The next UFC numbered event will be a banger, and we make a trip to Western Australia, as the RAC Arena in Perth becomes the location for an event that no fight fan will want to miss.
As most Numbered events tend to do, there is UFC Gold on the line, both in the Main event and the Co-Main Event, as we get a super-fight that sees Alexander Volkanovski stepping up to the Lightweight Division to take a shot at double gold against Islam Makhachev, who recently became the king of the division and is eager to see what the Featherweight champion offers.
The co-main event has the Interim featherweight title on the line, and this means that we will know who will be on the waiting list for Volkanovski once he makes the return to Featherweight, as Yair “El Pantera” Rodriguez and Josh Emmett face off.
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This card will have exciting fights to top it off, but there is also a lot of talent in the whole 13 fights event, which will have 8 prelims and 5 main card fights to keep all fight fans on the edge of their seat.
Expect an exciting event from start to finish, as we get some Contender Series Graduates, some UFC Veterans, and of course, the clash between the Top 1 and Top 2 Pound for Pound Fighters of the UFC.
You can check all the UFC/MMA bets, the analysis of each fighter, and the final bet you can make in this fight.
When:
Saturday, January 21st, at 6:00 pm ET
Moneyline odds:
Islam Makhachev -416 / Alexander Volkanovski +292
Yair Rodriguez -169 / Josh Emmett +131
Randy Brown +246 / Jack Della Maddalena -333
Justin Tafa -149 / Parker Porter +117
Jimmy Crute -217 / Alonzo Menifield +167
Tyson Pedro -277 / Modestas Bukauskas +206
Joshua Culibao -113 / Melsik Baghdasaryan -111
Kleydson Rodrigues -294 / Shannon Ross +220
Jamie Mullarkey -270 / Francisco Prado +204
Jack Jenkins -333 / Don Shainis +247
Loma Lookboonmee -285 / Elise Reed +215
Blake Bilder +103 / Shane Young -136
Zubaira Tukhugov -555 / Elves Brenner +367
Where Can I Watch it?
UFC 284: Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski
Why Bet on Islam Makhachev?
Islam conquered the Lightweight title by pressuring Charles Oliveira in their title fight; he not only grounded him with a right hand but put the weight on top of him until he found a tight Arm-Triangle that made the Greatest Finisher in the UFC Tap out.
Why Bet on Alexander Volkanovski?
On the other side, we have Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski, who has ruled the featherweights since he took over the division by beating Max Holloway on December 2019.
He has successfully defended his title 4 times, against Max Holloway (twice), Brian Ortega, and The Korean Zombie, leaving no room for doubt.
Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski Final Betting Analysis:
I believe that the pound-for-pound rankings are right, placing these two fighters at the very top; and it is pretty hard to call the shots taking it all into consideration.
It is undeniable that Islam is a force of nature, and it has shown, as he is always favored by the odds, and now, as a -416 favorite, it is expected for him to retain his belt as a Lightweight.
Volkanovski has been through hell and back in the fights he has had in his division, including some really dangerous submission attempts from Brian Ortega, and he has powered through and shown the reason that he is the undisputed Featherweight champion.
This is one pretty tough choice, but Volkanovski’s grit and skillset are more than enough for me to look for value, especially with a 3-0 run as the underdog in the UFC.
It may be just me, but I think that things will be a lot closer than the odds and casual fight fans would expect them to be.
UFC 284: Yair Rodriguez vs. Josh Emmett
Why Bet on Yair Rodriguez?
Yair Rodríguez is 14-3-1 in his professional career and is currently sitting in the No. 2 position in the UFC Featherweight rankings. He’s 3-2-1 in his last six fights, with his most recent fight resulting in a TKO win over Brian Ortega in Round 1.
Yair is currently the number two ranked Featherweight, as he managed to beat Brian Ortega in his latest fight, after being defeated by Max Holloway, who just fought for the belt and lost.
Why Bet on Josh Emmett?
Josh Emmett is 18-2 overall with five straight wins in the UFC. During his surge, he defeated Michael Johnson and Mirsad Bektic by KO/TKO, as well as Shane Burgos, Dan Ige, and Calvin Kattar by decision.
He’s a great wrestler, who used to compete in NAIA wrestling. Emmett also has a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which he’s been using mostly to defend. His main offensive weapon, however, is striking.
He lands powerful punches that can put practically any other featherweight to the ground. The evidence of this is that in his UFC career, he’s recorded 11 knockdowns, three of which resulted in a knockout win.
Yair Rodriguez vs. Josh Emmett Final Betting Analysis:
One would simply wish that we would get the match between Josh Emmett and Arnold Allen so we could truly be comfortable with both of the fighters getting the shot at the interim title.
Be it, Emmett or Allen, we believe that UFC 284 will be Rodriguez’s time to grab UFC Gold, as the circumstances have perfectly presented themselves.
Fight fans should be more worried about his next opponent after he achieves the Interim Title, be it Volkanovski or Holloway, but that is something for another day.
UFC 284: Randy Brown vs. Jack Della Maddalena
Why Bet on Randy Brown?
From Brown, we get a UFC Veteran who has entertained us in the Octagon for the last 7 years and holds a record of 10 wins and 4 losses just in the UFC.
His full record of 16 and 4 shows his experience as a professional fighter.
Why Bet on Jack Della Maddalena?
Della Maddalena is a rising talent who is not only a Contender Series graduate but also has a UFC 3-fight win run, which adds up to a 13-fight win streak.
The Australian fighter has only had a decision in his career, and he is a finisher who gets the job done between the first and second rounds.
Randy Brown vs. Jack Della Maddalena Final Betting Analysis:
It is quite a coincidence that excluding the decision loss to Belal Muhammad, all of Brown’s losses have been via 2nd round finish.
Taking into account that Jack Della Maddalena is a finisher who tends to get things done in the first and 2nd rounds, we expect him to continue his outstanding run in this match, as he slowly makes his way to the top of the Welterweight rankings.
UFC 284: Justin Tafa vs. Parker Porter
Why Bet on Justin Tafa?
Justin Tafa has had a short run as a Professional fighter, as he was taken into the UFC with only 3 fights in his Record, and now comes in for his 6th UFC appearance, after 2 first-round finishes and 3 losses.
Why Bet on Parker Porter?
Just like his opponent, Parker Porter also comes in for his 6th appearance in the Octagon but has had a better run in the UFC so far, nailing 3 decision victories.
Justin Tafa vs. Parker Porter Final Betting Analysis:
This fight is likely going to be decided if the bell rings in the first round; Tafa is an early finisher and has not gotten good results when he has fought past the first.
Parker Porter is the opposite, shining in the longer fights, and only having losses by first-round finishes, which makes this fight even more thrilling for the fans.
I believe that Porter will be able to use his experience to survive the first round and then pressure Tafa to get the decision victory.
UFC 284: Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield
Why Bet on Jimmy Crute?
Crute may be entering this bout following a pair of losses, but the 26-year-old Aussie remains one of the division’s best prospects.
It’s a weird situation: one loss came to the current champion, whereas another came in one of those funky moments where his knee shut off from a single low kick.
Why Bet on Alonzo Menifield?
Conversely, Menifield rolls into this fight on a pretty good run. He’s won four of his last five bouts, finishing three of those fights before the bell.
None of the names on his record are spectacular, but “Atomic” has a chance to change that in this match-up.
Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield Final Betting Analysis:
Crute is very well-rounded for such a young fighter. An adept striker with power in his hands, but Crute excels on the canvas.
He’s a strong wrestler with excellent submission skills, making him a real handful in such a striker-heavy division.
Menifield is a powerhouse; If Crute thinks he’s going to safely trade with Menifield or easily blast him off his feet with a double leg, he’s likely in for a rude awakening.
Fortunately, there are ways around pure strength. Namely, Crute could work his distance striking, avoid the pocket, then try to time a takedown perfectly beneath a Menifield swing.
Alternatively, he could look to grind Menifield, exhaust him, then implement his ground game.
The latter seems safer, as Crute remains a young fighter with a still-developing defense.
If Devin Clark was able to fatigue and wrestle Menifield through consistency, Crute should be able to do the same.
UFC 284: Tyson Pedro vs. Modestas Bukauskas
Why Bet on Tyson Pedro?
A red-hot undefeated (2-0) UFC start gave way to a 1-3 skid for Tyson Pedro (9-3).
Then, a 3.5-year layoff followed, since which he’s bounced back with quick knockouts of Ike Villanueva and Harry Hunsucker.
All of his wins have come inside the distance, five of them via submission.
Why Bet on Modestas Bukauskas?
After a successful UFC debut against Andreas Michailidis, Modestas Bukauskas (13-5) exited the world’s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion on a three-fight losing streak.
He then returned to Cage Warriors, once again claiming the promotion’s Light Heavyweight title by knocking out Chuck Campbell in Dec. 2022.
He steps in for the injured Zhang Mingyang on around 2.5 weeks’ notice.
Tyson Pedro vs. Modestas Bukauskas Final Betting Analysis:
We are glad to see Bukauskas get a second chance, especially after that wonky decision against Michal Oleksiejczuk.
Fingers crossed they keep him on the roster after this fight goes south.
Pedro’s current hot streak is smoke and mirrors — Villanueva and Hunsucker were some of the worst UFC Light Heavyweights in recent memory.
He however still looks to have way too much horsepower for the undersized Bukauskas, and though Pedro can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory like few others, I expect another early knockout as he swarms Bukauskas before the latter can get warmed up.
UFC 284: Joshua Culibao vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan
Why Bet on Joshua Culibao?
Joshua Culibao (10-1) struggled out of the UFC gate with a knockout loss to Jalin Turner and a competitive draw against Charles Jourdain.
Subsequent efforts have proven more fruitful, and “Kuya” enters the cage this Saturday on the heels of consecutive wins over Shayilan Nuerdanbieke and Seung Woo Choi.
Why Bet on Melsik Baghdasaryan?
Melsik Baghdasaryan (7-1) made his first trip to the judges on Contender Series, where he cruised past Dennis Buzukja to secure a UFC contract.
His two UFC appearances have seen him put away fellow Contender Series veteran, Collin Anglin, with a head kick and outlast LFA champion Bruno Souza for a unanimous decision.
All but one of his five knockouts have come inside the first minute.
Joshua Culibao vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan Final Betting Analysis:
Culibao is a marvelous fighter when all his gears are meshing, but has had his share of issues putting everything together, while Baghdasaryan remains largely untested.
It’s an extremely volatile matchup that could be either an excellent back-and-forth striking battle or a weirdly underwhelming grind.
We can expect both fighters to be bringing the fight to each other but it is hard to expect a finish from either side, and we believe that Melsik will be the one to get his hand raised after the 3 rounds are finished.
UFC 284: Kleydson Rodrigues vs. Shannon Ross
Why Bet on Kleydson Rodrigues?
Kleydson Rodrigues (7-2) went from choking out Eduardo Henrique for the Jungle Fight Flyweight title to dominating Santo Curatolo on Contender Series.
This led to a UFC debut against CJ Vergara, who took home a hugely controversial split decision win in Phoenix.
“K.R.” has ended five of his seven wins inside the distance, three of them via knockout.
Why Bet on Shannon Ross?
Shannon Ross (12-6) claimed the Eternal MMA Flyweight title with a third-round knockout of Paul Loga but came up short in his inaugural defense against Steve Erceg.
After rebounding with a decision over Contender Series veteran, Donavon Frelow, he made his Contender Series bid against Vinicius Salvador, who knocked him out to cap off a two-round fire-fight.
Kleydson Rodrigues vs. Shannon Ross Final Betting Analysis:
Admirably game though he may be, the myriad knockdowns Ross suffered against Salvador weren’t an anomaly.
The man gets dropped with worrying regularity, which is a pretty bad problem to have against a younger and more versatile striker in Rodrigues.
It seems inevitable that Ross will get clipped at some point, especially since he can’t overpower Rodrigues’ wrestling to get it to the mat if things get hairy.
Ross is very difficult to put down for good, but Rodrigues has enough tools in his arsenal to get the job done.
Either a big flurry or a club-and-sub will end things by the end of the second.
UFC 284: Jamie Mullarkey vs. Francisco Prado
Why Bet on Jamie Mullarkey?
Jamie Mullarkey’s (15-5) UFC run got off on the wrong foot, as he dropped consecutive decisions to Brad Riddell and Fares Ziam.
He’s 3-1 since including violent knockouts of Khama Worthy and Devonte Smith.
Why Bet on Francisco Prado?
Francisco Prado (11-0) left his homeland of Argentina to join the Brazilian scene in his fifth pro fight, ultimately settling in the Samurai Fight House promotion.
He claimed its Lightweight title in Oct. 2022, then defended it with a 77-second finish just two months later.
All of his wins have come by stoppage, eight of them in the first round.
Jamie Mullarkey vs. Francisco Prado Final Betting Analysis:
Prado is taking the challenge and we firmly believe he’s got what it takes to be a quality UFC fighter.
Mullarkey offers a similar mix of high-octane slugging and smothering grappling, with the difference that he’s made it work against much higher-level opposition.
Prado is young, dynamic, and aggressive enough to give Mullarkey hell in the early going, and he is likely aiming toward a quick finish, which our betting token is backing up.
UFC 284: Jack Jenkins vs. Don Shainis
Why Bet on Jack Jenkins?
“Phar” capped off his run in Eternal MMA with a one-sided rout of Rod Costa to defend his Featherweight title.
His wins sent him to the Contender Series, where he battered Freddy Emiliano Linares with ground-and-pound to punch his ticket to UFC.
Why Bet on Don Shainis?
Shainis’ five-fight win streak saw him win regional titles in two weight classes before stepping up to face Sodiq Yusuff in his UFC debut.
The Cinderella story was not to be, as Shainis tapped to a Yusuff guillotine just 30 seconds into the first round.
He’s knocked out eight pro foes and submitted two others.
Jack Jenkins vs. Don Shainis Final Betting Analysis:
“Shameless” needs to make this as ugly as possible as quickly as possible. Jenkins’ boxing is several levels above Shainis’ and the former has shown off enough wrestling skills to make grinding him out a tall task.
Where Jenkins struggles is when he can’t get comfortable, meaning Shainis has a shot if he can put on the same pressure Linares did without allowing Jenkins to bail himself out with wrestling.
Our token is placed on the upset by “Shameless”, who should take the risk and may end up finding a tap on the second round, over Jack Jenkins who has had issues with submissions before.
UFC 284: Loma Lookboonmee vs. Elise Reed
Why Bet on Loma Lookboonmee?
Lookboonmee put a UFC debut loss to Angela Hill behind her with two straight victories over Jinh Yu Frey and Sam Hughes, only to suffer an upset loss to Lupita Godinez her next time out.
She got back on track in 2022 by surviving a late submission attack to beat Contender Series veteran Denis Gomes.
Why Bet on Elise Reed?
Following a strong reign as Cage Fury Strawweight Champion, Reed stepped up in weight on short notice to fight Sijara Eubanks, who put her away with ground-and-pound late in the first round.
Things have worked out a bit better at her natural weight class, where she’s scored upsets of Cory McKenna and Melissa Martinez in her last three appearances.
She’s scored two pro wins by knockout.
Loma Lookboonmee vs. Elise Reed Final Betting Analysis:
The critical element here is Lookboonmee’s takedowns.
Reed proved that her long-range kickboxing can overcome high-level strikers when she beat Martinez.
Lookboonmee unquestionably has the edge in close, but it’s not hard to imagine Reed using her height and length to pepper Lookboonmee while staying out of the danger zone.
Loma however rag-dolled a very solid wrestler in Hughes, who ran roughshod over Reed on the mat.
Lookboonmee isn’t always the best at using the correct weapons at the correct times, but with such a clear avenue to victory, it’s hard to pick against her.
Strong clinch work and wrestling earn Lookboonmee a comfortable win.
UFC 284: Blake Bilder vs. Shane Young
Why Bet on Blake Bilder?
Bilder went 7-0 as an amateur before a pro start that saw him win and defend the Cage Fury Featherweight title.
He entered Contender Series as an underdog against Canadian veteran Alex Morgan but secured a UFC contract via first-round submission.
He’ll enjoy a four-inch reach advantage
Why Bet on Shane Young?
Young, who had the unenviable task of facing Alexander Volkanovski in his UFC debut, pushed his Octagon record back over .500 by beating Rolando Dy and Austin Arnett.
He’s winless since, falling to Ludovit Klein and Omar Morales in back-to-back bouts.
This marks his first bout in nearly two years.
Blake Bilder vs. Shane Young Final Betting Analysis:
It is a shame that Bilder is so fragile.
He’s admirably aggressive on the feet and delightfully smooth on the mat, but recent efforts suggest that he can’t take the sort of firepower Young dishes out.
Though Young has struggled with strong takedown artists before, Bilder lacks the wrestling skill to bring his strong ground game to bear.
In a standup battle, Young’s technique, experience, and durability figure to win the day; but we are expecting the upset with a 2nd round Finish from the Underdog due to his constant aggression.
UFC 284: Zubaira Tukhugov vs. Elves Brenner
Why Bet on Zubaira Tukhugov?
Now entering his 10th year in the Octagon, Tukhugov has managed just eight appearances with a 5-2-1 record.
His current 2-1 run features a split decision loss to Hakeem Dawodu sandwiched between wins to Kevin Aguilar and Ricardo Ramos.
He fights for the first time in more than two years.
Why Bet on Elves Brenner?
Brenner, representing Chute Boxe Diego Lima, won his first nine professional bouts before hitting a 2-3 rut.
He enters the cage this Saturday on the heels of two consecutive first-round submissions, the last one coming in March 2022.
He replaces Joel Alvarez, who ran into visa issues, on less than a month’s notice.
Zubaira Tukhugov vs. Elves Brenner Final Betting Analysis:
Brenner can’t employ his preferred “takedown to ground-and-pound to submission” approach against a wrestler of Tukhugov’s caliber, and to make things worse, he’s proven vulnerable to the sorts of heavy right hands that Tukhugov just loves to throw.
If the miracle improvement isn’t there, Brenner has to bank on a combination of rust and lack of size on Tukhugov’s part.
That’s just too many stars that have to align, especially when Tukhugov’s power and technique advantages give him so much more wiggle room. He levels Brenner with an early overhand.
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