UFC 325 fight card predictions: Expert picks for Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2 in Australia

Alexander Volkanovski looks to make the first defense of his second reign as featherweight champion in the main event of Saturday's UFC 325. Sanding across from Volkanovski will be the man he defeated to win the vacant title, Diego Lopes.

The championship rematch headlines a solid card of fights from Sydney, Australia. UFC 325 also marks the second event in the landmark seven-year media rights deal between UFC and Paramount Skydance and will, as with all UFC cards moving forward, stream live on Paramount+ for just the cost of a standard subscription.

Sign up for Paramount+ and watch UFC 325 live on Saturday night for no additional fee -- every UFC numbered event and UFC Fight Night is included with the price of your subscription! Plans start as low as $8.99/month or $89.99/year!

There's fun action fights to be found all over this event. Rafael Fiziev and Mauricio Ruffy are sure to deliver the goods when they clash in a lightweight contest on the main card. Plus, fan favorite Tai Tuivasa is always willing to lay it all on the line when he enters the Octagon. He gets a stiff test from rising contender Tallison Teixeira. And the main card opener could give us another highlight to remember when Quillan Salkilld returns to take on veteran Jamie Mullarkey. Salkilld scored a pair of incredible knockouts in 2025 that left fans speechless, including a head kick of Nasrat Haqparast that earn CBS Sports' KO of the Year.

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With so much happening on Saturday night, let's look closer at the full fight card with the latest odds before we get to our staff predictions and picks for the PPV portion of the festivities that you can consider before hitting the sportsbooks.

UFC 325: What can change for Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes in a rematch just nine months later

Brian Campbell

UFC 325 fight card, odds

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook (as of Jan. 29)

• Alexander Volkanovski (c) -148 vs. Diego Lopes +124, featherweight title
• Benoit Saint Denis -310 vs. Dan Hooker +250, lightweights
• Rafael Fiziev -120 vs. Mauricio Ruffy +100, lightweights
• Tallison Teixeira -345 vs. Tai Tuivasa +275, heavyweights
• Quillan Salkilld -1050 vs. Jamie Mullarkey +675, lightweights
• Billy Elekana -250  vs. Junior Tafa +205, light heavyweights
• Cam Rowston -360 vs. Cody Brundage +285, middleweights
• Jacob Malkoun -162 vs. Torrez Finney, +136 middleweights
• Jonathan Micallef -135 vs. Oban Elliott +114, welterweights
• Yizha -205 vs. Kaan Olfi +170, featherweights
• Dom Mar Fan -148 vs. Sangwook Kim +124, lightweights
• Sebastian Szalay -135 vs. Keiichiro Nakamura +114, featherweights
• Sulangrangbo -250 vs. Lawrence Liu +205, bantamweights

UFC 325 predictions, picks

With such a massive main event on tap, the crew at CBS Sports went ahead with predictions and picks for the main card from Brian Campbell, Brent Brookhouse, Shakiel Mahjouri, Michael Mormile and Brandon Wise.

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes predictions

Campbell: Volkanovski appeared to turn back the clock last April when he captured the vacant title by outpointing Lopes. But an honest Lopes, who still managed to drop Volkanovski, admitted after the fight that he failed to follow his corner's gameplan and got caught simply following his opponent around in hopes of a knockout. Expect a more seasoned and more dangerous Lopes in the rematch. Not only did he rely on grappling and the traps he set with striking to ultimately finish Jean Silva last September, he has been working relentlessly on rounding out his game. If Lopes does a better job cutting off the cage and using both his size and the threat of the takedown to make the 37-year-old Volkanovski feel his age, this should be a very different fight. And while Volkanovski's chin did hold up during their first fight despite having been fresh off of back-to-back knockout losses, his time at the top may be running out. Lopes via TKO3

Brookhouse: It's hard to believe that this fight plays out much differently than the first fight unless Volkanovski has aged considerably in the past year. Yes, 37 is old for a fighter, especially a featherweight, but Volkanovski is a uniquely skilled tactician in his ability to not only prepare, but execute a gameplan. I don't see any reason to think that losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria signal a fighter is "done" at an elite level, simply that he ran into two of the best fighters on the planet in their prime. Lopes doesn't have a reliable takedown game, which means that this is a striking battle, and Volkanovski is great at working angles and finding timing. Yes, Lopes did hurt Volkanovski in the first fight, but that came in between Volkanovski clearly controlling the rest of the action. I simply don't believe that Lopes can out-gameplan and outexecute Volkanovski. Volkanovski via UD

Mahjouri: If this fight were a year from now, I'd pick Lopes in a heartbeat. The challenger has every physical advantage over the champ: height, reach, durability, and power. Lopes' inexperience cost him the first fight. Volkanovski showcased why he's a featherweight GOAT. He controlled the lead outside foot positioning, feinted brilliantly, and significantly outstruck Lopes. The champ pitched a near-perfect game, yet still gave up one or two rounds to Lopes' power. That's the worry here. Lopes' physical gifts will become a bigger factor as he narrows the technical gaps. The question is whether Lopes can cover enough distance in nine months to beat Volkanovski. It will be a much closer second fight, but Volkanovski should have enough in the tank to win a narrow decision. Volkanovski via UD

Mormile: Volkanovski UD

Wise: Volkanovski via UD

Dan Hooker vs. Benoit Saint Denis predictions

Campbell: Reformed following a pair of TKO defeats, Saint Denis has looked like a completely different fighter in three walks to the Octagon under the tutelage of new coach Nicholas Ott, which produced a trio of stoppage wins in 2025. The task at hand against Hooker on Saturday will be for 'BSD' to ignore the urge to throw caution to the wind off the start and get into a full-blown slugfest. Saint Denis is at his best when he balances patience and grappling with the threat of his powerful striking. And considering Hooker was finished in less than two rounds by Arman Tsarukyan just two months ago, this could be the perfect catapult for the French "God of War" to score a systematic stoppage victory and enter the top five at 155 pounds. Hooker is always game for battle, but his one-dimensional style has caught up with him on the elite level. Saint Denis via KO2

Brookhouse: Saint Denis via SUB2

Mahjouri: Hooker has no designs on changing his style. He's hell-bent on action, and it'll cost him against on Saturday. Neither man has perfect durability, but Hooker has more wear and tear. That's concerning against Saint Denis, the younger and arguably more powerful fighter. Saint Denis looks revitalized working with top middleweight contender Nassourine Imavov. The French special forces soldier has the natural gifts and evolving skillset to make short work of Hooker. It's imperative, however, that he doesn't abandon his defense. Hooker can still crack and will catch Saint Denis if he's not careful. Saint Denis via KO2

Mormile: Saint Denis via submission

Wise: Saint Denis via TKO3

Rafael Fiziev vs. Mauricio Ruffy predictions

Campbell: Ruffy via UD

Brookhouse: If anyone can add wrestling threats to this fight, it's Fiziev. Ruffy has never scored a takedown in the UFC and he was taken down three times while being dominated by Saint Denis. Fiziev, meanwhile, has scored six takedowns in his two most recent fights, including two against Justin Gaethje. In a fairly even battle of strikers, though Ruffy may be a bit more dynamic in his angles and shot selection, one fighter having the edge in grappling is enough to tilt the fight on paper. While either man could catch the other on the feet, Fiziev's new confidence in his wrestling gives me some comfort in siding with him. Fiziev via UD

Mahjouri: This might be an even more compelling action fight than the co-main event. Fiziev and Ruffy are on the cusp of entering the lightweight elite. Fiziev is a first-class Muay Thai striker with an improving wrestling game. Ruffy, a textbook KO artist, recently migrated from the Fighting Nerds to featherweight champ Volkanovski's camp. I was prepared to count Fiziev out, but I think he's a victim of bad luck. His three UFC losses are a majority decision to Justin Gaethje, a freak knee injury against Mateusz Gamrot and a close rematch against Gaethje, which he took on two weeks' notice after a year-and-a-half layoff from the aforementioned injury. Fiziev showed signs of life in a bounce-back win against Ignacio Bahamondes, complementing his striking with newfound wrestling. Ruffy might revolutionize himself with Team Volkanovski, but I'll need to see the results before assessing his future. Fiziev via UD

Mormile: Fiziev via UD

Wise: Fiziev via UD

Who wins Volkanovski vs. Lopes, and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is up over $21,000 on his UFC picks since May 19, 2018, and find out.