- Online sportsbook BetOnline has Magomed Ankalaev as the betting favorite to be the UFC light heavyweight champion at the end of 2023.
- Jamahal Hill, who will fight against Glover Teixeira for the belt next month at UFC 283, is next in the odd board at +300 odds.
- Also listed at +300 odds is immediate former champion Jiri Prochazka who is recovering from a shoulder injury that forced him to relinquish the title at UFC 282.
Magomed Ankalaev may not have won the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 282 but the oddsmakers at online sportsbook BetOnline have him as the betting favorite to wear the 205-pound belt at the end of 2023.
Ankalaev is listed as the +250 favorite to be the light heavyweight champion at the end of 2023. Meanwhile, Jamahal Hill has the second-best odds at +300 after opening at +250. Jiri Prochazka is tied with Hill at +300 odds from +550 while another former champion Glover Teixeira is next at +750 after opening at +400. Jan Blachowicz is also pegged at +750 after hitting the opening betting boards at +650 odds.
Ankalaev and Blachowicz Fight to a Split Draw at UFC 282
Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev react to their split draw at #UFC282 pic.twitter.com/ND0DNWwUhG
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) December 11, 2022
Ankalaev entered UFC 282 as the -260 favorite to win the belt vacated by Prochazka. However, former champion Blachowicz, who was listed as the +220 favorite, started strong and used his leg kicks to slow down Ankalaev. The Russian got his bearings later in the fight but when all was said and done, the judges ruled the bout a split draw, leaving the title vacant.
After the fight, Ankalaev questioned why he did not get “his” belt. Meanwhile, Blachowicz initially said that he was sure that he did not win that fight but was equally unsure if he lost it either. The UFC did not care what the two fighters thought and right after the fight, company president announced that Teixeira and Hill would fight for the belt at the next numbered UFC event – UFC 283 in Brazil on January 21, 2023.
Hill is currently the slight -150 favorite to beat Teixeira who is listed at +130 odds. However, we know how tough Teixeira is and will be in front of his countrymen. If that bout does not end in a draw, then the winner could defend the belt once before 2023 is over. Although no word yet on who will fight the winner of Teixeira vs Hill, it could very well be Ankalaev, Blachowicz, or even Prochazka.
Prochazka Has Sight Set on Getting Belt Back
Jiri provides an update on his injury and has his sights set on getting back the light heavyweight title
(via @jiri_bjp) pic.twitter.com/mMW01HF2dv
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 23, 2022
Prochazka was supposed to rematch Teixeira for the belt at UFC 282 but the champ suffered a severe shoulder injury that required surgery and will sideline him for a significant period. Initially, the recovery period was believed to be at least a year but in his last interview with the media, Prochazka said that he is looking at returning after a six-month absence. That would put him in line to fight again during the second half of 2023, and possibly for the belt that he never lost inside the Octagon.
Teixeira is down to fourth in the latest odd board but do not count out the 43-year-old former champion. The Brazilian veteran won the belt by submitting Blachowicz at UFC 267 and was seconds away from retaining the belt against Prochazka at UFC 275. Teixeira was also given the first crack to fight Ankalaev at UFC 282 however, he turned down the fight and asked for more time to prepare, hence it was Blachowicz who fought Ankalaev at UFC 282.
Blachowicz will be turning 40 this coming February and it looks unlikely that he will get the first crack at the winner of Teixeira vs Hill. But who knows? That fight could end in a draw or he could end up getting the backup fighter role in the next title fights. Meanwhile, Aleksandar Rakic is also listed at +750 odds despite not fighting since suffering a knee injury in his fight against Blachowicz last May.
