The UFC returns this Saturday night when the Octagon travels to Perth, Australia for UFC 284. 

The star-studded card features two title fights, including UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev putting his belt on the line against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in a super fight. 

We’ll break down the main event, plus two other bouts, as we make our UFC betting picks for the weekend.

Odds via DraftKings sportsbook and current as of publication. Check out our DraftKings sportsbook review.

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UFC 284 Main Event Best Bet

Islam Makhachev (-365) vs. Alexander Volkanovski (+300)

The main event of UFC 284 is a lightweight title bout between champion Islam Makhachev and challenger Alexander Volkanovski. These are two of the best fighters in the sport, but I believe Makhachev will be able to defend his lightweight title here as a -365 favorite at betting apps.

Makhachev is the UFC lightweight champion. The 31-year-old Russian has a 12-1 record in the Octagon and he is currently riding an 11-fight win streak at the moment. In his last fight, he submitted former champion Charles Oliveira to claim the vacant lightweight title. 

In that fight, Makhachev once again showed off his dominant ground game. He is an amazing wrestler and it’s hard to see anyone being able to thwart his takedown attempts in the UFC. Not only that, but he is also improving his striking as well. Overall he is an amazing fighter and a great champion.

Volkanovski is the UFC featherweight champion. He is now moving up to lightweight to challenge himself and try to win another belt and cement his legacy as an all-time great. The 34-year-old Australian is a perfect 12-0 in the UFC and he has shown amazing skills throughout his time in the Octagon. 

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He is an incredible striker and he also has fantastic grappling skills, making him one of the most well-rounded fighters in the sport. He is a truly special talent, and if he can beat Makhachev, he will go down as one of the all-time best fighters in UFC history.

Makhachev is the best lightweight in the world, and I’m still not sure how Volkanovski will do moving up a weight class. Although Volkanovski is an amazing fighter, the safer pick here is to go with Makhachev to win at -365. For a prop, take a look at Makhachev winning by decision.

UFC 284 Best Bet: Islam Makhachev wins -365 at DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC 284 Best Prop Bet: Islam Makhachev wins by decision +180 at DraftKings Sportsbook

Other UFC 284 Best Bets

Jack Della Maddalena (-315) vs. Randy Brown (+260)

Also on the main card is a welterweight bout between Jack Della Maddalena and Randy Brown. Della Maddalena is a -315 UFC betting favorite, and I believe he will beat Brown for his biggest career win.

Della Maddalena is just 26 years old and the Perth native is quickly becoming one of the most exciting welterweight prospects in the UFC. He joined the UFC roster last year and since then he has won all three of his fights in the Octagon by knockout, showing exceptional boxing skills in all of his performances. 

In fact, he is currently riding a 13-fight win streak overall. Della Maddalena is a stud and he has all of the tools to become a top-10 fighter in the UFC.

Brown, on the other hand, has been in the top-15 rankings before and he’s a very solid fighter in his own right. The 32-year-old old New York native has won his last four fights in a row so he enters this fight with some solid momentum. 

However, if you look closer at those fights, the last couple of them were very competitive decisions. That won’t fly here against Della Maddalena, who will look to take the fight to him immediately. Brown has also been knocked out several times during his UFC career and there is certainly a chance that Della Maddalena can hurt him.

Della Maddalena is one of the best up-and-coming welterweights in the UFC and it won’t be long until he cracks the top 15 rankings. I fully expect him to beat Brown and finish him in a devastating fashion. Give me Della Maddalena to win at -325 and take him to win by TKO.

UFC 284 Best Bet: Jack Della Maddalena wins -315 at DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC 284 Best Prop Bet: Jack Della Maddalena wins by TKO at DraftKings Sportsbook

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Jack Jenkins (-330) vs. Don Shainis (+275)

On the preliminary card is a featherweight bout between Jack Jenkins and Don Shainis. Jenkins is a -330 betting favorite and I fully expect him to get the victory in this fight.

Jenkins is a 29-year-old Aussie and he will be making his UFC debut here in front of his home crowd of fans. To earn a UFC contract, he picked up a dominant win on Dana White’s Contender Series last fall. Overall, he has won his last seven fights in a row, so he enters the UFC with a ton of momentum. He is a very good prospect and I’m excited for him in the UFC.

Shainis, meanwhile, made his UFC debut last year and was submitted by Sodiq Yusuff in just 30 seconds. To be fair to Shainis, that was a short-notice fight against a top-15 opponent, but it wasn’t a good look. 

The 31-year-old American had won five straight fights before that and he showed some good power, but his competition was lackluster. He’s a decent fighter, but going up against a hometown hero in the form of Jenkins could prove to be a tough fight for him.

I think Jenkins will have a great career in the UFC, while I don’t think Shainis is a UFC-level fighter. I’m expecting Jenkins to shine in front of the partisan crowd in Australia and finish Shainis by TKO. Take Jenkins at -330 and take him to win by TKO for a prop bet.

UFC 284 Best Bet: Jack Jenkins wins -330 at DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC 284 Best Prop Bet: Jack Jenkins wins by TKO at DraftKings Sportsbook

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