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Brett Okamoto
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Brett Okamoto
ESPN Workforce Author
- Brett Okamoto has reported on combined martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has lined the entire greatest occasions in struggle sports activities right through that point, together with in-depth interviews and lines with names comparable to Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was once additionally a manufacturer at the 30 for 30 movie: “Chuck and Tito,” which regarded again on the careers and contention of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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Ian Parker
Apr 10, 2025, 07:40 AM ET
Alexander Volkanovski is a former UFC featherweight champion who reigned for greater than 4 years, however he has misplaced his two most up-to-date fights, each via knockout. What does Volkanovski must do to regain the throne Saturday when he faces Diego Lopes in a battle for the vacant name at UFC 314 in Miami (ESPN+ PPV at 10 p.m. ET, with prelims on ESPN/ESPN+/Disney+ at 8)?
Volkanovski (26-4) has now not fought since shedding his name to Ilia Topuria in February 2024. However with Topuria having made up our minds to vacate the championship to transport as much as light-weight, Volkanovski gets a shot at his outdated belt via dealing with Lopes (26-6), winner of 5 fights in a row. His most up-to-date victory was once via unanimous determination over onetime name challenger Brian Ortega remaining September.
Volkanovski is No. 2 and Lopes No. 4 within the ESPN featherweight ratings.
Brett Okamoto spoke to UFC featherweight Dan Ige, who’s scheduled to stand Sean Woodson within the UFC 314 prelims and who misplaced to Lopes remaining yr, to get his viewpoint at the major tournament. ESPN having a bet professional Ian Parker added perception and research at the UFC major tournament and different intriguing bets he likes on that card.
Editor’s word: Responses had been edited for brevity and readability.
Featherweight: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes
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Alexander Volkanovski: I plan on reminding everybody that I am not carried out
Alexander Volkanovski joins “First Take” to talk about his upcoming name battle in opposition to Diego Lopes.
Dan Ige, UFC featherweight
How Volkanovski wins: He should use his footwork and check Lopes’ fuel tank within the later rounds. I spotted after I fought Diego that, after I began to put into effect my footwork and located my vary, I began to take over as he pale. That is the place Volk wins. He is a really perfect tactician, and his staff all the time comes up with nice sport plans. He must keep away from Lopes’ explosive flurries early and get the battle to the later rounds. Lopes has an overly giant presence within the Octagon, other from any person else I have ever fought. He throws the whole thing he is were given with 100%, and that’s the reason the place I am getting slightly afraid for Volkanovski. But when he makes use of his footwork and angles and wears on Lopes’ aerobic, I feel he can take over past due.
How Lopes wins: The important thing for him is solely not to trade the rest up. Do not overthink it. The way in which Volkanovski has been knocked out in his previous couple of fights goes to offer Lopes numerous self belief. If you end up preventing someone you understand has been dropped, harm, knocked out, it will provide you with slightly bit of fireside that you’ll do it your self. Diego has lightning in his arms. He is not essentially the most technical fighter, and that’s the reason OK. If he tries to be technical with Volkanovski, Volk wins all day. Do not be technical. Pass in there and battle. Brawl and take a look at to harm the man.
X issue: It is that Lopes presence I spoke about. I have fought Josh Emmett, “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung, Calvin Kattar — none of them had that presence. The entirety Lopes did, it harm.
Prediction: I prefer Volkanovski to win, however I do not depend out Lopes. I feel here is a giant likelihood he can harm Volk in Rounds 1 or 2.
Making a bet research
Odds correct as of newsletter. For essentially the most up-to-date odds, discuss with ESPN BET.
Parker: Lopes to win (+105). Volkanovski isn’t just coming off back-to-back losses for the primary time in his occupation, however the ones losses had been each KOs. Just a little over a yr after the second, he returns to the cage to tackle every other KO artist. Lopes has energy together with elite jiu-jitsu talents. He hardly ever makes use of them, however they are there if wanted. The query with Lopes was once his aerobic — he pale if he could not win in Spherical 1 — however that was once now not a subject in his most up-to-date win over Brian Ortega. At underdog odds/plus cash, I’m taking Lopes to turn into the brand new champ.
Parker’s highest bets on the remainder of the UFC card
Light-weight: Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett
Chandler to win (+125). As a lot of a emerging superstar as Pimblett is, he has but to stand festival of Chandler’s degree, nor has he fought somebody who can pose a danger like Chandler. When composed (which isn’t very incessantly), Chandler has the talent set to be a champion, as we’ve got observed in lots of fights. He was once a couple of seconds from defeating Charles Oliveira of their first battle in 2021 and was once en path to beating Dustin Poirier the following yr till he were given stuck in each fights. Chandler may have the wrestling, velocity and tool merit. So long as he does not get dropped or let Pimblett take his again, Chandler will get the end. At underdog odds in a five-round battle — one thing he has skilled sooner than — I’m taking Chandler.
Featherweight: Yair Rodriguez vs. Patricio Pitbull
Rodriguez to win (-195). Pitbull’s Octagon debut will have to be a banger for quarter-hour. Pitbull has the merit if he wrestles and places Rodriguez on his again. If he can do this, he can remove the unpredictable putting of Rodriguez. Alternatively, many have attempted that and failed, and bearing in mind the way in which Pitbull has fought through the years, I be expecting this battle to stick at the toes. A win over Pitbull, a Bellator MMA legend, would transfer Rodriguez a step nearer to a name shot.
Strawweight: Yan Xiaonan vs. Virna Jandiroba
Jandiroba to win (-150). In what appears to be a No. 1 contender battle, this shall be a fight of types between striker and grappler. Jandiroba has world-class jiu-jitsu, and as her occupation has advanced, so has her putting. In her remaining battle, a submission win over onetime name challenger Amanda Lemos, Jandiroba was once ready to make use of her putting to arrange her flooring sport, which could be the most efficient within the department. Yan has super energy in her putting, but if she is placed on her again (which occurs incessantly), she has a tendency to only play protection and keep there all through the around. Search for Jandiroba to get this battle to the ground as briefly as imaginable and protected her standing as subsequent in line for a crack on the name.
