UFC 294 odds: Latest Vegas lines and betting guide | Islam vs. Volkanovski 2

Last-minute disasters couldn’t stop UFC 294 from hitting Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, this weekend (Sat., Oct. 21, 2023), as Alexander Volkanovski and Kamaru Usman stepped up on super short notice to battle Islam Makhachev and Khamzat Chimaev, respectively, in the pay-per-view (PPV) show’s featured attractions. Viewers will also get to watch Magomed Ankalaev return to action opposite Johnny Walker and The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): Brazil 3 winner, Warlley Alves, answer the call against top prospect, Ikram Aliskerov.

With UFC on a rare break next week, now’s the time to make some profit while you can. Here’s how …

What Went Wrong At UFC Vegas 81?

Jennifer Maia

Well, Viviane Araujo fell apart down the stretch as always, but Maia couldn’t get enough done in the first two rounds. If she’d just avoided that takedown in the second …

What Went Right?

Edson Barboza, Darren Elkins, Chris Gutierrez, Melissa Dixon and Emily Ducote

Barboza and Dixon had me sweating early on, but their resilience and strong performances from the rest made for a very successful evening.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

UFC 294 Odds For The Under Card:

Muhammad Mokaev (-455) vs. Tim Elliott (+350)

Elliott presents too unique a challenge to merit betting on Mokaev at these odds, but Mokaev’s wrestling is too potent to merit betting on Elliott, either. Leave this one be.

Trevor Peek (-148) vs. Mohammad Yahya (+124)

I very much favor Peek in this match because Yahya is extremely flat-footed and not terribly difficult to hit. Just don’t invest a lot — Peek underperformed quite a bit against Chepe Mariscal.

Javid Basharat (-550) vs. Victor Henry (+410)

This is a terrible style matchup for Henry, but he’s a tricky-enough customer that you shouldn’t invest much in Basharat.

Sedriques Dumas (-205) vs. Abu Azaitar (+170)

Skip it. Dumas has looked awful in the Octagon and Azaitar’s fought one time in the last five years.

Anshul Jubli (-310) vs. Mike Breeden (+250)

Hear me out: the three men who beat Breeden in the Octagon are each levels above Jubli, and giving Natan Levy a hard time is a greater accomplishment than anything Jubli’s done in his career. Breeden wins this if he can get out of the first round, which seems likely enough to merit a flyer.

Nathaniel Wood (-340) vs. Muhammad Naimov (+270)

Wood wins this the vast majority of the time thanks to his versatility and Naimov’s inability to properly pace himself. Just don’t put a lot down, as Wood’s chin is still a liability that Naimov possesses the power to capitalize on.

Viktoriia Dudakova (-500) vs. Jinh Yu Frey (+380)

By all rights, Dudakova should dominate. I’m just not sure it’s worth investing enough to turn a reasonable profit when she’s unlikely to score a finish and Frey has a tendency to produce wonky scorecards.

Shara Magomedov (-265) vs. Bruno Silva (+215)

Hard to pass up “Bullet” even at such lopsided odds. He’s faster, more fluid and more versatile than the lumbering “Blindado,” who also lacks the takedown skills to drag Magomedov out of his comfort zone. Plus, Silva’s legendary durability has failed him in two of his last three bouts, so he can’t even rely on out-lasting Magomedov.

Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

UFC 294 Odds For The Main Card:

Islam Makhachev (-278) vs. Alexander Volkanovski (+225)

It would be a genuinely heroic feat if Volkanovski pulled this off on a week’s notice. These seem like very generous odds for Makhachev considering the circumstances and I’m not one to pass up that kind of opportunity.

Khamzat Chimaev (-278) vs. Kamaru Usman (+225)

Like the fight above, there’s a whole lot working against Usman here. Chimaev is, on paper, a strong enough wrestler to keep the fight on the feet and a big enough hitter to overpower Usman there. Usman does pack a mean punch, but Chimaev absorbed Gilbert Burns’ best shots without issue, so “Borz” strikes me as a safe pick. Add the fact that Usman took this on a week’s notice and it’s hard to pass up a line better than -300.

Magomed Ankalaev (-360) vs. Johnny Walker (+285)

As a rule, don’t get money involved when Johnny Walker fights. I doubt even he knows what he’ll do in the cage.

Ikram Aliskerov (-575) vs. Warlley Alves (+425)

Might as well slap Aliskerov in a parlay. Alves has one win in the last four years and didn’t look particularly good in his three defeats. On top of that, he’s moving up from 170 pounds for the first time in almost a decade against one of the division’s better prospects. It’s a squash match through and through.

Said Nurmagomedov (-218) vs. Muin Gafurov (+180)

High-octane wrestlers have been a problem for Nurmagomedov in the past. His first UFC defeat came due to Raoni Barcelos hitting clutch takedowns and Saidyokub Kakhramonov was mauling his way to victory before Nurmagomedov found his neck. That said, Gafurov really didn’t look great against John Castaneda and failed to hit a single takdown, so a bit on the sharper striker in Nurmagomedov makes sense.

Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images

UFC 294 Best Bets:

Initial Investment For 2023: $600
April Bailout: $400
August Bailout: $500
Current Total: $896.00

Despite all the madness, I think we’re in for an entertaining afternoon. See you Saturday, Maniacs.

LIVE! Watch UFC 294 PPV On ESPN+ Here!

MASSIVE ’SUPER’ FIGHT REMATCH! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) makes its highly anticipated return to “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Sat., Oct. 21, 2023, with a re-worked “Champion vs. Champion” rematch inside Etihad Arena. In the ESPN+-streamed pay-per-view (PPV) main event, Lightweight roost-ruler, Islam Makhachev, runs it back on just 11 days notice opposite Featherweight kingpin, Alexander Volkanovski, in another 155-pound showdown. In UFC 294’s intriguing Middleweight co-main event, Dagestani wrecking ball, Khamzat Chimaev, welcome former Welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, to the 185-pound weight class (on short notice, too).

Don’t miss a single second of EPIC face-punching action!

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 294 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET, before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 294: “Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.