UFC 325 Main Card Betting Analysis, Picks, & Odds

For the second week in a row, the UFC is putting on a star-studded pay-per-view event. UFC 325 goes down on the evening of January 31 in Sydney, Australia. Because it’s on the other side of the world, the UFC has set the start time for the main card an hour earlier than usual, with the opening bell at 9PM for this one.

Prior to the featherweight championship main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes to cap this main card off, we get four excellent fights featuring six ranked fighters on the main card. We’ve got you covered with betting analysis and picks for those first four fights, as well as the top UFC betting odds in Canada.

Note: None of our best bets feature odds shorter than -200.

UFC 325 Main Card Picks & Betting Odds - January 31

All odds provided by Betway.

No. 6 Dan Hooker vs. No. 8 Benoit Saint-Denis Lightweight Bout Betting Odds

Dan Hooker (24-13) has not been able to stay consistent during his exciting run in the UFC because he always books tough fights and he doesn’t play much defense. He’ll let you hit him if it means he can land one too. He always puts on a fun fight, but when he takes on top competition, that fun usually ends in a loss for Hooker.

We think the same will happen here against Benoit Saint-Denis (16-3, 1 NC), who’s coming in off a three-fight winning streak where he has finished all of his opponents in the first two rounds. We think he keeps that streak going against Hooker, whose last four losses have all come before the bell. With a slight advantage on the feet and a massive one on the ground, the “God Of War” should have no problem putting “The Hangman” away in what promises to be a co-main event filled with fireworks.

Best Bet: Benoit Saint-Denis to Win by Finish (-140)

No. 9 Rafael Fiziev vs. No. 14 Mauricio Ruffy Lightweight Bout Betting Odds

This fight is very similar to Rafael Fiziev’s (13-4) last one against Ignacio Bahamondes, which the Kazakhstani fighter won handily. Like Bahamondes, Mauricio Ruffy (12-2) is the younger and more exciting fighter. Also a slight favorite, and also sporting a five-inch reach advantage over Fiziev. However, a massive hole in Ruffy’s game was revealed in his brutal loss to Benoit Saint-Denis last time out.

BSD took Ruffy down at will, and once there, the Brazilian didn’t show much industry in trying to get back to his feet. Fiziev hasn’t been known as a takedown guy, but in his last two fights, he’s gone 6-for-6 in takedown attempts. After an ugly knee injury in 2023 and now at age 32, Fiziev is fighting smarter rather than just brawling and putting on a show. If he uses the shrewd approach again in Sydney, he’ll get his second straight win in the octagon.

Best Bet: Rafael Fiziev Moneyline (+100)

No. 12 Tai Tuivasa vs. No. 15 Tallison Teixeira Heavyweight Bout Betting Odds

Sandwiched in between three very intriguing lightweight scraps is what promises to be a slobber-knocker at heavyweight between veteran Tai Tuivasa (14-8) and youngster Tallison Teixeira (8-1). The 26-year-old Brazilian has six years of age, six inches of height, and eight inches of reach on his Aussie opponent.

This one really feels like a mismatch. Teixeira got finished early by Derrick Lewis in his last fight, but that means he’ll be more vigilant here. Tuivasa hasn’t fought in a year and a half and hasn’t won a UFC fight since 2022. He’s on a five-fight losing streak, and the matchmakers did him no favors here.

Best Bet: Tallison Teixeira to Win via KO/TKO/DQ (-175)

Quillan Salkilld vs. Jamie Mullarkey Lightweight Bout Betting Odds

This Quillan Salkilld (10-1) kid out of Australia has taken the UFC by storm. He hasn’t lost since the first bout of his pro MMA career, and he has dominated his three fights in the UFC, all of which were last year. Countryman Jamie Mullarkey (18-8), meanwhile, has lost three of his last five.

Salkilld put Nasrat Haqparast away with a first round head kick in his most recent fight, whereas Haqparast knocked Mullarkey out in the first round of their matchup in 2023. Mullarkey just takes too much damage to have a chance here against a guy with the volume, power, and accuracy combination Salkilld has shown. This is one of the most lopsided betting lines I’ve seen betting sites put out for a UFC bout on a main card in a while, so we’ll go with a method of victory bet here.

Best Bet: Quillan Salkilld to Win via KO/TKO/DQ (-125)