- The UFC announced last Saturday that Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev will fight for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 280 on October 22 in Abu Dhabi.
- Sportsbooks still have Makhachev as betting favorite to beat Oliveira but the odds have tightened.
- Makhachev is now at -255 after opening at -415 odds last February while Oliveira’s odds are down to +215 from +345.
Oddsmakers have adjusted the betting odds for the Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev showdown.
Betting sites had Makhachev open as a heavy betting favorite to beat Oliveira. But after the UFC officially announced the bout this past weekend, the odds have tightened with Oliveira listed at +215 odds, and Makhachev at -255.
Makhachev Opened at -415 Odds Last February
Islam Makhachev opens up as a favorite in a potential fight with UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira:
Charles Oliveira +345 (69/20)
Islam Makhachev -415 (20/83)(odds via @betonline_ag) 🏆 pic.twitter.com/HHrqAxtZFB
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) February 27, 2022
Last February, Makhachev opened as the heavy -415 betting favorite in a possible lightweight title bout against Oliveira, with Do Bronx hitting the betting boards at +345 odds. But those odds were released one day after Makhachev destroyed Bobby Green in the main event of UFC Vegas 49 after his original opponent Beneil Dariush withdrew from their bout.
Three months after that bout, Oliveira went on to dominate Justin Gaethje at the main event of UFC 274 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. However, because Oliveira missed weight, he was stripped of the title and was ruled ineligible to become champion even if he beat Gaethje. However, UFC President Dana White promised to make Oliveira the top contender if he beat Gaethje, which he did.
Earlier this month, there were rumors that bantamweight champion Alexander Volkanovski would chase a second belt in his next bout. Oliveira opened as the -130 betting favorite to beat Volkanovski in a potential lightweight title clash. However, with last weekend’s announcement, it will be Oliveira and Makhachev for the lightweight gold, and rightfully so.
Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev at UFC 280
#BREAKING: Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev for the vacant lightweight title was just announced for #UFC280 in Abu Dhabi.
Full details: https://t.co/zpTDHOrXsB pic.twitter.com/sJs1RnyQ68
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) July 16, 2022
As the UFC announced last Saturday, Oliveira will try to reclaim the UFC lightweight title he didn’t lose inside the Octagon against Makhachev at the main event of UFC 280 on October 22, 2022. The event will take place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Makhachev has earned the right to fight for the title. The 30-year-old has won ten consecutive fights, including six via stoppage to rise to no. 4 in the UFC lightweight rankings. Meanwhile, Oliveira has won 11 consecutive bouts including 10 via stoppage. H defeated Michael Chandler to win the vacant title at UFC UFC 262 and then successfully defended the belt against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 before submitting Gaethje last May 7th.
Despite his impressive run, Oliveira has always been labeled as the betting underdog in a potential matchup against Makhachev. Now that the bout is finally official, the best UFC betting sites still have Makhachev as the underdog but the latest betting odds have moved in Oliveira’s favor.
