Father Time remains undefeated—but Alexander Volkanovski is still giving him a hell of a fight.
If you tuned into UFC 325 expecting the “Over 35 Curse” to finally catch the featherweight king, you lost money. In front of a raucous home crowd of more than 18,000 fans at Qudos Bank Arena, Volkanovski delivered a vintage performance to tie José Aldo’s record for title defenses.
But while the main event celebrated the old guard, the rest of the card felt like a violent changing of the guard. Prospects turned into contenders, veterans fought for their careers, and betting favorites cashed tickets with ruthless efficiency.
Here is the full breakdown of what happened in Sydney, how our official picks performed, and what it all means for your bankroll moving forward.
🏆 Main Event: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 (The Masterclass)
Result: Alexander Volkanovski def. Diego Lopes via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 50-45).
All week, the narrative was that Volkanovski was slowing down. We talked about it. The oddsmakers priced it in. But on Sunday afternoon in Sydney, “The Great” reminded everyone why fight IQ still matters more than raw athleticism.
The Fight Story
Diego Lopes came out dangerous, but Volkanovski executed a near-perfect tactical game plan. He neutralized Lopes’ explosive entries with constant footwork and completely shut down the grappling exchanges that caused problems in their first meeting.
By the championship rounds (4 and 5), it wasn’t even close. Volkanovski out-landed Lopes 55–32 in the fourth round alone, proving his gas tank is still the best in the division.
The Betting Verdict
Winner: Volkanovski by Decision (+110) — our “Safety Play,” and it cashed comfortably.
Over 3.5 Rounds (-150) — we predicted a long, tactical fight, and that’s exactly what we got.
🔥 Co-Main: The “God of War” Arrives
Result: Benoît Saint Denis def. Dan Hooker via TKO (Round 2, 4:45).
We warned that Dan Hooker’s durability would be a liability against a pressure fighter like Saint Denis. While Hooker found some early success with his range, the “God of War” eventually imposed his will.
BSD walked through fire to close the distance, dragging Hooker into deep waters in round two. A massive overhand left dropped the Kiwi, and the ground-and-pound that followed was relentless. Hooker is tough—but he simply couldn’t get the Frenchman off him.
The Takeaway
Benoît Saint Denis is ready for the Top 5. For bettors, the BSD Inside the Distance prop was the correct angle, even though our specific “Submission” call missed by a matter of punches.
😲 The Upset: Ruffy Stuns Fiziev
Result: Maurício Ruffy def. Rafael Fiziev via TKO (Round 2, 4:30).
We have to own this one.
In our breakdown, we labeled Maurício Ruffy a “hype train” and backed the experience of Rafael Fiziev. We were wrong.
Ruffy looked sensational. He weathered the early leg kicks from “Ataman” and showed that his sniper-like precision translates at the elite level. Late in the second round, he caught Fiziev with a barrage of punches to secure the biggest win of his career.
The “Fighting Nerds” camp is legitimate—and Ruffy is officially a problem at lightweight.
👟 Heavyweight: The Sad Decline of Bam Bam
Result: Tallison Teixeira def. Tai Tuivasa via Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3).
This one was tough to watch. We took a shot on Tuivasa as a heavy underdog (+260), hoping the home crowd would spark a Round 1 knockout. Instead, we saw a hesitant Tuivasa get picked apart by the 6’7″ reach of Teixeira.
Tuivasa has now lost six of his last seven fights. The explosion is gone, and he struggled to close the distance against the towering Brazilian. Teixeira fought smart (and honestly, a bit boring), but he did what he had to do.
The Under 1.5 Rounds bet died a slow death as this fight dragged into a decision.
⭐️ The Lock: Salkilld Shines
Result: Quillan Salkilld def. Jamie Mullarkey via Submission (RNC, Round 1).
This was the easiest money on the card.
We told you Salkilld was the “Showcase” fight. We told you Mullarkey’s durability was gone. And Salkilld delivered. He hurt Mullarkey on the feet, took the back during the scramble, and locked in the choke at 3:02 of the first round.
If you parlayed Salkilld with anything else on the card, you started the night with a green checkmark.
💰 Final Betting Scorecard
Here is how our Main Card Money official picks performed in Sydney:
| Fight | Our Pick | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volkanovski vs. Lopes | Volkanovski (Dec) | Volk Dec | ✅ Win |
| Hooker vs. Saint Denis | BSD (Inside Dist) | BSD TKO | ✅ Win |
| Fiziev vs. Ruffy | Fiziev ML | Ruffy TKO | ❌ Loss |
| Tuivasa vs. Teixeira | Tuivasa (KO) | Teixeira Dec | ❌ Loss |
| Salkilld vs. Mullarkey | Salkilld (Sub) | Salkilld Sub | ✅ Win |
| Prelim Dog: Finney | Finney ML | Malkoun Dec | ❌ Loss |
The Bottom Line
We went 3–2 on the Main Card. The upset loss on Fiziev hurt, but hitting the Volkanovski (+110) and Salkilld (-145) props kept the night profitable.
What’s Next?
We’ll take a week to recover, review the tape, and get ready for the next card. Keep an eye out for our early look at UFC 326, where we hope to see Ilia Topuria back in action.
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