Alexander Volkov vs Waldo Cortes Acosta Pick, 05/09/2026 Predictions UFC Vegas 117 Odds

by Josh Schonwald - 5/8/2026

Alexander Volkov vs Waldo Cortes Acosta

UFC Vegas 117

Meta APEX in Las Vegas

Saturday, May 9, 2026

Alexander Volkov will battle Waldo Cortes Acosta at UFC Vegas 117 on Saturday, May 9, 2026. The opener has Volkov coming in at -149 while Acosta is coming in at +129.

Alexander "Drago" Volkov steps into the Octagon holding a record of 39-11-0. The 37-year-old tips the scales at 250 lbs and stands 6'7". The orthodox fighter has an arm span of 80". Waldo "Salsa Boy" Cortes Acosta comes in at 6'4" and weighs 260 lbs. The orthodox fighter comes into this fight with a record of 17-2-0. The 34-year-old reaches 78". Concerning significant strikes, Alexander Volkov is connecting on 4.78 per minute while Waldo Cortes Acosta is landing 5.54 significant strikes per minute. Volkov is connecting on 57% of the significant strikes he throws and Cortes Acosta is connecting on 49%. Concerning the fighter's defense, "Drago" takes 2.86 significant strikes per min while "Salsa Boy" allows 3.38. Volkov also defends 53% of the significant strikes that are thrown his way and Cortes Acosta prevents 56% of the strikes thrown in his direction.

ufc picks Alexander Volkov predictions best bet odds

UFC Vegas 117	Alexander Volkov	Waldo Cortes Acosta
Opening Odds	-149	+129
Record	39-11-0	17-2-0
Average Fight Time	13:03	10:23
Height	6'7"	6'4"
Weight	250 lbs	260 lbs
Reach	80"	78"
Strikes Landed Per Minute	4.78	5.54
Striking Accuracy	57%	49%

In terms of takedowns, Alexander Volkov is the more skilled grappler as he is able to score a takedown 0.57 times per 3 rounds. Volkov is scoring a takedown on 66% of the times he tries and stuffing 68% of takedowns his opponents have attempted. Cortes Acosta is taking his opponents down on 57% of the takedowns he tries and is defending 72% of the tries against him. When it comes to submission attempts, Volkov is the more experienced of the two fighters by going for 0.2 subs per 15 min while Cortes Acosta goes for 0.1 subs per 15 min.

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In his previous bout, Alexander Volkov squared up with Jailton Almeida and wound up getting the win by way of split decision in round 3. Almeida landed 27 of 33 total strikes that he threw in that contest. Volkov walked away from this fight having landed 123 of 130 total strikes. In the category of significant strikes, Almeida ended up landing 9 of 10, which gave him a rate of 90%. He ended up landing 8 of 9 significant strikes to the head. On the other side, Volkov landed 88% of his significant strikes by sticking 24 of 27. Out of all the significant strikes thrown, he landed 19 of 21 aimed at the head. 11% of the significant strikes landed by Almeida and 4% of them connected on by Volkov were tallied at distance.

In the last Octagon appearance for Waldo Cortes Acosta, he faced off with Derrick Lewis and took home the victory by way of a punch to the head while on the ground in round 2. Lewis landed 100% of the significant strikes he took from distance while Acosta connected on 61% of the significant strikes he attempted from distance. Acosta ended up landing 70% of his significant strikes attempted by connecting on 44 of 62. He connected on 35 of 53 significant strikes to the head. Lewis ended up landing 8 of 43 significant strikes in that battle. Of all the significant strikes, he ended up landing 6 of 37 directed at the head. Regarding the total strikes thrown in this fight, Lewis ended up connecting on 8 of 43 and Acosta connected on 46 of 64 of all the strikes he attempted.

Other fights to watch out for

Another bout that you're not going to want to miss is when Sean Brady enters the Octagon against Joaquin Buckley. Brady walks into the Octagon holding a record of 18-2-0. The 33-year-old weighs in at 170 lbs and comes in at 5'10". The orthodox fighter stretches 72". Buckley measures in at 5'10" and steps on the scale at 170 lbs. The southpaw fighter looks to add a win to his career total of 21-7-0. The 32-year-old extends his reach 76". In terms of takedowns, Sean Brady takes his opponents to the canvas 3.53 times per 3 rds and Joaquin Buckley scores a takedown 1.54 times per 15 minutes. In the striking category, Brady lands an average of 3.96 strikes/min and connects on 55% out of all the strikes he attempts. On the other side of the cage you've got Joaquin Buckley, who connects on 36% of the strikes he attempts and is landing 3.88 per min.

If you're going to be watching the fights, don't miss when Jeremy Stephens is set to enter the Octagon with King Green. Green will be looking to add a victory to his record of 34-17-1 (1 NC). The 39-year-old weighs in at 155 lbs and stands 5'10". The orthodox fighter extends his reach 71". Stephens stands in at 5'9" and is weighing in at 155 lbs. The orthodox fighter will be looking to add a victory to his total of 29-22-0 (1 NC). The 39-year-old extends his reach 71". When it comes to takedowns, King Green defends against 72% of his opponents' takedown tries and is taking his opponents down on 42% of the times he tries. Stephens is taking his opponents down on 38% of his attempts and is able to defend against 62% of the takedowns his opponents try. In the matter of striking, Green absorbs 3.58 strikes per min while he is connecting on 6.38 per minute. Stephens, in contrast, is taking 3.14 strikes/minute and is connecting on 3.15 per min.

Who will win tonight's UFC match against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Alexander Volkov (-149)

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Alexander Volkov vs Waldo Cortes Acosta Pick, 05/09/2026 Predictions UFC Vegas 117 Odds

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