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In a 3-round heavyweight bout on the main card, Tai Tuivasa and Alexander Volkov meet at UFC 293 on Saturday at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC 293: Tuivasa vs. Volkov odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.
Records: Tuivasa (15-5-0) | Volkov (36-10-0)
The early prelims can be viewed on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET, and the prelims can be viewed on ESPNews/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, while the main card starts at 10 p.m. ET on Pay-Per-View
Tuivasa has suffered back-to-back KO/TKO losses against Sergei Pavlovich (Dec. 2022) and Ciryl Gane (Sept. 2022). His past 7 bouts have all resulted in KO/TKOs, with 5 wins and those 2 losses, and he has finished inside the distance in each of his previous 8 outings.
Volkov has recorded 1st-round KO/TKO victories in the past 2 outings against Alexandr Romanov and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. He has finished inside the distance in 3 in a row, and 5 of the past 7 outings.
Volkov takes the walk to the octagon with a 4.89 significant strikes landed per minute while landing 61.92%. Tuivasa has recorded 4.10 significant strikes landed per minute while landing just 52.69%. The Russian favorite also holds a 5-inch reach advantage, while posting a 0.51 takedown average.
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UFC 293: Tuivasa vs. Volkov odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 6:38 p.m. ET.
- Fight result (2-way line): Tuivasa +200 (bet $100 to win $200) | Volkov -250 (bet $250 to win $100)
- Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over -115 | Under -115)
- Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +225 | No -350)
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UFC 293: Tuivasa vs. Volkov picks and predictions
Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)
Volkov (-250) will cost you 2 1/2 times your potential return, and that’s a little too much risk and not enough reward. It’s a risky play, too, as he actually hasn’t won 3 fights in a row since winning his first 4 fights at the UFC level from Nov. 2016 to March 2018, and his final 2 fights in the M-1 Challenge.
Taivasa (+200) has been knocked out in the past 2 fights and could be on his way to a 3rd consecutive loss.
While it’s not a good idea to bet the 2-way line, take a look at the METHOD OF VICTORY 7-WAY: VOLKOV BY KO/TKO OR DQ (-110) is a much better value, and it’s worth playing instead of tying it together with the submission on the 5-way line. Neither of these fighters are going to go to the mat.
Over/Under (O/U)
UNDER 1.5 ROUNDS (-115) is worth a look, as neither of these 2 fighters is keen to go very deep into the night.
Taivasa has not even made it out of the 1st round in 4 of the past 7 bouts, and he hasn’t made it past the halfway point of the 2nd round in 6 of the past 7 outings. In addition, Volkov hasn’t made it out of the 1st round in each of the past 3 bouts, too.
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