UFC 314 Odds and Predictions – Can Volkanovski Recapture Featherweight Title?

• Alexander Volkanovski (-117)
• Diego Lopes (-103)

Volkanovski (26-4) has lost three of his last four fights, albeit against the highest level of competition. He lost a pair of fights to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (one on short notice). Then “Volk” lost the featherweight belt to Ilia Topuria, who has since vacated it to move up to lightweight. Topuria is being rumored to face Makhachev during International Fight Week in July.

Alexander Volkanovski will compete in his 10th consecutive UFC title fight since 2019 at #UFC314.

A great UFC run for “The Great” 💪🏆 pic.twitter.com/Kw6LLK551l

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 6, 2025

Lopes (26-6) is riding a five-fight win streak and dominated Brian Ortega for three rounds in September 2024. He is very well-rounded, with 10 wins by KO/TKO and 12 by submission. Lopes is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, so expect him to test Volkanovski’s strong takedown defense.

We’ve seen older fighters start to slide often, and Volkanovski turns 37 in September. That’s why I expect the younger Lopes to find ways to hurt the former champion, both on the ground and on their feet. I’m taking the value on these UFC 314 odds and going with Diego Lopes at -103 at UFC betting sites!

• Paddy Pimblett (-142)
• Michael Chandler (+122)

Chandler (23-9) got tired of waiting for Conor McGregor and decided to fight Charles Oliveira in November 2024. He lost to the Brazilian for a second time by unanimous decision after a TKO in the first match . However, Chandler made it interesting in the final round with his stand-up power.

Pimblett (22-3) looked spectacular in his last fight against King Green, handling his own standing up, and then putting Green to sleep via triangle choke. “The Baddy” is a second-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and a fantastic grappler.

Chandler’s takedown defense will be tested as Pimblett will look to take him down early and often. The Englishman will have to be careful of Chandler’s explosive striking, but I think he’ll be cautious enough and lure Chandler into a takedown to submit him.

I’m taking “The Baddy” in these UFC 314 predictions and at -142, the odds are good enough to recommend a wager on this lightweight fight.

• Jean Silva (-260)
• Bryce Mitchell (+215)

Silva (15-2) enters as a sizable favorite over Mitchell (17-2) in this featherweight clash, mostly because the Brazilian hasn’t lost since November 2018. He emerged from Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023, and has four straight finishes on his resume. A win for Silva would get him into the top 15 of the UFC rankings.

While Mitchell has been in the news for controversial comments, don’t discount his fighting abilities. His two losses came against Topuria and Josh Emmett, who is tenth in the featherweight rankings. The Arkansas native is a strong grappler with a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He’ll be looking to take this fight to the mat.

But I’m backing Silva’s stellar takedown defense to keep this fight standing up, where he has a big advantage. At -260, I wouldn’t recommend an outright bet on Silva, but keep an eye on the fight props for this match because I think Silva wins by TKO/KO.

• Yair Rodriguez (-195)
• Patricio “Pitbull” (+165)

After years in Bellator as a former lightweight champion, and a former three-time featherweight champion, Patricio “Pitbull” (36-7) finally makes his way to the UFC. Yair Rodriguez (19-5, 1 NC) is there to welcome him, coming off two straight losses to Volkanovski and Ortega.

This should be another fun fight as Rodriguez is one of the best kickboxers in the UFC. “Pitbull” can also strike with him and has great kicks. But his path to victory might be to grapple as Rodriguez can be taken down.

“Pitbull”, yet another Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, has 12 submission victories to his name, and Rodriguez was submitted by Ortega in his last fight.

At +165, “Pitbull” offers some terrific value as Bellator fighters aren’t shown a lot of respect when moving to the UFC. There are a handful of fighters that can move to the UFC’s level, and even at 37, I think this veteran is one of them. He’ll use his guile to come away with a big upset in my UFC 314 predictions!