Complete UFC 298 predictions & odds: Will Ilia Topuria become the new featherweight champ?

Two months into 2024, the UFC will have their first pay-per-view in the United States and Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria will finally meet in the octagon to settle their dispute.

In the second to last major event leading up to UFC 300, Volkanovski and Topuria will be preceded by Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa in the main event. Also on the main card, Ian Machado Garry makes his long-awaited return in a rebooked fight with Geoff Neal.

With many closely-lined fights and highly-anticipated matchups, UFC 298 is set up to be the biggest event of the year. Before fight night begins, check out our predictions for each fight on the 12-fight card below!

All odds according to DraftKings and are subject to change. Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Miranda Maverick (-185) vs. Andrea Lee (+154)

Bouncing back from a tough loss to Jasmine Jasudavicius with a short-notice victory over Priscila Cachoeira, Miranda Maverick has a chance to return to the rankings against the 35-year-old veteran, Andrea Lee. The biggest factor that sticks out on paper is the age difference, as despite her wealth of experience, Maverick is still just 26. Having lost three in a row to top 10 contenders, Lee is put in a difficult position with her career potentially on the line. The physical advantages favor Lee, who will have a four-inch reach advantage, but her athleticism has been on a noticeable decline while Maverick will be the much stronger fighter in grappling exchanges. Maverick has proven to succeed against other grappling-heavy fighters with wins over Gillian Robertson and Liana Jojua and will be fighting for the first time since nearly becoming a jiu-jitsu world champion at the 2023 IBJJF no-gi tournament.

Prediction: Maverick by decision

Oban Elliott (-310) vs. Val Woodburn (+250)

There is very little footage on both fighters but the story of this matchup will be on the debut of Oban Elliott. To this point, Woodburn is just known as the last sacrificial lamb to Bo Nickal and will be dropping down to welterweight for his second UFC outing. The reasoning was clear, as Woodburn was a perfect opponent for Nickal to showcase his skills with little wrestling background and low volume as a striker. Elliott, while not the wrestler that Nickal is, also loves to wrestle and push a pace, as he showed on Dana White's Contender Series, picking up a win as an underdog. Woodburn could catch him, but Elliott will find his success.

Prediction: Elliott by decision

Danny Barlow (-192) vs. Josh Quinlan (+160)

After an amazing performance on Dana White's Contender Series, Danny Barlow gets a similar matchup with Josh Quinlan for his UFC debut. With both fighters' respective styles, they are unlikely to see the final horn with just three combined decisions between them, and Barlow has all of the advantages to find a finish. Quinlan struggled with the reach of Trey Waters in his last outing and Barlow has a similar seven-inch reach advantage. The power of the Hawaiian is always an equalizer, but Barlow executed a perfect game plan in against Raheam Forest in his last win and should be able to avoid a brawl and get another knockout.

Prediction: Barlow by knockout in round two