UFC 284 Picks and Preview: Islam Makhachev-Alexander Volkanovski

On Saturday, the UFC will be heading to Perth, Australia, for UFC 284 live from RAC Arena. The main card will air on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+. The main event will feature a UFC Lightweight Championship bout between current champion Islam Makhachev and featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. In the co-main event, Yair Rodriguez faces off against Josh Emmett in a featherweight bout. Below are some MMA DFS picks with the help of Stokastic’s UFC DFS projections. Let’s see what’s on tap for UFC 284.

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MMA DFS Picks: UFC 284 Makhachev-Volkanovski

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Jack Jenkins $9,300 vs. Don Shainis $6,900

Jack Jenkins

Age: 29
Height: 5-foot-6
Weight: 145 lbs.
Reach: 68 ins.
Record: 10-2-0
Striking Accuracy: 67%
Betting Odds: -400

Jack Jenkins has been rolling of late, sporting a seven-fight winning streak with three wins via knockout, two via submission and two via decision. He punched his ticket to the UFC on The Contender Series, where he finished Freddy Emiliano Linares via knockout in the third round. Expect Jenkins’ wrestling chops to stop any early pressure from Shainis, and he should steadily work his way to a mid- to late-round finish via knockout.

Don Shainis

Age: 32
Height: 5-foot-5
Weight: 146 lbs.
Reach: 67 ins.
Record: 12-4-0
Striking Accuracy: 63%
Betting Odds: +300

Don Shainis was on fire until he met Sodiq Yusuff last time out, where Yusuff extinguished the blaze in 30 seconds with a guillotine choke. Prior to that, Shainis had four wins via knockout, with three coming in the first round. He is reckless but has the heavy pressure and power to end Jenkins’ winning streak if he can keep this fight from hitting the canvas. Expect Shainis to bring heavy pressure, looking to disrupt Jenkins rhythm and land a power shot to end his night. Stokastic’s MMA DFS projections give him 24.25 win odds.

The pick on DraftKings and FanDuel is Jenkins. His sharp boxing, power and durability will be too much for Shainis to overcome. Jenkins has 75.5% win odds according to Stokastic’s UFC DFS projections and a 52.7 % chance for a knockout.

UFC DFS Pick: Jack Jenkins via Second-Round KO/TKO

Tyson Pedro $8,900 vs. Modestas Bukauskas $8,000

Tyson Pedro

Age: 31
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 205 lbs.
Reach: 79 ins.
Record: 9-3-0
Striking Accuracy: 69%
Betting Odds: -250

Tyson Pedro started his UFC career hot, winning his debut over Khalil Rountree via submission and following that up with an impressive knockout of Paul Craig. However, that gave way to a 1-3 skid and a 3 ½-year layoff. Since returning to the Octagon in 2022, Pedro has made quick work of Ike Villanueva and Harry Hunsucker, finishing both via first-round knockout. Although Villanueva and Hunsucker are not the strongest light heavyweights, Pedro should have too much power for the undersized Bukauskas. Expect Pedro to bring heavy pressure and overwhelm Bukauskas, finding another early finish.

Modestas Bukauskas

Age: 28
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 205 lbs.
Reach: 78 ins.
Record: 13-5-0
Striking Accuracy: 38%
Betting Odds: +198

Modestas Bukauskas started his UFC career with an impressive first-round knockout over Andreas Michailidis in 2020, only to fall victim to Jimmy Crute, Michal Oleksiejczuk and Khalil Rountree in his next three bouts. He then exited the UFC and went back to Cage Warriors, once again claiming the promotion’s light heavyweight title with a knockout over Chuck Campbell in December. Bukauskas is getting a second chance, stepping in on two weeks’ notice for the injured Zhang Mingyang. Expect Bukauskas to come out looking to impress this time around, but Pedro’s striking will to be too much in the end.

The pick on DraftKings and FanDuel is Pedro. His power striking, durability and heavy pressure will overwhelm Bukauskas. Stokastic’s MMA DFS projections give Tyson Pedro 68.7% win odds and a 50.2% chance for a knockout.

UFC DFS Pick: Tyson Pedro via First-Round KO/TKO

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Jack Della Maddalena $9,200 vs. Randy Brown $7,000

Jack Della Maddalena

Age: 26
Height: 5-foot-9
Weight: 170 lbs.
Reach: 73 ins.
Record: 13-2-0
Striking Accuracy: 52%
Betting Odds: -340

Jack Della Maddalena will be looking to keep climbing up the rankings with a win over Randy Brown. Maddalena is a very talented technical boxer, which has earned himself 11 of 13 victories via knockout. His best attribute is his precise technical striking; however, once the fight hits the mat, Maddalena is capable of handling himself in any scrambling situations that may occur. Maddalena’s only issue has been trusting his gas tank, as he will push the pace early looking for the finish or start slow so that he can fight the entire 15 minutes. Brown will be tough test, but Maddalena will put on a show in his hometown.

Randy Brown

Age: 35
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 170 lbs.
Reach: 78 ins.
Record: 16-4-0
Striking Accuracy: 51%
Betting Odds: +260

Brown is well rounded inside the Octagon, with solid striking and a dangerous submission game. He is a crafty veteran, using crazy movement and constantly switching stances to confuse his opponent. The issue is Brown does not fluidly strike when switching stances, which gives Maddalena an opportunity to blitz Brown with big power strikes. Facing a technical boxer like Maddalena could cause huge problems for Brown’s style, ending in Brown getting tagged and put on the canvas early.

The pick on DraftKings and FanDuel is Maddalena. His power punching, timing, technical boxing and heavy pressure will overwhelm Brown. Stokastic’s MMA DFS projections give Jack Della Maddalena 74.9% win odds and a 52.8% chance for a knockout.

UFC DFS Pick: Jack Della Maddalena via Second-Round KO/TKO

Islam Makhachev $9,500 vs. Alexander Volkanovski $6,700

Islam Makhachev

Age: 31
Height: 5-foot-8
Weight: 155 lbs.
Reach: 70.5 ins.
Record: 23-1-0
Striking Accuracy: 72%
Betting Odds: -375

Makhachev is the reigning UFC lightweight champion and is riding an 11-fight winning streak. Makhachev made his UFC debut in 2015 and was stopped in his second fight when Adriano Martins knocked him out in the first round. Since then, Makhachev has been unstoppable under former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov will not be in Makhachev’s corner for this fight in Australia, but that should not be a concern; Makhachev has performed extremely well without Nurmagomedov in the past. Expect Makhachev to bring his smothering sambo style to the Octagon in hopes of walking out victorious once again.

Alexander Volkanovski

Age: 34
Height: 5-foot-5
Weight: 144 lbs.
Reach: 71.5 ins.
Record: 25-1-0
Striking Accuracy: 59%
Betting Odds: +285

Volkanovski has not lost a fight since 2013, winning 23 straight. He defeated Max Holloway for the featherweight title in 2019 and successfully defended his title against Holloway in 2020 and 2022. He is a well-rounded fighter and a relentless striker, using brutal leg kicks to control range. Over time, Volkanovski’s grappling has gotten better to the point where he has showed the ability to battle with some of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the division. Furthermore, Volkanovski put on a show against Brian Ortega, escaping a choke that would have put anyone else to sleep. Ortega is possibly the best jiu-jitsu practitioner in the division.

That said, expect this to be an exciting fight, and it will be interesting to see how Makhachev prepares for the skills of Volkanovski. He is making a strong case to be considered the greatest featherweight of all time.

The lean on DraftKings and FanDuel is Makhachev. His heavy pressure, timing, durability, mastery on the mat and ability to read his opponent will seal the victory. Stokastic’s MMA DFS projections give Islam Makhachev 77.4% win odds and a 48.5% chance for a knockout.

UFC DFS Pick: Islam Makhachev via Third-Round Submission