- Islam Makhachev is the -150 favorite to face Charles Oliveira next.
- Conor McGregor is next at +225 odds
- Oliveira defeated Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 to become the UFC lightweight division no. 1 contender.
Islam Makhachev has emerged as the odds on favorite to be Charles Oliveira’s next opponent.
According to the online sportsbook BetOnline, Makhachev is the -150 favorite to face the Brazilian next with Conor McGregor coming in second at +225 odds.
Next opponent for Charles Oliveira:
Islam Makhachev -150
Conor McGregor +225
Michael Chandler +550
Beneil Dariush +700
Rafael Dos Anjos +900
Alexander Volkanovsjo +1000
Max Holloway +2000 pic.twitter.com/RPcTnmaNFu— Dave Mason (@DaveMasonBOL) May 9, 2022
Oliveira submitted Justin Gaethje at the main event of UFC 274 last weekend in Phoenix, leaving the UFC lightweight title vacant. Oliveira was stripped of the title after failing to make weight for the title bout, leaving Gaethje as the only fighter eligible to win last Saturday.
Oliveira Called out McGregor
“Hey, Conor McGregor you coming up or are you gonna run away?!” 🗣
In what was a fantastic performance, Charles Oliveira calls out Conor McGregor!
Could we see Charles Vs Conor for the title in the summer? 👀
🎥- @btsportufc #UFC274 | #UFC
— James Evans (@EvansJames99) May 8, 2022
Oliveira called out Conor McGregor during his post-fight Octagon interview. McGregor has not fought since breaking his leg during his third fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. The Notorious is expected to return soon and has been making noise about challenging Oliveira for the belt. This is not the first time that Oliveira has mentioned McGregor’s name. Last year, Do Bronx said he was willing to let McGregor skip the line and fight for his belt.
However, Oliveira isn’t the only one who wants a piece of the Conor McGregor pie. He wasn’t the only one who called out McGregor last Saturday. Former Bellator lightweight king Michael Chandler also called out the Irishman after beating Tony Ferguson and said he was willing to fight McGregor at welterweight. McGregor sounded interested in Chandler’s proposal although he did not say he wanted it next.
As for Oliveira, UFC President Dana White said after the weigh-ins that Oliveira would be named as the no. 1 contender if he beat Gaethje, which he did. As the top contender, he is expected to fight for the belt next, and the first name that comes to mind when fighting for the lightweight title is 4th ranked Islam Makhachev who has won 10 consecutive bouts. Hence, Makhachev is favored to fight Oliveira next.
Chandler Calls for Oliveira Rematch
Chandler Calls For Oliveira Rematch: “I Will Finish You Within 2 Rounds” https://t.co/r0q6BheCHc
— MMA News (@mmanews_com) May 9, 2022
Chandler is on top of the world after a spectacular front kick knockout of Tony Ferguson at UFC 274. Not only did Chandler call out McGregor after the win, but he also called for a rematch with Oliveira. It can be recalled that Chandler fought Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title at 262. But after coming close to stopping Oliveira several times in the opening round of that bout, Do Bronx came back to knock Chandler out to win the belt. Chandler at +550 is the third favorite.
Beneil Dariush is fourth on the BetOnline odds board at +700. The no. 6 ranked lightweight in the UFC has won seven consecutive bouts and is one of the fighters also being considered for a title shot. However, UFC President Dana White has kept on talking about a matchup between Dariush and Islam Makhachev.
Next on the list is former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos at +900 in what should be an interesting All-Brazilian showdown. However, if Oliveira’s next bout is for the belt, Dos Anjos is far from the top of the ladder. A super-fight against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is next at +1000 and former featherweight king Max Holloway at +2000 but the two are expected to meet on July 2.
