© Provided by CBS Sports Oct 27, 2018; Moncton, Canada; Volkan Oezdemire (red gloves) fights Anthony Smith (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Moncton Events Centre.
Veteran heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem will attempt to take a step towards another title shot when he takes on rising prospect Alexander Volkov in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov on Saturday. Their clash tops the docket from the UFC's Apex facility in Las Vegas, with the main UFC fight card scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. The fifth-ranked Overeem is one of the most accomplished mixed martial artists in the sport's history, but one accolade that has eluded him is the UFC heavyweight title.
However, the one-time title challenger is determined to get another shot at the crown before he hangs up his gloves. Volkov is a -180 favorite (risk $180 to win $100), while Overeem is a +160 underdog in the latest UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov odds at William Hill Sportsbook. Before locking in any MMA picks of your own, make sure you see what SportsLine analyst Kyle Marley has to say, considering the epic run he's on.
Marley won the first-ever "ToutMaster" UFC betting contest sponsored by MMAOddsBreaker and appears regularly on multiple MMA betting and daily Fantasy shows. He watches every single fight for every professional MMA card and does extensive research before each event.
Over the past 24 months, $100 bettors who have followed Marley's MMA picks are up more than $22,000. The accomplished MMA analyst heads into 2021 on the heels of a memorable run in 2020 that saw him hit on 24 of his last UFC 34 main-event selections, a stretch that included a streak of five straight underdogs.
Marley started 2021 off on a winning note by telling SportsLine members to support former featherweight champion Holloway (-160) against rising contender Calvin Kattar (+140) in the main event of UFC Fight Night three weeks ago. Anyone who has consistently followed Marley is way up.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov fast approaching, Marley has carefully studied every matchup on the card, identified the best value in the UFC odds and released his UFC picks for every fight. Those selections are only available here.
UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov preview
Marley knows the main event will play a major role in the future of a heavyweight division that has stagnated of late but should see plenty of action in 2021. Champion Stipe Miocic hasn't fought since beating Daniel Cormier to win their memorable trilogy last August. The champion is scheduled to take on top-ranked contender Francis Ngannou in March, and the winner of Saturday's main event should have a case for the next title bout.
Overeem (47-18-1) has come up short against both Miocic and Ngannou and would welcome a rematch with either. He had Miocic in trouble early before the volunteer firefighter turned the tables and earned a stoppage in their September 2016 title fight. The 40-year-old Dutch fighter also was memorably knocked out by Ngannou in December 2017.
Even so, the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion has won four of his past five bouts, all against upper-tier competition. He swept both of his 2020 bouts and is coming off an impressive fifth-round stoppage of prospect Augusto Sakai last September.
Overeem faces a similarly well-rounded opponent in Volkov (32-8), who already has notched wins against the likes of former champion Fabricio Werdum and fellow prospect Greg Hardy.
The 32-year-old former Bellator heavyweight champion split two bouts last year. He lost a close decision against second-ranked Curtis Blaydes before rebounding for a second-round finish in October against Walt Harris, who was in the top 10 at the time of their bout. You can see Marley's coveted Volkov vs. Overeem picks here.
UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov predictions
We'll reveal one of Marley's UFC Fight Night selections here: He is backing Michael Johnson (-215) to get his hand raised against Clay Guida (+185) in a matchup of lightweight veterans.
Johnson (19-16), 34, has been a perennial contender across multiple divisions and has a reputation for action-packed fights. He has faced some of the sport's biggest names, and his resume includes a knockout of former interim champions Dustin Poirier and Tony Ferguson.
Guida (35-20) is a longtime fan favorite who has wins over former champion Rafael dos Anjos and UFC icon Nate Diaz to his credit. The 39-year-old is looking to snap a two-fight losing streak after he dropped a decision to Bobby Greene last June.
"Johnson should be too fast for him and is the much better striker," Marley told SportsLine. "He is also the better wrestler, so he should be able to keep this fight on his feet for the most part. I think he gets a clear win."
How to make UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov picks
Marley also has strong picks for Overeem vs. Volkov and every other bout on the UFC Fight Night card. He's also backing one fighter who's "dangerous on the mat" and has a "huge edge in striking." Those selections are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins Overeem vs. Volkov? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC Fight Night, all from the incomparable expert who's up more than $22,000 on MMA in the past 24 months, and find out.
UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov odds
Alexander Volkov (-180) vs. Alistair Overeem (+160)
Cory Sandhagen (-440) vs. Frankie Edgar (+360)
Macy Chiasson (-200) vs. Marion Reneau (+175)
Alexandre Pantoja (-135) vs. Manel Cape (+115)
Cody Stamann (-320) vs. Andre Ewell (+260)
Carlos Diego Ferreira (-120) vs. Beneil Dariush (+100)
Michael Johnson (-215) vs. Clay Guida (+185)
Mike Rodriguez (-230) vs. Danilo Marques (+195)
Molly McCann (-155) vs. Lara Procopio (+135)
Youssef Zalal (-230) vs. Seung Woo Choi (+195)