Category: UFC Odds

Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 302 co-headliner

Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa will throw down in a pivotal middleweight clash in the UFC 302 co-headliner. Here’s what you need to know.

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] and [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] will throw down in a pivotal middleweight clash in the UFC 302 co-main event.

Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa preview

Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC), who dethroned Israel Adesanya to become champion, lost his middleweight title in a close decision to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 in January – a fight he thought he won.

Costa (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) will also look to rebound. After outlasting Luke Rockhold in a Fight of the Night war at UFC 278, Costa dropped an entertaining decision to Robert Whittaker at UFC 298 in February.

Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa preliminary odds

According to preliminary odds on FanDuel, former champion Strickland is a sizable -215 favorite, and Costa is a +164 underdog.

How to watch Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa at UFC 302

  • When: Saturday, June 1, 2024
  • Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
  • Streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC on ABC 6 headliner

Khamzat Chimaev is set for the next toughest test of his career against Robert Whittaker at UFC on ABC 6. Here’s what you need to know.

[autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] got past one former UFC champion in his most recent fight, and this summer he’ll try to defeat another when he meets [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] in June.

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev preview

Undefeated Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), No. 8 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie middleweight rankings, returns for the first time since September 2022, when he defeated former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman by majority decision. Chimaev’s other UFC victories include notables Gilbert Burns and Kevin Holland, among others.

Whittaker (25-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC), ranked No. 4, looks to continue the momentum he picked up from a unanimous decision victory over Paulo Costa in February. The win was his second in three fights and returned him to the win column after a TKO loss to Dricus Du Plessis.

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev preliminary odds

Accord to preliminary odds on FanDuel, the fight is expected to be close, with Chimaev a slight favorite at -186, while Whittaker is listed as a +144 underdog.

How to watch Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev at UFC on ABC 6

When: Saturday, June 22, 2024

Where: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Broadcast/streaming: ABC, ESPN+

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 6.

Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 302 headliner

Islam Makhachev will attempt to make his third title defense against fan-favorite Dustin Poirier at UFC 302. Here’s what you need to know.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]’s pleas for a return to competition were answered with a UFC 302 lightweight title defense against [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] this summer.

Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier preview

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) seeks his third successful title defense and his first against someone not named Alexander Volkanovski. Makhachev rides a 13-fight winning streak into the bout.

Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) will get a rare third shot at UFC gold after two unsuccessful attempts. Poirier’s first title bid was made against Makhachev’s mentor and friend Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019. He challenged for the title in 2021 and lost to Charles Oliveira. Both defeats were submissions.

Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier preliminary odds

Accord to preliminary odds on FanDuel, the fight is something of a mismatch, with Makhachev listed as a heavy -500 favorite, and Poirier as the +340 underdog.

How to watch Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 302

  • When: Saturday, June 1, 2024
  • Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
  • Streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 303 headliner

The long and winding road to booking Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler has finally come to an end. Here’s what you need to know.

The long and winding road to booking a highly anticipated fight between [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] finally came to an end after UFC CEO Dana White announced that McGregor vs. Chandler will culminate International Fight Week by headlining UFC 303 this summer in Las Vegas.

Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler preview

A showdown between former UFC two-division champion McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and former Bellator lightweight champion Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has been expected ever since they served as opposing coaches on Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” last year. But it’s been a waiting game to finally get the fight done as McGregor recovered from a broken leg, exited the UFC’s drug-testing program and then re-entered it, and filmed a “Road House” remake with co-star Jake Gyllenhaal.

All the while, Chandler has been patiently awaiting his big-money fight, having not competed since a November 2022 submission loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 281. It’s been even longer for McGregor, who hasn’t fought since a July 2021 injury TKO loss to Poirier after breaking his leg in the first round.

Both McGregor, 35, and Chandler, 37, have been losers in three of their past four octagon appearances. With their fight being contested at welterweight, it’s hard to say what a win could do for either man in that division, although McGregor is just looking for the biggest fights possible with two bouts left on his UFC contract.

Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler preliminary odds

Accord to preliminary odds on FanDuel, the fight is practically a pick ’em, with McGregor listed at -122 and Chandler -104.

How to watch Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler at UFC 303

  • When: Saturday, June 29, 2024
  • Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
  • Streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.

UFC Saudi Arabia odds: Khamzat Chimaev opens up as betting favorite over Robert Whittaker

Oddsmakers are slightly favoring Khamzat Chimaev over Robert Whittaker.

Oddsmakers are slightly favoring [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] over [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag].

Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) takes on Whittaker (25-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC) in a five-round headliner June 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The main card will air on ABC.

According to SportsBetting, Chimaev is a -175 favorite, meaning a $175 bet on the unbeaten contender would return $100 profit. Whittaker is a +150 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the former champion would win $150 profit.

Chimaev has yet to lose in his professional MMA career. After running through his first four UFC opponents, he outlasted Gilbert Burns in an all-out war at UFC 273. He then quickly tapped out Kevin Holland, before returning to 185 pounds to edge out former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman at UFC 294.

Whittaker’s only losses at middleweight came in title fights against Israel Adesanya until he ran into current champ Dricus Du Plessis, who finished him by TKO at UFC 290. However, Whittaker was able to rebound by defeating Paulo Costa in an entertaining scrap at UFC 298.

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UFC 300 odds: Jiri Prochazka a slight underdog vs. the returning Aleksandar Rakic

Despite the long layoff, Aleksandar Rakic is a favorite over Jiri Prochazka.

Despite the long layoff, [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] is a favorite over [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag].

Former light heavyweight champion Prochazka (29-4-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) meets Rakic (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in the featured prelim of UFC 300 on the April 13  from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

According to BetMGM, Prochazka is a +115 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the former champ would win $115 profit. Rakic is a -140 favorite, meaning a $140 bet on the top contender would return $100 profit.

Rakic hasn’t competed since injuring his knee in a TKO loss to Jan Blachowicz in May 2022. Prior to that, the 32-year-old scored back-to-back wins over former title challengers Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos.

Prochazka will look to rebound from his knockout loss to Alex Pereira in their vacant title fight this past November at UFC 295. The setback snapped Prochazka’s 13-fight winning streak and marked his first loss since 2015.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

UFC on ESPN 54 odds: Erin Blanchfield favored slightly vs. Manon Fiorot

Oddsmakers slightly favor Erin Blanchfield to beat Manon Fiorot at UFC on ESPN 54.

Oddsmakers slightly favor [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] to beat [autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 54.

Blanchfield (12-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) fights Fiorot (11-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the March 30 main event at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. The fight could be a title eliminator.

According to BetMGM, Fiorot is a +125 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the French fighter would win $125 profit. Blanchfield is a -155 favorite, meaning a $155 bet on the 24-year-old would return $100 profit.

Blanchfield and Fiorot have nearly identical MMA records. Both fighters have six wins in the octagon, with Blanchfield submitting former champion Jessica Andrade, then defeating former title challenger Taila Santos this past August.

After scoring a win over ex-title challenger Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 280, Fiorot spoiled former two-time UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas’ flyweight debut when she won by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 226.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 53.

UFC 301 odds: Alexandre Pantoja opens as sizeable favorite to defend title vs. Steve Erceg

Given the disparity in ranking, it should come as no surprise Alexandre Pantoja is heavily favored to retain gold at UFC 301.

Given the disparity in ranking, it should come as no surprise [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] is heavily expected to retain flyweight gold against [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] in the recently announced UFC 301 headliner.

Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) will attempt to make a second consecutive defense of his 125-pound belt when he meets Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) at the May 4 event from Rio Arena in Rio de Janeiro (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+). The champion is fighting on home soil against a significantly less experienced challenger, and the betting odds reflect the advantages.

According to the opening UFC 301 odds from FanDuel, Pantoja is listed as a –280 betting favorite, meaning a $280 bet on him would yield a $100 return. Erceg comes back as a +210 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the Australian would come with a $210 payout.

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Pantoja, No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie flyweight rankings, claimed the title with a split decision win over Brandon Moreno at UFC 290 in July. He registered his first defense with a unanimous decision win over Brandon Royval at UFC 296 in December.

No. 14-ranked Erceg made his octagon debut in June and has since reeled off three consecutive wins, with the highlight on that stretch being a second-round knockout of Matt Schnell at UFC Fight Night 238 earlier this month.

The latest UFC 301 lineup includes:

  • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg – for flyweight title
  • Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez
  • Caio Borralho vs. Paul Craig
  • Vitor Petrino vs. Anthony Smith
  • Makhmud Muradov vs. Michel Pereira
  • Drakkar Klose vs. Joaquim Silva
  • Kevin Borjas vs. Alessandro Costa
  • Dione Barbosa vs. Ernesta Kareckaite
  • Joanderson Brito vs. Jack Shore
  • Elves Brener vs. Myktybek Orolbai
  • William Gomis vs. Jean Silva
  • Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Iasmin Lucindo

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

UFC 300 odds: Alex Pereira opens as slight favorite over Jamahal Hill in main event

Alex Pereira is favored to retain his light heavyweight title against Jamahal Hill in the UFC 300 main event, but not by a large margin.

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] is favored to retain his light heavyweight title against [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] in the UFC 300 main event, but not by a large margin.

UFC CEO Dana White surprised many this past Saturday when he made a left-field announcement for the historic card on April 13 in Las Vegas. Pereira (9-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) will attempt to make his first 205-pound title defense against former champion Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), who was forced to vacate the belt after suffering a ruptured Achilles in July.

Despite Hill’s serious injury and expedited return to the octagon from the original timeline he laid out, “Sweet Dreams” doesn’t find himself too badly discounted by the oddsmakers.

The opening betting line from DraftKings.com has Pereira as the -162 favorite, meaning a $162 bet on the Brazilian would yield a $100 return. Hill, meanwhile, comes back as the +136 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on him would generate $136 in profit if he emerged victorious from the bout.

Hill, 32, hasn’t competed since January 2022, when he won the vacant light heavyweight belt with a unanimous decision win over Glover Teixeira at UFC 283. Pereira, 36, who is a student of Teixeira, will attempt to get revenge for his coach and register a first defense of his belt, which he was unable to accomplish during his first UFC title reign in the middleweight division.

UFC 300 takes place at T-Mobile Arena with a main card on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN.

The latest lineup for the monumental card includes:

  • Champion Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill – for light heavyweight title
  • Champion Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway – for BMF title
  • Champion Weilli Zhang vs. Xiaonan Yan – for strawweight title
  • Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan
  • Kayla Harrison vs. Holly Holm
  • Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic
  • Diego Lopes vs. Sodiq Yusuff
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Bobby Green vs. Jim Miller
  • Cody Brundage vs. Bo Nickal
  • Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Chael Sonnen: Dustin Poirier being an underdog vs. Benoit Saint-Denis is a ‘colossal mistake’

Chael Sonnen can’t fathom the betting odds for Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint-Denis.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] can’t fathom the betting odds for [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag].

Poirier (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) meets rising contender Saint-Denis (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in a five-round co-main event at UFC 299 on March 9 at Kaseya Center in Miami.

According to DraftKings, Saint-Denis is -135 favorite, meaning a $135 bet would be needed on the Frenchman to return a $100 profit. Poirier is a +114 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the former interim champion would win $114. Sonnen thinks the oddsmakers got it wrong.

“Don’t forget, Poirier’s an underdog, which is a colossal mistake,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “There is no justification for whoever set that line. They had better sit there crossing their fingers that they get that one right because there is nothing by the numbers that they can point to to justify telling DraftKings, my partner, that they should put more money opposite Poirier than for him.

“There is nothing by the numbers, just so you understand this. This is 100 percent predicated on perception that one just got his hand raised at Madison Square Garden and one just got upset in Salt Lake City – and nobody has ever moved a line based on venue placement. That’s what happened here. Madison Square Garden seemed so much more grandiose than Salt Lake City. That is what happened. But either way, Dustin is the underdog.”

Poirier is coming off a knockout loss to Justin Gaethje in their BMF title fight this past July at UFC 291. Meanwhile, Saint-Denis extended his winning streak to five when he knocked out Matt Frevola in the first round at UFC 295.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.