- Merab Dvlashvili has moved from the +145 underdog to the -120 favorite against Jose Aldo.
- Aldo meanwhile, opened at -170 but is now the even money underdog on the latest betting boards.
- Dvalishvili and Aldo are scheduled to fight at UFC 278 on August 20, 2022.
The odds for Jose Aldo vs Merab Dvalishvili have taken a 360-degree turn since opening on Wednesday.
Former UFC bantamweight champion Aldo opened as the -170 betting favorite to beat Dvalishvili who hit the betting boards at +145 odds for their UFC 278 bout. Since then, the line has moved in favor of Georgian-born fighters.
According to the best UFC betting sites, Aldo is now at even money odds with Dvalishvili improving to -120 less than 24 hours after the opening odds were released. The quick shift, however, comes as no surprise given how incredible Dvalishvili has looked in recent bouts.
Merab Dvalishvili is Absolutely Incredible
MERAB DVALISHVILI IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE🤩💥
After being seconds away from a KO loss, he came back and finished the fight in the 2nd round.
That is now 7 wins in a row for the Georgian born product🇬🇪
WHAT A WAR!!#UFC266 pic.twitter.com/gq2o4j3IU0
— MMA MOMENTS (@MMAMOMENTS1) September 26, 2021
Dvalishvili heads to UFC 278 on the strength of a seven-bout winning streak, the second longest active streak in the UFC bantamweight division, just one win shy of current bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling’s active record of 7 straight wins. In his last bout, Dvalishvili snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as he came back to finish Marlon Moraes after being seconds away from a KO loss.
9️⃣ Moraes v Dvalishvili
What a comeback from the Machine! A crazy two rounds from UFC 266 comes in at nine in our best fights of 2021! pic.twitter.com/KXrmkZYSEJ
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) December 23, 2021
The 31-year-old is a former Ring of Combat bantamweight champion who also fought under CES MMA. Dvalishvili joined the UFC in 2017 but suffered back-to-back losses to Frankie Saenz and Ricky Simon in his first two assignments. He has not dropped a bout ever since. Overall, “The Machine” has a record of 14-4 with three knockouts and one submission win.
By opening at +145 odds, Dvalishvili opened as the betting underdog for the first time since opening at +170 odds against Brad Katona in May 2019. The only other time Dvalishvili opened with plus money odds was at +175 against Simon. He closed as the betting favorite against Simon and Katona, going 1-1 in those fights.
Jose Aldo Outclasses Rob Font
#UFCVegas44 results: Jose Aldo outclasses Rob Font to win entertaining decision (@theeddiemercado) https://t.co/rgyRXDJt1i
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) December 5, 2021
Aldo turned back the hands of time in his last fight when he outclassed Rob Font to win an entertaining unanimous decision at the main event of UFC Vegas 44 last December 4, 2021. Prior to that bout, Font had won four straight bouts and looked like he was a win or two away from a title shot. Instead, it was Aldo who looked like a title contender after the bout.
The 35-year-old Brazilian was the fourth and final WEC bantamweight champion. Aldo became the inaugural UFC bantamweight king after the merger and he went on to successfully defend the belt seven times ( nine including the WEC ) before losing it to Conor McGregor in a shocking defeat at UFC 194. Aldo struggled with a 3-5 record after that loss but has since won three in a row.
Aldo has opened as the betting underdog only four times in his career and has closed with the plus money sign written next to his name only four times, losing three bouts against Petr Yan, Max Holloway, and Marlon Moraes. The only time Aldo has won with the plus money sign was in his last bout against Font where he closed at +125 odds.
