Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev hopes to spoil the party of hometown hero Alexander Volkanovski on Saturday night in the main event of UFC 284. Their five-round title fight anchors the main UFC 284 fight card (10 p.m. ET) from RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Makhachev won the lightweight belt in dominant fashion last October, but his first defense finds him sent to enemy territory to defend against Volkanovski, who has a 12-fight UFC winning streak. Volkanovski is a native Australian and the current featherweight champion who is aiming to become the promotion's fifth two-division champion.
Makhachev is a -440 favorite (risk $440 to win $100), while Volkanovski comes back at +335 in the latest UFC 284: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski odds from Caesars Sportsbook. In the co-main event, featherweight contenders meet for the interim title when the explosive Yair Rodriguez (-165) takes on slugger Josh Emmett (+140). Before making any UFC 284 picks, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Kyle Marley.
Marley won the first-ever "ToutMaster" UFC betting contest sponsored by MMAOddsBreaker and appears regularly on multiple MMA betting and daily Fantasy shows. He watches every single fight for every professional MMA card and does extensive research before each event.
Over the past four years, $100 bettors who have followed Marley's picks are up nearly $12,000. Last year, the accomplished MMA analyst launched the UFC season by telling SportsLine members to back Calvin Kattar (+200) against Giga Chikadze (-240) in the featherweight main event. Kattar's lopsided decision victory gave Marley's followers another easy winner. Anyone who has followed him has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC 284: Volkanovski vs. Makhachev in sight, Marley has studied the card from top to bottom and revealed his top picks and best bets. You can only see Marley's MMA picks at SportsLine.
UFC 284: Volkanovski vs. Makhachev preview
Volkanovski (25-1) is a former professional rugby player who turned his attention to mixed martial arts about decade ago and lost more than 70 pounds to get in shape for the endeavor. By his own account, he isn't the most naturally gifted athlete nor a prodigious fighting talent, but credits his success as the ultimate testament to dedication and hard work.
The 34-year-old Australian joined the UFC in November 2016 and gradually worked his way up the ranks, earning a title shot with a decisive win over former champion Jose Aldo. He won the title in December 2019 with a decision win against longtime popular former champion Max Holloway and would go on to sweep two subsequent rematches.
He's now the top-rated fighter in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings and has a showcase main event in his home country to possibly become the promotion's fifth two-division champion. The others are Conor McGregor, Amanda Nunes, Daniel Cormier and Henry Cejudo.
To do so, he'll have to get past Makhachev (23-1), the sinister Russian fighter who has long been hailed as a potential future champion. Makhachev has many traits similar to those of his coach and mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former lightweight king who retired with a 29-0 record.
Makhachev has a similar wrestling-heavy style that he uses to create finishing opportunities on the mat. He already has eight career submissions, the same number Nurmagomedov retired with, to go along with four knockouts.
The 31-year-old received a Performance of the Night bonus for his second-round submission of former champion Charles Oliveira last December to claim the vacant title.You can see who Marley is backing here.
Top UFC 284 expert picks
We'll share one of Marley's UFC 284 selections here: He is siding with Parker Porter (+115) to get his hand raised against Justin Tafa (-135) in a matchup of heavyweight sluggers on the main card.
Tafa (5-3) is a power puncher who has seen all five of his professional wins come by stoppage inside of two rounds. The 29-year-old Australian brawler has had mixed results in the UFC against fellow prospects but is coming off a first-round knockout of Harry Hunsucker.
Porter (12-7) is a versatile fighter who joined the UFC following successful stints in Bellator and the Realty Fighting promotion. The 37-year-old Connecticut native has gone 3-2 in five UFC appearances, though his last outing resulted in a submission loss to Jailton Almeida.
"Tafa is the more dangerous striker, and he is more likely to get the knockout. But I favor Porter because he can mix in takedowns and Tafa has little to offer off his back. I'll take Porter to avoid the knockout shot and win a decision," Marley told SportsLine.See who else to pick here.
How to make UFC 284 picks
Marley has strong picks for Volkanovski vs. Makhachev and every other bout on the UFC 284 card. He's also backing a fighter who "will have higher volume and better overall striking" to emerge with a big victory. Marley's expert picks and analysis are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC 284: Volkanovski vs. Makhachev? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC 284, all from the incomparable expert who's up nearly $12,000 on MMA in the past four years, and find out.
UFC 284 odds, fight card
See full UFC 284 picks, predictions, best bets here.
Islam Makhachev (-440) vs. Alex Volkanovski (+335)
Yair Rodriguez (-165) vs. Josh Emmett (+140)
Jack Della Maddalena (-335) vs. Randy Brown (+260)
Jim Crute (-195) vs. Alonzo Menifield (+165)
Kleydson Rodrigues (-320) vs. Shannon Ross (+250)
Joshua Culibao (-115) vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (-105)
Shane Young (-130) vs. Blake Bilder (+110)
Loma Lookboonmee (-270) vs. Elise Reed (+220)
Jack Jenkins (-335) vs. Don Shainis (+260)
Justin Tafa (-135) vs. Parker Porter (+115)
Jamie Mullarkey (-260) vs. Francisco Prado (+210)
Tyson Pedro (-260) vs. Modestas Bukauskas (+210)
