Preview

UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall Full Card Betting Guide

What a card last week’s fight night was! So many finishes and exciting performances, minus the main event. Now we turn our attention toward UFC London, where the hot new thing at heavyweight in Tom Aspinall faces his stiffest test to date against Alexander Volkov as the promotion makes its return to England.

The 12-fight card is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and features some of the United Kingdom’s best fighters.

Make sure to check out Question Mark Kicks two hours before the prelims begin for Matt and Craig’s final thoughts on the fight card.

Fight Previews

Flyweight

Muhammad Mokaev (-373)

Record: 5-0 (UFC debut)

Wins: 1 KO, 2 SUB | Losses: n/a

Props: Over 2.5 rounds (+105); Wins ITD (-113), by decision (+228), by TKO (+312), by submission (+203)

Cody Durden (+285)

Record: 12-3-1 (1-1-1 UFC)

Wins: 5 KO, 5 SUB | Losses: 2 SUB

Props: Under 2.5 rounds (-137); Wins ITD (+583), by decision (+540), by TKO (+919), by submission (+1378)

Best Value: Mokaev submission (+203)
This is a great debut matchup for Mokaev, and one he should excel in, but the odds are awfully steep on the UFC debutant. The submission prop, however, doesn’t look too bad.

Women’s Strawweight

Cory McKenna (-258)

Record: 6-1 (1-0 UFC)

Wins: 2 KO, 1 SUB | Losses: 1 DEC

Props: Over 2.5 rounds (-307); Wins ITD (+299), by decision (-110), by TKO (+476), by submission (+679)

Elise Reed (+207)

Record: 4-1 (0-1 UFC)

Wins: 2 KO | Losses: 1 KO

Props: Under 2.5 rounds (+232); Wins ITD (+712), by decision (+306), by TKO (+993), by submission (+1833)

Best Value: McKenna ITD (+299)
I’m a big believer in the ceiling of Cory McKenna, and if this goes to the ground, she should have plenty opportunity to finish things.

Bantamweight

Jack Shore (-103)

Record: 15-0 (4-0 UFC)

Wins: 4 KO, 8 SUB | Losses: n/a

Props: Over 2.5 rounds (-257); Wins ITD (+380), by decision (+201), by TKO (+994), by submission (+568)

Timur Valiev (-119)

Record: 18-2 (2-0 UFC)

Wins: 5 KO, 2 SUB | Losses: 2 DEC

Props: Under 2.5 rounds (+192); Wins ITD (+377), by decision (+155), by TKO (+641), by submission (+1002)

Best Value: Jack Shore (-103)
The odds seem just about right on this fight. Still, I’d strongly consider taking Shore at coin-flip odds.

Light Heavyweight

Nikita Krylov (-193)

Record: 27-8 (8-6 UFC)

Wins: 11 KO, 15 SUB | Losses: 1 KO, 5 SUB

Props: Over 1.5 rounds (-143); Wins ITD (+111), by decision (+314), by TKO (+202), by submission (+467)

Paul Craig (+159)

Record: 15-4-1 (7-4-1 UFC)

Wins: 3 KO, 12 SUB | Losses: 3 KO, 1 SUB

Props: Under 1.5 rounds (+110); Wins ITD (+298), by decision (+517), by TKO (+838), by submission (+401)

Best Value: Craig submission (+401)
This might be my favorite bet on the card. Paul Craig is a nightmare on the canvas, and Nikita Krylov has some glaring defensive holes in his game. It should be a fun fight regardless of which way it goes.

Heavyweight

Shamil Abdurakhimov (+247)

Record: 20-6 (5-4 UFC)

Wins: 9 KO, 4 SUB | Losses: 4 KO, 1 SUB

Props: Over 1.5 rounds (+117); Wins ITD (+478), by decision (+542), by TKO (+663), by submission (+1333)

Sergei Pavlovich (-314)

Record: 14-1 (2-1 UFC)

Wins: 11 KO | Losses: 1 KO

Props: Under 1.5 rounds (-151); Wins ITD (-226), by decision (+730), by TKO (-203), by submission (+2144)

Best Value: Over 1.5 rounds (+117)
Seven and a half minutes isn’t terribly long for plus odds, but I’m running away from this fight. There’s not a chance I put a dime on it.

Featherweight

Mike Grundy (-183)

Record: 12-3 (1-2 UFC)

Wins: 1 KO, 8 SUB | Losses: 1 SUB

Props: Over 2.5 rounds (-231); Wins ITD (+303), by decision (+127), by TKO (+806), by submission (+456)

Makwan Amirkhani (+152)

Record: 16-7 (6-5 UFC)

Wins: 1 KO, 11 SUB | Losses: 2 KO, 1 SUB

Props: Under 2.5 rounds (+175); Wins ITD (+406), by decision (+303), by TKO (+1400), by submission (+515)

Best Value: Amirkhani sub (+152)
I wouldn’t bet on this fight, but it’s not inconceivable that Amirkhani secures a choke amid a wrestling scramble.

Lightweight

Jai Herbert (+404)

Record: 11-3 (1-2 UFC)

Wins: 9 KO, 1 SUB | Losses: 2 KO, 1 SUB

Props: Over 1.5 rounds (+112); Wins ITD (+613), by decision (+878), by TKO (+650), by submission (+3278)

Ilia Topuria (-560)

Record: 11-0 (3-0 UFC)

Wins: 3 KO, 7 SUB | Losses: n/a

Props: Under 1.5 rounds (-146); Wins ITD (-240), by decision (+474), by TKO (+214), by submission (+113)

Best Value: Topuria ITD (-240)
The odds here are ridiculous and scream to me to steer clear of a bet on this fight, but if Topuria wins, it’s probably by finish.

Women’s Flyweight

Molly McCann (-139)

Record: 11-4 (4-3 UFC)

Wins: 4 KO | Losses: 1 SUB

Props: Over 2.5 rounds (-375); Wins ITD (+498), by decision (+114), by TKO (+838), by submission (+1044)

Luana Carolina (+115)

Record: 8-2 (3-1 UFC)

Wins: 2 KO, 1 SUB | Losses: 1 SUB

Props: Under 2.5 rounds (+271); Wins ITD (+481), by decision (+187), by TKO (+772), by submission (+1167)

Best Value: Molly McCann (-139)
Meatball at home, as the more experienced fighter, who has a way to control where the fight takes place? I’ll take that.

Welterweight

Gunnar Nelson (-505)

Record: 17-5-1 (8-5 UFC)

Wins: 3 KO, 13 SUB | Losses: 1 KO

Props: Over 1.5 rounds (-144); Wins ITD (-150), by decision (+251), by TKO (+634), by submission (-121)

Takashi Sato (+372)

Record: 16-4 (2-2 UFC)

Wins: 11 KO, 2 SUB | Losses: 1 KO, 3 SUB

Props: Under 1.5 rounds (+112); Wins ITD (+596), by decision (+853), by TKO (+681), by submission (+3406)

Best Value: Nelson submission (-121)
There’s not a chance I’m betting on a fighter facing a nearly three-year layoff, but Nelson is a heavy favorite for a reason.

Lightweight

Paddy Pimblett (-557)

Record: 17-3 (1-0 UFC)

Wins: 5 KO, 8 SUB | Losses: 1 SUB

Props: Over 1.5 rounds (-105); Wins ITD (-184), by decision (+310), by TKO (+175), by submission (+179)

Rodrigo Vargas (+401)

Record: 12-4 (1-2 UFC)

Wins: 7 KO, 3 SUB | Losses: 1 SUB

Props: Under 1.5 rounds (-126); Wins ITD (+588), by decision (+911), by TKO (+854), by submission (+1913)

Best Value: Over 1.5 rounds (-105)
Vargas is tougher than people give him credit for, and his size and power should give him a fighting chance against the fan favorite.

Featherweight

Arnold Allen (-121)

Record: 17-1 (8-0 UFC)

Wins: 5 KO, 4 SUB | Losses: 1 DEC

Props: Over 2.5 rounds (-190); Wins ITD (+330), by decision (+179), by TKO (+581), by submission (+796)

Dan Hooker (-101)

Record: 21-11 (11-7 UFC)

Wins: 10 KO, 7 SUB | Losses: 2 KO, 3 SUB

Props: Under 2.5 rounds (+148); Wins ITD (+301), by decision (+239), by TKO (+366), by submission (+1079)

Best Value: Arnold Allen (-121)
Allen might not be the most popular fighter in the promotion because of how infrequently he fights, but he is supremely talented. There are big question marks about Hooker dropping down to featherweight.

Heavyweight

Alexander Volkov (+105)

Record: 34-9 (8-3 UFC)

Wins: 22 KO, 3 SUB | Losses: 2 KO, 2 SUB

Props: Over 3.5 rounds (-110); Wins ITD (+282), by decision (+277), by TKO (+300), by submission (+1467)

Tom Aspinall (-127)

Record: 11-2 (4-0 UFC)

Wins: 8 KO, 3 SUB | Losses: 1 SUB

Props: Under 3.5 rounds (-118); Wins ITD (+140), by decision (+417), by TKO (+197), by submission (+817)

Best Value: Aspinall ITD (+140)
It’s my belief that Aspinall is on a fast track to a championship fight. Volkov poses his toughest test to date, but he has had no problems in his four-fight UFC tenure.

Results

UFC Vegas 50

Josh: 2-3 (1-0 parlay), +0.32u

Matt: 10-4, +4.94u

Craig: 12-2, +10.39u

2022 Results

Josh: 18-35 (3-5 parlay), -17.1u

Matt: 66-33, +15.35u

Craig: 64-35, +13.88u

Editor’s Note: Matt and Craig make picks for every fight, regardless of betting lines. This exercise assumes a 1u bet on each fight.

My Card

Best Bets (2u each)

Tom Aspinall (-127)

Straight bets (1u each)

Molly McCann (-139)

Arnold Allen (-121)

Props (1u each)

McKenna ITD (+299)

Craig submission (+401)

Parlay (+270)

Muhammad Mokaev (-373), Craig-Krylov U2.5 (-167), Arnold Allen (-121)

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