UFC 284 best bets: Heavy hitters to kick off PPV with a bang

Saturday's UFC 284 features a superfight between lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.

Also on the card, Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett will meet for the interim featherweight title.

Makhachev is a heavy favorite to retain the lightweight belt in the main event, sitting at -400 on theScore Bet. The odds should probably be a bit closer; Volkanovski is constantly doubted, and his 12-0 UFC record speaks for itself. However, Makhachev's grappling, size, and strength are all problems for Volkanovski. Pass on the fight.

Before the action gets underway at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, here are the two best bets for the event.

Tyson Pedro (-245) / Crute-Menifield doesn't go the distance (-350)

$100 parlay to win $81.05 profit

In a light heavyweight contest, Tyson Pedro is set to welcome Modestas Bukauskas back to the UFC - but it won't be a happy return for "The Baltic Gladiator."

Bukauskas, still only 28 years old, earned two victories in Cage Warriors last year to land a spot on the UFC roster again after the promotion released him in 2021. He went 1-3 in his first tenure, which began in 2020, with two of those losses coming by knockout. He won't find much more success a second time around, at least not against Pedro.

The 31-year-old Pedro returned to the Octagon in 2022 after spending more than three years on the sidelines. It appears the time away helped, as he picked up back-to-back first-round TKOs over Ike Villanueva and Harry Hunsucker.

Pedro has looked good and is going to keep the momentum going. He's too powerful. Bukauskas is the more technical striker of the two, but Pedro, who is from Australia, will overwhelm him with aggression and big bombs. If he can find Bukauskas' chin, it could be game over. What a moment that would be for Pedro in his home country.

The other side of the parlay features Jimmy Crute taking on Alonzo Menifield in another light heavyweight matchup. This one kicks off the pay-per-view main card.

It's hard to see how the fight makes it out of the first seven-and-a-half minutes, never mind going the full 15. Crute and Menifield are both proven finishers, and they've both been on the wrong end of stoppages as well.

Crute has only gone the distance three times in 15 professional fights, while Menifield has only seen the judges' scorecards three times in 16 pro bouts. All four of Crute's UFC wins, and five of Menifield's six victories, were finishes. Crute was finished in all three of his UFC losses, and Menifield has been knocked out once, against Ovince Saint Preux in 2020.

It may be obvious after seeing those stats, but Crute and Menifield are two of the hardest hitters in the division. Crute also has sloppy defense in the stand-up department.

So, to put it bluntly, someone's going to sleep.

Jack Della Maddalena by knockout or TKO (-125)

Della Maddalena is one of the hottest prospects in the welterweight division, and he has a chance to inch his way closer to the top 15 by taking out veteran Randy Brown.

The Perth native is 3-0 - all first-round knockouts - since joining the UFC last year following a successful appearance on Dana White's Contender Series in 2021. He's a savvy striker and clearly has a lot of power. That'll be a major problem for Brown.

"Rudeboy" has won four straight and, to give credit where it's due, has looked much improved as of late. He's one of the bigger fighters in the 170-pound division, standing 6-foot-3 with a 78-inch reach. Della Maddalena will need to ensure he closes the distance and doesn't allow Brown to control the pace of the fight.

But if the Australian is able to do that, expect a patient Della Maddalena to find his openings and eventually put Brown away.

Here are the full odds for UFC 284 on Feb. 11:

Main card

• Islam Makhachev (-400) vs. Alexander Volkanovski (+300)
• Yair Rodriguez (-175) vs. Josh Emmett (+145)
• Jack Della Maddalena (-330) vs. Randy Brown (+260)
• Justin Tafa (-130) vs. Parker Porter (+105)
• Jimmy Crute (-195) vs. Alonzo Menifield (+165)

Preliminary card

• Tyson Pedro (-245) vs. Modestas Bukauskas (+200)
• Josh Culibao (-112) vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (-112)
• Kleydson Rodrigues (-350) vs. Shannon Ross (+275)
• Jamie Mullarkey (-270) vs. Francisco Prado (+220)

Early preliminary card

• Jack Jenkins (-380) vs. Don Shainis (+290)
• Loma Lookboonmee (-275) vs. Elise Reed (+225)
• Shane Young (-140) vs. Blake Bilder (+115)
• Zubaira Tukhugov (-650) vs. Elves Brener (+425)