The Prelims at UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria continue to roll on as we're set for another betting prediction and pick for our next bout in the Heavyweight Division. No. 15-ranked Marcos Roderio de Lima of Brazil will take on Australia's Justin Tafa. Check out our UFC odds series for our de Lima-Tafa prediction and pick.

Marcos Rogerio de Lima (21-9-1) has gone 10-7 in the UFC en route to his top-15 ranking. He's gone 3-2 over his last five fights with a unanimous decision loss to Blagoy Ivanov and a devastating KO loss to Derrick Lewis most recently. Fully recovered, he's hoping to get back on the winning track. De Lima stands 6'1″ with a 75-inch reach.

Justin Tafa (7-3) has gone 4-3-0-1 in the UFC since 2019 and he'll be seeking his fourth consecutive win on Saturday. All three of his last wins have come by knockout in the first round and he's been on a devastating tear. This will undoubtedly be his toughest test yet as he looks to break into the rankings. Tafa stands 6'0″ with a 74-inch reach.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline. 

UFC 298 Odds: Marcos Rogerio de Lima-Justin Tafa Odds

Marcos Rogerio de Lima: -143

Justin Tafa: +123

Over 1.5 rounds: +130

Under 1.5 rounds: -160

*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Marcos Rogerio de Lima Will Win

Marcos Rogerio de Lima is one of the more skilled fighters in this heavyweight division when it comes to his boxing and the variety of strikes he throws with his hands. He's extremely awkward to deal with and his dirty boxing from in-close makes it hard for opponents to close the distance on him. He's got wins over very skilled opposition, including a boxing clinic against a great prospect like Waldo Cortes-Acosta. Of course, he suffered a devastating loss in his last fight with a flying knee from Derrick Lewis.

De Lima was seriously injured following the Derrick Lewis fight and the hope is that he's nursed himself back to full strength and feels confident enough to stand with another knockout artist like Justin Tafa. It'll be interesting to see where his confidence level is at, but he could stand to see success if he's able to move forward and work his boxing combinations per usual.

Why Justin Tafa Will Win

After a few tough losses, Justin Tafa is blazing himself a path of destruction with his last three first-round knockouts. He comes into the fight with a clear purpose and he's almost sure of the outcome before the fight even starts. Of course, he's gotten rocked in return during some of these exchanges, but he's shown an uncanny ability to eat punches and continue moving forward during a brawl. He'll have a ton of confidence stepping into the cage against what may be a more timid Marcos Rogerio de Lima.

Justin Tafa will look to close the distance quickly and immediately start heat-seeking for de Lima's chin. We've seen de Lima employ some grappling techniques and control his opponents with his jiu-jitsu, but Tafa boasts a 100% takedown defense and will be intent on keeping this fight on the feet. He can take a page out of Derrick Lewis' book and approach this fight with the same aggression, trying to put de Lima on his back foot and force quick decisions out of him.

Final Marcos Rogerio de Lima-Justin Tafa Prediction & Pick

This fight isn't expected to go for very long and if Justin Tafa has his way, this fight will be over in the first round. This doesn't bode well for Marcos Rogerio de Lima as he's coming off a devastating knockout loss and would much prefer to find a dominant decision in which he controls the action. It'll be interesting to see which game plan prevails and which fighter better imposes their will.

Marcos Roderio de Lima can win this fight if he's able to make it out of the first round and hurt Tafa with his jab as he enters. If he can deter Tafa from marching forward, he can turn the tide of this fight and take control in this second round. He's also got the much better gas tank and can wear on other heavyweights in a hurry.

Justin Tafa will have his best chance in the first round and should take advantage of the fact that de Lima may still be timid following his loss against Derrick Lewis. We haven't seen much of him past the first round in recent years, so it'll be his responsibility to control his gas and save energy for the later rounds.

For our prediction, we'll side with Justin Tafa to get the knockout in the first round. However, if this fight sees Round 2, it might be worth taking a look at de Lima on the live-line and betting him to win by decision.

Click here for more betting news and predictions

Final Marcos Rogerio de Lima-Justin Tafa Prediction & Pick: Justin Tafa (+123)