UFC 298: Expert picks, best bets for Volkanovski vs. Topuria - ESPN

UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski puts his belt and unbeaten streak at 145 pounds on the line when he takes on Ilia Topuria in the main event at UFC 298 on Saturday (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV, with prelims at 8 p.m. ESPN/ESPN+ and early prelims at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+).

Volkanovski, ranked No. 3 in ESPN's pound-for-pound rankings, has lost two of his last three fights, but both losses came in challenges for Islam Makhachev's UFC lightweight title. Topuria, ESPN's No. 5 ranked featherweight, enters the fight following a unanimous decision win over Josh Emmett at UFC Fight Night in June 2023.

In the co-main event, Paulo Costa makes his anticipated return to the Octagon after a near two-year layoff when he faces former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. Costa beat Luke Rockhold by unanimous decision in his last fight at UFC 278 in August 2022. Whittaker's last fight ended in a second-round knockout loss to Dricus Du Plessis.

Andres Waters spoke to Syndicate MMA coach John Wood to get his perspective on the main event while ESPN's betting experts Reed Kuhn and Ian Parker examine the main event and highlight other intriguing bets on the card.

Editor's note: Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.

How Volkanovski wins: He has to weather the early storm. The first round or two will be the scariest because if he's going to get caught by Topuria, it will likely be a flash knockout or a surprise submission. Topuria is a well-rounded fighter, so there is no «safe spot» for Volkanovski in this fight, but we've never seen Volkanovski in a position where he is being handled. He's won fights against the best strikers in the division like Max Holloway, and he's found ways to escape from elite submission