasn’t had a bout since his loss to Topuria. Lopes, on the other hand is a good combatant in his own right holding an 26-6 record. At the moment he is the third ranked fighter in the 145-pound division. During the stretch of his last five bouts, Lopes remained undefeated and the only loss in the division was in the hands of Movsar Evloev. At UFC 306 he once again proved his worth by defeating Brian Ortega. With all of the above said, we’re expecting a true title bout once April 12th comes.
Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett
Chandler lost a lot of time waiting for the Conor McGregor bout. Now that it is evident that Chandler vs. McGregor is off the table, Michael accepted the duel vs. Pimblett. Another good duel, and a chance for Chandler to work on his 23-9 record. Due to the wait for McGregor to make his mind out, Chandler had a long break since his duel vs. Poirier in 2022. The rust didn’t come off the right way and at UFC 309 he was taken out by Charles Oliveira. At the same time, Paddy has become one of the leading names in the division with an 22-3 record. Since 2021 and his UFC debut, Pimblett has been slowly but safely biding his time and raking up opponents. At UFC 304, Paddy showed what’s he capable off after submitting Bobby Green for an Performance of the Night bonus at UFC 304. The bout against the ‘rusty’ Michael Chandler is a nice opportunity for Pimblett to continue his hot streak and take another step towards title challenge.
Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva
As far as preparations for the bouts at UFC 314 go, this one is taking up a lot of space in the media in recent days. The two fighters have been going back and forth in recent weeks with Mitchell even calling Silva a man possessed by demons. Whether there will be something unholy in the octagon remains to be seen, but as far as fans go, they see Silva, nicknamed the Lord, as a clear favourite to win this one giving him 86% chances of winning against the Thug Nasty. Both fighters are having solid records with Mitchell standing at 17-2 while Silva is at 15-2, which is a clear sign that we’re going to have a equal bout despite the fans opinions. Jean is on a hot streak winning all of his last five bouts, while Mitchell has been stumbling recently losing two out of his last five duels. In addition to preparing for Silva, Bryce has been on a hot run calling our Elon Musk out of all people. One could argue that he’s been having more than his MMA career on his mind in recent weeks, which could be one of the reasons for his downfall. Despite having the home ground advantage, it is less likely that Bruce is going to have fans on his side, as aplenty of things he did and said in recent weeks and months didn’t sit well with the audience.
Yair Rodriguez vs. Patricio Pitbull
Patricio Pitbull is more than eager to leave an impression at his UFC debut, and feels like a man who can’t be stopped. His opponent for the long-awaited debut is going to be the former interim-champion Yair Rodriguez. While quite old for a debutant, at 37 years of age, it is still not too late for Pitbull to have a solid UFC career, especially if he kicks it off with a win in his debut. Patricio is entering this bout with a lot of respect for his opponent but also with confidence to ‘smash’ his opponent. Many folks believe that the former Bellator champion who holds an 36-7 record is on a fast track for an UFC title shot, but for that to happen he will have to rake up a few wins first. At the same time, Rodriguez is a well known name in the UFC raking up 19 wins and 5 losses during his career. The Mexican fighter is on a bit of a slope right now having lost three out of his last five matches. Due to his experience, he remains the favourite to win it all against Pitbull pushing his chances for a title bout higher. Now, with Ilia Topuria out of the division and Lopes and Volk battling it out for the title, the division is open for the grabbing, and Rodriguez and Pitbull are just some of the names that could find themselves in the contention following UFC 314.
Dominick Reyes vs. Nikita Krylov
While Reyes vs. Krylov remains in the shadow of the rest of the main card, this is a bout that is well-designed for all fans of MMA. At 205 pounds of weight, these men have plenty to show and prove to the world. For many, Reyes’ career is on a downward spiral, after he lost a few matches. But, no one should forget that he’s been in a title contention for a while and that the only reason why he was not crowned an UFC champion is Jon Jones. Nowadays, Reyes is once again on the rise, showing that there’s still fuel left in his tank after the last few bouts he’s had. In his last two bouts Dominic took out Dustin Jacoby and Anthony Smith, proving his worth all over again to all doubters. In the upcoming UFC 314 bout vs. Krylov he has another massive challenge. Nikita is well known as a knockout master, and has been one of the rather solid additions to the UFC roster in recent years. With three consecutive wins under his belt, Nikita will enter this bout full of confidence. With a 14-4 record, the one thing that Reyes doesn’t have against Nikita is the experience, as the Russian fighter has 39 MMA fights winning 30 of them.
Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson
These men are far from title contention in their respective division, but we’re sure they have more than enough skill and energy to put out a show for the fans at the UFC 314 event in Miami, Florida. While Ige is the more experienced fighter with an 18-9 record, he is not favoured to win this one. Woodson is a name on the rise who has a 13-1-1 record and will be looking to add to it after UFC 314. He is on a four win streak, and with shaken Ige on the other side who has lost three out of his last five bouts, he will be looking to add to his tally, and take another big step toward becoming a contender within the division.
UFC 314 is almost upon us, and if nothing unprecedented happens, these fights are going to make the evening in two weeks time. Miami will host one of the top events of the UFC season, and with Volk vs. Lopes having a title on the line, another great man will become a champion either for the first time, or in case of Volk he will be adding to his extraordinary legacy.