UFC 298: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cheju do odd
Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo, the former flyweight and bantamweight champions of the UFC, will square off in the octagon at UFC 298. Cejudo, an Olympic wrestling gold medallist as well, is keen to make amends for his split decision loss to Aljamain Sterling in May 2023. Cejudo declared he would make his second retirement from the sport if he lost at UFC 298. He has risked everything for this fight. After winning the bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz in May 2020, Cejudo announced his retirement from competition. Nevertheless, Cejudo declared his return, and at UFC 288 in 2023, he was defeated by Sterling for the title. Cejudo will have a better chance of defending the bantamweight title if he defeats Dvalishvili, who is riding a nine-fight winning streak.
UFC 298: Roman Kopylov vs. Anthony Hernandez
The pricing is exactly at the upper limit of what we typically accept for our Best Bets columns. Having said that, I do believe Hernandez can close gaps, smother opponents, and work for takedowns. Despite his skill as a striker, Kopylov struggles with distance management, which will probably cost him against Hernandez. Hernandez is currently at +100, so I’m a little tempted to go with him via TKO/KO/Submission, but Kopylov could grind out three rounds to reach the scorecards. I would prefer to be safe and see the value in the Hernandez moneyline, especially as something that could be worked into a parlay, in a fight like this where two men are entering with a lot of momentum at the right time in their careers.
Henry Cejudo vs. Merab Dvalishvili
In my opinion, an all-favorites parlay with the money lines for Ian Garry, Hernandez, and Dvalishvili at +189 is the true play on the early main card bouts. Although it doesn’t always matter, Cejudo is a little undersized at bantamweight. Still, it matters when facing off against a fighter like Dvalishvili. There are simply too many things going against the former two-division champion when you consider that Cejudo is 37 years old and has only fought once since May 2020. Cejudo ought to be vulnerable to Dvalishvili’s sheer force. Cejudo is unlikely to be Dvalishvili’s second opponent that he has stopped, and he has only one stoppage victory in his 11 UFC fights. For these reasons, Dvalishvili is the better pick given his increased value over the -210 straight moneyline.
Garry vs. Ian Machado Neal
Once more, the real play here is parlaying Hernandez, Dvalishvili, and Garry. We are taking the under here to examine various perspectives. Neal and Garry have won nine decisions in a total of 28 career victories. Neal can be difficult to define because he can be unpredictable and doesn’t always appear to be able to handle elite opposition. However, he can also turn things up and put up a fierce fight against Shavkat Rakhmonov. There is a great deal of potential for explosive action here because Neal and Garry both can end a fight quickly.
Paulo Costa vs. Robert Whittaker
Costa fights can turn ludicrously unpredictable at times. When you consider that Costa hasn’t competed since facing off against a faded Luke Rockhold in August 2022, you never know what to expect from one of the strangest men in the UFC. Whittaker is the superior fighter, but he just got beat up by Dricus Du Plessis in a fight. After that defeat, I predict Whittaker will approach the match cautiously, dismantling Costa and attempting to prevent any major skirmishes. Furthermore, Whittaker’s last stoppage victory dates back to April 2017. It is too good to ignore in this case to get even money on the more skilled fighter to win by a wide margin.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria
Even though Topuria is a worthy opponent, a skilled player like Volkanovski could take advantage of some of his major weaknesses. I am rooting for the champion until there is more evidence to suggest Volkanovski is declining than losing to the best fighter in the sport at a weight class higher. It seems like a losing game to try to draw general conclusions without considering specific cases, even though the records of champions over 35 are frequently discussed as falling below a particular weight. Don’t risk your money on maybes. Perhaps Islam Makhachev’s head kick permanently destroyed Volkanovski’s career. Until further notice, Volkanovski remains the world’s finest featherweight. Who prevails in Volkanovski vs. Topuria at UFC 298? How does each fight conclude? Get in-depth predictions for UFC 298 from the MMA guru who made over $6,200 by visiting SportsLine right now.
