For the first time in nearly four years, the UFC is returning to the U.K. this weekend and is bringing the heat with two ranked heavyweights headlining the card. No. 6 Alexander Volkov will be taking on No. 11 British fighter Tom Aspinall in the main event.
UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs Aspinall takes place Saturday, March 19, with the prelims beginning at 1 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN+. The lower-ranked fighter is the favorite in Volkov vs Aspinall odds.
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Volkov vs Aspinall Notes
Volkov is looking to get on a winning streak after scoring a unanimous-decision victory over Marcin Tybura in October one fight after losing a split decision to former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane last June.
Meanwhile, Aspinall hasn’t tasted defeat in nearly six years, rattling off seven wins in a row, including four straight in the UFC that were all finishes, with only one reaching the second round.
Volkov vs Aspinall Odds
Online sportsbook Sportsbook has released the Volkov vs Aspinall odds for this week’s UFC Fight Night and set Tom as the -135 favorite and Alexander the +105 underdog. This means to profit $100 on Aspinall, you would need to lay $135, while a $100 winning wager on Volkov would net you $105.
A -135 betting line for Aspinall translates to an implied win probability of 57.45 percent according to our sports betting calculator. Meanwhile, Volkov’s odds represent an implied win probability of 48.78 percent.
Hop into the betting Octagon with the help of our sportsbook review:
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If you’re putting together a UFC parlay and want the biggest favorite on the card, there are two options to choose from, with Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett both set at -550. Meanwhile, the tightest odds are found in the bantamweight prelim fight between Timur Valiev (-115) vs Jack Shore (-115).
Volkov vs Aspinall Betting Odds & Fight Card
- Main Card
- Heavyweight – Alexander Volkov (+105) vs Tom Aspinall (-135)
- Featherweight – Arnold Allen (-110) vs Dan Hooker (-120)
- Lightweight – Paddy Pimblett (-600) vs Rodrigo Vargas (+400)
- Welterweight – Gunnar Nelson (-525) vs Takashi Sato (+375)
- Heavyweight – Shamil Abdurakhimov (+220) vs Sergei Pavlovich (-300)
- Light Heavyweight – Nikita Krylov (-200) vs Paul Craig (+160)
- Prelims
- Lightweight – Jai Herbert (+400) vs Ilia Topuria (-600)
- Bantamweight – Jack Shore (-115) vs Timur Valiev (-115)
- Women’s Flyweight – Molly McCann (-145) vs Luana Carolina (+115)
- Flyweight – Muhammad Mokaev (-425) vs Cody Durden (+325)
- Featherweight – Mike Grundy (-210) vs Makwan Amirkhani (+165)
- Women’s Strawweight – Cory McKenna (-275) vs Elise Reed (+215)
What a loaded UFC Fight Night! Lots of high-level action lies ahead so head on over to our How to Bet UFC guide to get ready to bet on the fights. Also, our UFC betting sites can help you decide where to bet on the UFC. You can see more UFC betting news here at Odds Shark.
- Date/Time: March 19, 1 p.m. ET
- Location: London, United Kingdom
- Arena: O2 Arena
- Where to Watch: ESPN+
UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs Aspinall Best Bets
Here are my three favorite UFC picks for UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs Aspinall, including a pick on that main event.
Alexander Volkov vs Tom Aspinall Odds & Prediction
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alexander Volkov | +105 |
| Tom Aspinall | -135 |
Tom Aspinall (-135) is looking to remain undefeated in the UFC and inch toward the title conversation. He will look to do so against Alexander “Drago” Volkov (+105), who hasn’t lost two fights within a calendar year since 2015.
- Volkov has struggled to find his footing lately, not having a winning or losing streak of more than two over his last seven bouts. He holds a 34-9 record overall with 22 knockout wins while four of his defeats have been finishes (two knockouts, two submissions).
- Drago is a big heavyweight, standing six-foot-seven with an 80-inch reach, though he will only have a two-inch reach advantage in this bout. As such, the striker uses his length well with good, crisp punches and kicks to maintain distance.
- He averages 4.86 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 2.95 and his takedown defense is quite good at 73 percent. That said, he hasn’t fought too many wrestlers and when he took on Curtis Blaydes, he was taken to the floor 14 times.
- At times, Volkov can look a little slow, not only with his footwork but with his punches as well, especially in the pocket. When he’s under pressure, he tends to cover up and avoid damage rather than countering. He does much better when he leads the dance.
- Volkov’s last three fights were Alistair Overeem (win – knockout), Ciryl Gane (loss – unanimous decision) and Marcin Tybura (win – unanimous decision).
- Aspinall had both of his professional losses early in his career, not losing since 2016 when he was disqualified for a downward elbow, the same DQ that Jon Jones had. He now has an 11-2 record, finishing all of his opponents – nine by knockout and two by submission – and his only stoppage loss was a submission.
- While the record would indicate that Aspinall is primarily a striker, he grew up on jiu-jitsu mats and is arguably just as dangerous on the floor as he is on the feet.
- His stats are flat-out impressive through four UFC bouts, averaging 7.19 significant strikes per minute while absorbing just 2.37 and making his opponents miss 70 percent of their strikes. In the grappling department, he has 100 percent takedown accuracy (2-for-2) and 100 percent takedown defense.
- He is incredibly light on his feet, moving like a middleweight, and his ring generalship is very apparent as he backs his foes up, cutting off the cage before going on the attack. Tom has snappy strikes and builds off his jab nicely.
- Aspinall’s last three fights were Alan Baudot (win – knockout), Andrei Arlovski (win – submission) and Serghei Spivac (win – knockout).
Prediction: Tom Aspinall (-135) and Inside the Distance (+150)
Dan Hooker vs Arnold Allen Odds & Prediction
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Dan Hooker | -110 |
| Arnold Allen | -120 |
Following a tough run recently at lightweight, fan favorite Dan “The Hangman” Hooker (-110) is dropping down to featherweight for this co-main event spot. He will have his work cut out for him, though, as opponent Arnold “Almighty” Allen (-120) is on a tear, having not lost since 2014.
- As mentioned, Hooker has had a rough go in recent memory, dropping three of his last four but had previously won three in a row. Overall, he holds a 21-11 record with 17 stoppage victories (10 knockouts, seven submissions) while five of his losses have been finishes (two knockouts, three submissions).
- The Hangman actually started his UFC career in the featherweight division where he sported a 3-3 record. Upon moving up to lightweight, he rattled off wins in six of seven before his recent rough patch. He will be big for the weight class at six feet tall with a 75-inch reach.
- The New Zealand product is tough as nails, willing to stand toe to toe with anyone, and has been in some wars at lightweight. While he’s most known for his work on the feet with brutal kicks, knees and boxing, he did secure seven takedowns over his last four bouts after landing just one in his previous six fights.
- Hooker’s last three fights were Michael Chandler (loss – knockout), Nasrat Haqparast (win – unanimous decision) and Islam Makhachev (loss – submission).
- Not only has Allen not lost in nearly eight years, he’s riding a 10-fight winning streak, including eight in the UFC. He stands 17-1 with nine stoppage wins (five knockouts, four submissions) and his only defeat came via decision.
- The Brit has been exceptionally sound in his UFC career, out-striking six of his eight opponents while chipping in 1.44 takedowns per 15 minutes and defending 76 percent of attempts against.
- He moves incredibly well, even on his back foot, sliding left and right, in and out, while all of a sudden changing direction with a straight punch or takedown attempt. The southpaw has a great jab and his counter left straight is accurate and powerful, but at times he will load up on it too much.
- Allen’s last three fights were Gilbert Melendez (win – unanimous decision), Nik Lentz (win – unanimous decision) and Sodiq Yusuff (win – unanimous decision).
Prediction: Fight Goes The Distance (-150)
Paul Craig vs Nikita Krylov Odds & Prediction
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Paul Craig | +160 |
| Nikita Krylov | -200 |
For the first time in his UFC career, Paul “Bearjew” Craig (+160) finds himself on a winning streak, having won three straight heading into this bout. He will look to continue his winning ways against Nikita “The Miner” Krylov (-200), who has been on a win-one, lose-one streak over his last five fights.
- Not only has Craig won his last three fights but he’s unbeaten in his last five, with his last defeat coming in 2019. He is now 15-4-1 with each of his wins being finishes (three knockouts, 12 submissions). His losses have also been stoppages (three knockouts, one submission).
- Bearjew has a good frame for the light heavyweight division, standing six-foot-three with a 76-inch reach. However, striking isn’t where he does his best work – he is a wizard on the floor with his jiu-jitsu.
- He averages 2.06 takedowns per 15 minutes and frequently searches for grappling exchanges so he can secure a submission. On the feet, he has an OK jab but usually throws lots of kicks as he’s not afraid of being taken down either.
- Craig’s last three fights were Gadzhimurad Antigulov (win – submission), Shogun Rua (win – knockout) and Jamahal Hill (win – knockout).
- A veteran of the cage, this is Krylov’s 15th walk to the Octagon over two stints. He sports a 27-8 record with 26 of his wins being stoppages (11 knockouts, 15 submissions). Six of his losses have been finishes as well (one knockout, five submissions).
- The Miner is a little more well-rounded than Craig, with nearly double the output in the striking department, averaging 4.33 significant strikes per minute. He has had some difficulties stuffing takedowns, though, stopping only 55 percent of attempts, and has been brought to the floor at least once in seven of his last eight UFC bouts.
- He moves quite well and has good kicks, but when he throws punches, at times he can be a little off balance leaning forward, which can lead to being taken down. His first round is typically his best as he’s a fast starter.
- Krylov’s last three fights were Glover Teixeira (loss – split decision), Johnny Walker (win – unanimous decision) and Magomed Ankalaev (loss – unanimous decision).
