UFC Fight Night Odds – Curtis Blaydes vs. Alexander Volkov

The UFC continues its assault on the coronavirus with the promotion’s seventh event following a two-month layoff. The UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas will host a heavyweight bout between top contenders Curtis “Razor” Blaydes (13-2) and Alexander “Drago” Volkov (31-7) in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Volkov. Blaydes enters on a three-match winning streak and is aiming to align himself for a shot at the title. Unfortunately with both losses coming to Francis Ngannou he’s positioned back in the pecking order. Volkov just needs a win over a top contender to pad his resume. Opening odds positioned Blaydes as a heavy favorite.  Open your online betting account with Bookmaker and receive a generous welcome with a maximum of $1000.

Check out odds for every fight on Saturday’s card at BookMaker.eu and place your wager. Then catch all the action on ESPN with the prelims starting at 5 p.m. ET and the main card at 8 p.m. ET.

UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu

Curtis Blaydes -430
Alexander Volkov +310

Over 2.5 Rounds +115
Under 2.5 Rounds -145

Curtis Blaydes vs. Alexander Volkov Fight Preview

Both fighters have the “what if” tag next to their record. For Blaydes (13-2, 10 KOs), what if he was able to beat Ngannou in one of those two bouts? For Volkov, what if he didn’t get floored by Derrick Lewis in the final seconds of a fight he was clearly going to win. Those are the breaks in this sport and the only thing you can do is move on.

Blaydes, the No. 3 contender in the division, is looking to get closer to a title fight. One way to do that is to keep winning. Following his second loss to Ngannou, Razor rattled off three straight wins with the most recent a second round KO of Junior Dos Santos in January. That was a coming out victory for Razor showing off his striking skills to complement his devastating grappling and wrestling technique.

With impressive wins over JDS, Alistair Overeem, Aleksei Oleinik and Mark Hunt, Blaydes has done enough to earn himself a spot at the big boy table. Unfortunately, the top of the class is loaded and with a title fight between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier on the schedule and Ngannou waiting for the winner, all Razor can do is wait for his chance.

Making his pro debut back in 2009, Volkov (31-7, 20 KOs, 3 SUBs) has a lot of mileage. He positioned himself well in the heavyweight class after joining UFC winning his first four fights to run his overall streak to six. Granted the competition wasn’t the best with the most impressive win over Fabricio Werdum. The shocker came seven months later with Volkov taking one on the chin from Lewis with 11 seconds remaining in their bout.

That setback cost Volkov a chance to move up the rankings and a possible title fight with Daniel Cormier. Instead Lewis got the ticket and was trounced. Drago did come back with a unanimous decision win over Greg Hardy last November and hasn’t fought since.

While he’s a big underdog on Saturday Volkov can’t be overlooked. He’s a former M-1 Global and Bellator heavyweight champ, and is currently the No. 7 ranked contender in UFC. Volkov uses his height and reach to keep opponents at bay. At 6-7 he towers over most other fighters and his nickname is fitting. For boxing and cinema fans who remember the ‘Rocky’ movies, Ivan Drago was the hulking Russian boxer who killed Apollo Creed and clashed with Rocky in the fourth installment of the franchise.

Bet Curtis Blaydes vs. Alexander Volkov at BookMaker

This is a battle of contrasting styles. A standup fighter, Volkov likes to use his reach and jab to set up heavier punches and kicks. The technique has worked for the most part with 31 wins, 20 by (T)KO. He handled himself well in other promotions earning a shot at UFC, but he hasn’t beaten an elite contender like Blaydes. He averages 5.4 significant strikes per minute while absorbing about half that number. To neutralize the length Blaydes will use his impressive grappling technique. He’s a beast on the mat and can also counter with improved striking. Overall Razor is the more tactical fighter and that will be what defines his win on Saturday.

UFC Odds Pick: Curtis Blaydes / KO / 3rd Round

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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com