The time has finally come for a monumental fight card from Anaheim, California as the top fighters in the world will gather for UFC 298. 12 bouts are scheduled for the Pay-Per-View fight card and with the fighters weighing in and ready to go, we should be in for a spectacle of an event. Check out our UFC odds series for our UFC 298 Best Betting Props.
The headlining bout is set to feature Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski defend his belt and G.O.A.T status in his return to his home weight division. The challenger is Ilia Topuria, an undefeated finisher that is supremely confident that it's his time to reign as champion. As Volkanovski comes in off his recent loss to Islam Makhachev, he's got everything riding on continuing to cement his legacy as the greatest featherweight ever.
The Co-Main event will feature top middleweight contenders as No. 3 Robert Whittaker takes on No. 6 Paulo Costa. Both men have been hungry to continue their title hunt and they're looking for a statement following their last performance. Given the fire power between these two, expect nothing short of fireworks for this bout as we gear up for an action-packed evening.
There's a ton of value to be found throughout this fight card with a number of solid underdog picks and great prop value all over the board. For fights with lopsided moneylines, look towards round props and method of victory props for some added juice. Take a look at our favorite betting props ahead of UFC 298.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC 298 Best Betting Props
Rinya Nakamura Wins Inside the Distance: -235
Roman Kopylov Wins by KO/TKO: +250
Merab Dvalishvili Wins by Decision: -145
Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa DOES NOT Go the Distance: +105
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Rinya Nakamura Wins Inside the Distance (-235) vs. Carlos Vera
Rinya Nakamura is coming into this fight as the biggest favorite on the card, and for good reason. His opponent Carlos Vera was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 31 and wasn't able to get past his first fight of the tournament. He's taking this fight on very short notice and really doesn't have much to lose with a loss. However, Nakamura learned his lesson last fight as he couldn't put away a tough competitor like Fernie Garcia. As he fought to a decision win, he may have realized that finishes are much tougher to come by and he'll be determined to out-do himself this time around. While there's decent juice behind this line, we like Rinya Nakamura to finish this fight inside the distance.
Roman Kopylov Wins by KO/TKO/DQ (+250) vs. Anthony Hernandez
Roman Kopylov is listed as a +210 underdog and in my opinion, this fight should have been much closer on the betting lines. Both fighters are riding four-fight winnings streaks heading into this bout and while Anthony Hernandez has been able to get it done in different ways, Roman Kopylov has looked more dominant during his run. Furthermore, Hernandez will be taking this fight on a short three-week camp and there's no telling how he'll respond to the relentless pressure of Kopylov. The Russian has ended his last four fights all by knockout, so don't hesitate to take a chance on him here as a live dog.
Merab Dvalishvili Wins by Decision (-145) vs. Henry Cejudo
Without a doubt, Henry Cejudo is one of the greatest minds in MMA today and he's earned everything he's gotten throughout his career. He's probably the best game-planner ahead of a fight and there's no question he'll have a flourishing career as a coach and trainer. It'll be interesting to see how he approaches this fight knowing his opponent is a willing wrestler. His age definitely showed against Aljamain Sterling and while he looked 100% sharp mentally, he seemed just a half-step slower than what he was in his prime.
Merab Dvalishivili, on the other hand, is coming in fresh off of a fight in which he attempted 49 takedowns against a former champion in Petr Yan. His coaches preach that he has the craziest gas tank and cardio out of anyone they've ever seen, so expect that to be in the center of his game plan on Saturday night. Neither guy has the best finishing capabilities, so we like this fight to see the scorecards. If Dvalishvili can succeed in wrestling with the former Olympian, he should get a unanimous decision victory.
Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa DOES NOT Go the Distance (+105)
Of all the fights featured on the card, this may be the biggest guarantee for fireworks there is. Paulo Costa has effectively been in a holding pattern since his cancelled fight with Khamzat Chimaev as he's returning from injury and essentially training non-stop for the last few months. He's extremely hungry to get into the cage and he's been looking sharp all fight week. His camp is also fully confident he'll find a knockout against Robert Whittaker.
Robert Whittaker will also be looking to bounce back following his loss to Dricus Du Plessis. He's only had consecutive losses once at the start of his UFC career. Otherwise, he's a constant professional and it's clear this fight will be all business from his end. He's also predicting he'll get the job done early with a knockout and that someone's going to sleep during this one. If that wasn't enough motivation to take the fight ending inside the distance, I'm not sure what will be.
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