UFC 314: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes full prelim fight card predictions

The UFC is in Miami, FL for a UFC 314 event headlined by a featherweight title fight, and MMA KO’s Drew Beaupré is here to provide picks for all eight of the night's prelim fights.

The main event of UFC 314 is a fight for the vacant featherweight title between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes, and the co-main event is a pivotal lightweight matchup featuring Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett.

Light heavyweights Nikita Krylov and Dominick Reyes open the main card action, and the PPV also includes a pair of huge featherweight bouts with Yair Rodriguez welcoming former Bellator Champion Patricio Pitbull to the UFC and Bryce Mitchell taking on the surging Jean Silva.

Brian Ortega (red gloves) fights Diego Lopes (blue bloves) during Riyadh Season Noche UFC 306 at Sphere. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

UFC 314 Preliminary Card Predictions

Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson

Sean Woodson (red gloves) fights Fernando Padilla (blue gloves) at Amalie Arena. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Ige will need to close the distance and make this a gritty fight if he wants to score an upset, but it’s hard to pick against Woodson here given his current run and the sizeable height and reach advantage he holds over the longtime UFC veteran.

(Pick: Woodson)

Yan Xiaonan vs. Virna Jandiroba

Virna Jandiroba (red gloves) fights Loopy Godinez (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Boardwalk Hall. | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

This is a huge fight for the strawweight division. Xiaonan successfully rebounded from a failed title bid in her last fight, but I think that Jadiroba will establish herself as a legit title challenger at UFC 314.

(Pick: Jandiroba)

Jim Miller vs. Chase Hooper

Jim Miller (red gloves) fights Damon Jackson (blue gloves) in the lightweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Hooper should absolutely be favored here, but something about how wide the current betting lines are make me feel like this fight is primed for a big upset from the UFC’s all-time wins leader.

(Pick: Miller)

Darren Elkins vs. Julian Erosa

Darren Elkins (red gloves) fights Jonathan Pearce (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Amway Center. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Both of these men enter UFC 314 riding the momentum of back-to-back wins. Elkins will have to be wary of Erosa snatching a guillotine, but I’ll side with “The Damage” to grind out a third-straight victory.

(Pick: Elkins)

UFC 314 Early Preliminary Card Predictions

Sedriques Dumas vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk

Dustin Jacoby (red gloves) fights Michal Oleksiejczuk (blue gloves) during UFC 272 at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Oleksiejczuk is 1-4 across his last five fights but has come up short against some big names in the UFC middleweight division, and this matchup with Dumas looks like a good chance for him to get back on track as well as preserve his place on the roster.

(Pick: Oleksiejczuk)

Sumudaerji vs. Mitch Raposo

Matt Schnell (red gloves) fights Sumudaerji (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at UBS Arena. | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Entering the night on a three-fight skid, Sumudaerji should be able to use a massive reach advantage to get back into the win column as long as he’s able to fend off Raposo’s takedown attempts.

(Pick: Sumudaerji)

Tresean Gore vs. Marco Tulio

Marco Tulio punches Ihor Potieria in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX. | (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Gore’s showed off his guillotine choke in his last two outings to score back-to-back wins, but unless he can close the distance against Tulio the American may find himself outmatched in the striking exchanges here.

(Pick: Tulio)

Nora Cornolle vs. Hailey Cowan

Nora Cornolle (red gloves) fights Joselyne Edwards (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Accor Arena. | Per Haljestam-Imagn Images

Cowan will be motivated to rebound from a loss in her UFC debut here, but even before Cornolle missed weight ahead of UFC 314 it looked like “Wonder” was rightfully favored to get her hand raised in this matchup.

(Pick: Cornolle)

MMA KO will be providing comprehensive coverage for UFC 314 all throughout fight week, and be sure to check back on our homepage for a preview of the event as well as live results and highlights on fight night.

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