Alexander Volkov says he knew he was destined to meet Cyril Gane in the Octagon, so he wasn't surprised when the UFC offered the fight between two of the heavyweight division's rising contenders. The fifth-ranked Volkov and third-ranked Gane will meet Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Volkov in Las Vegas. The main UFC fight card is set for 4 p.m. ET and comes to a close with this showcase of ranked title contenders. Gane is a relative newcomer to the sport and has as many total professional MMA fights (nine) as Volkov has career losses.
Gane is a -150 betting favorite (risk $150 to win $100), while Volkov is a +125 in the latest UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Volkov odds from William Hill Sportsbook. In the co-main event, heavyweights again take center stage as prospect Tanner Boser (-170) squares off against veteran Ovince Saint Preux (+145). Before making any picks of your own for UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Volkov, make sure you see the MMA expert predictions and best bets from SportsLine MMA insider Ian Parker.
A former fighter who's been in the industry for 15 years, Parker has managed some of the world's best, including former UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman, Costas Philippou and Gian Villante. Parker trained alongside UFC Hall of Famer Matt Serra. Now, Parker breaks down fights and makes betting picks for the Voice of the UFC, Jon Anik.
Parker is coming off a mind-boggling 2020 season. On the Anik & Florian Podcast, Parker went an astounding 58-14, returning $9,465 to $100 bettors who followed him. He hit 11 of his 17 underdog picks and 19 of 30 main events. Overall, Parker nailed an astonishing 81 percent of his plays.
Parker has already proven his mettle to SportsLine members. Last week at UFC Fight Night, he encouraged SportsLine members to back Sergey Spivak (-220) against veteran Aleksei Oleinik in the heavyweight co-main event. Spivak won by unanimous decision to give Parker's followers another winner. Anyone who has followed him has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Gane in sight, Parker has studied the MMA odds and matchups from every angle and released his top picks. You can only see them on SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Volkov preview
Parker knows Saturday's main event is a touchstone moment in the career of both fighters, because the winner could be fighting for the title in his next appearance. Current champion Francis Ngannou is expected to face second-ranked Derrick Lewis in a rematch for his first title defense. Former champ Stipe Miocic could be considered to face the winner of that bout, but Saturday's main-event winner should also be in the conversation.
Gane (8-0) and Volkov (33-8) are both considered among the best athletes and strikers in the heavyweight division, leading most MMA observers to anticipate an action-packed fight. Both appear to be continually improving and, in their early 30s, are considered in their physical prime by MMA heavyweight standards.
Volkov, 32, is just one year older than Gane but has considerably more high-level MMA experience. The Russian slugger is both a former Bellator and M-1 Global heavyweight champion who has had some memorable battles against world-class opponents. His resume includes wins over former UFC champion Fabricio Werdum and former title-challenger Alistair Overeem, whom he stopped in the second round of their February matchup.
The 31-year-old Gane is a former Muay Thai champion who usually weighs in around the division limit of 265 pounds, but has the speed and agility of a much smaller fighter. The French fighter emerged as a legitimate title-contender when he knocked out former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos in December of last year. You can only see Parker's Gane vs. Volkov picks here.
Top UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Volkov predictions
We'll share one of Parker's UFC Fight Night predictions here: He is going with Andre Fili (-230) to get his hand raised against Daniel Pineda (+195) in a matchup of featherweight contenders.
Fili (21-8) is an eight-year UFC veteran who trains out of the famed Team Alpha Male gym in Sacramento and is known for his propensity to engage in all-out wars. The 30-year-old fighter has faced some of the division's biggest names, but his quest towards potential title-contention has been marked by inconsistency. His last outing resulted in a narrow decision loss to Bryce Mitchell, who is now ranked No. 12 at featherweight.
Pineda (27-14-2) is in his second stint with the UFC after strong runs through Bellator and Fury FC provided him another opportunity on the big stage. The 35-year-old Houston native is 1-1 since his return and is looking to rebound from a loss to veteran contender Cub Swanson in December.
"As long as Fili stays composed and doesn't allow Pineda to turn this into a brawl, this is his fight to win," Parker told SportsLine.
How to make UFC Fight Night picks
Parker also has strong picks for Gane vs. Volkov and other fights on the UFC fight card. He's also backing one fighter to use his speed to get a decisive win. Those selections are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins Gane vs. Volkov? And which fighter is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed top picks for UFC Fight Night Volkov vs. Gane, all from the ultimate insider who's up nearly $9,500 on MMA picks in the past year, and find out.
UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Volkov odds
Cyril Gane (-150) vs. Alexander Volkov (+125)
Tanner Boser (-170) vs. Ovince Saint Preux (+145)
Danilo Marques (+110) vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (-130)
Andre Fili (-230) vs. Daniel Pineda (+190)
Renato Moicano (-240) vs. Jai Herbert (+200)
Raoni Barcelos (-220) vs. Timur Valiev (+180)
Shavkat Rakhmonov (-300) vs. Michel Prazeres (+240)
Tim Means (-130) vs. Nicola Dalby (+110)
Marcin Prachino (-195) vs. Ike Villanueva (+165)
Julia Avila (-360) vs. Julia Stoliarenko (+280)
Charles Rosa (-170) vs. Justin Jaynes (+145)
Damir Hadzovic (-150) vs. Yancy Medeiros (+125)
