Oliveira – Makhachev: UFC 280 Timely Odds, News and Analysis

UFC 280 is about two and a half weeks away, set for October 22 in Abu Dhabi at Etihad Arena on Yas Island. You can catch the main card on pay per view, with the preliminary cards airing on ESPN and ESPN+. The top of the bill will feature two championship fights, with Charles Oliveira (33-8, 21-8 UFC) looking to get his status back as undisputed UFC Lightweight Champion in his fight against Islam Makhachev (22-1, 11-1 UFC) for the belt, which is currently vacant. This will mark the first time in the history of UFC that two fighters will meet in the Octagon riding streaks of at least 10 wins in a row. In the co-headliner, Aljamain Sterling (21-3, 13-3 UFC) will go for his second straight defense of his UFC Bantamweight Championship against former champ T.J. Dillashaw (17-4, 13-4 UFC). If Dillashaw wins, it would be a rare third time a UFC fighter had held a divisional title. In the main event, Makhachev (-165) is the favorite to beat Oliveira (+135), and in the bantamweight tilt, Sterling (-165) is the favorite over Dillashaw (+130). If you’re going to add this to your UFC betting, take a look at our early preview.

UFC News: Early Odds for UFC 280

The main event is already taking on the dimensions of a signature main event. Islam Makhachev is an elite fighter despite the one-dimensional nature of his technique. Interestingly, Makhachev has never taken on a ranked fighter; his last two fights have come against strikers, and he has had the benefit of a full camp before each, while both of his last two opponents had to take the fight on short notice. This means that he will get a test in Oliveira that he has not had before. Makhachev does train with Khabib Nurmagedov, which means that he should have plenty of exposure to what a top fight like this will be like, but there is no substitute for actual experience in the Octagon. Oliveira has a striking game that will give Makhachev some problems, unless Makhachev can get the fight on the ground. Oliveira could lose quickly once things get horizontal, as Makhachev has that reputation as a submission artist. It’s interesting that Makhachev is the favorite, given his struggles against strikers, but it has worked for him many times before. Even so, given the sizable jump Oliveira represents in talent, he’s worth the value pick, at least for now.

The co-main event is Sterling’s next chapter in his title defense; in his initial defense, he dominated Petr Yan, taking away any questions about whether Sterling was the deserving champion or not. In that fight, Sterling just threw Yan around and would not let him up off the ground, delivering five rounds of punishment. Dillashaw has a strong wrestling game and can do well on his feet, but Sterling is likely to try to get him to the ground anyway. Dillashaw will not be as easy to get on the ground as Yan was, so this could turn into a real grappling battle. In that case, I still see Sterling prevailing after watching how easily he controlled Yan.

An interesting fight that comes a bit lower down the main card is Sean O’Malley vs Petr Yan. This could turn out to be a clinic by Yan as he just stacks up the points, but O’Malley has a long frame for this weight class, and his technical skills are beyond reproach. Yan has more experience, but O’Malley’s length and power could make this more of an even match than the oddsmakers might have thought. This bout could feature a lot of striking from both sides, unless O’Malley tries to copy Sterling’s strategy of taking Yan to the ground. If O’Malley gets even more betting value, this could turn into a big moneymaker.

UFC Betting Odds

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