Top lightweight fighters Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira have both been listed as underdogs for their upcoming fights at UFC 299 and UFC 300, respectively.
Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira, two of the world’s top lightweights, are surprisingly the underdogs in their upcoming UFC 299 and UFC 300 fights. It’s a bit of a shocker, right?
Poirier’s set to face off against Benoit Saint Denis, a rising star, in a five-round co-main event at UFC 299 in March. This is his first time back in the ring since a jaw-dropping head kick knockout loss to Justin Gaethje last July.
Saint Denis? He’s been on a roll. Five straight wins, all by knockout or submission. He’s claimed the No. 13 spot in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings.
Sportsbetting.ag’s opening odds have Poirier as the underdog to Saint Denis. But hey, betting lines can shift, depending on where the money’s at.
Dustin Poirier +130. Benoit Saint-Denis -150.
What’s that mean? Well, a $100 bet on Poirier could net you $130 if he pulls off an upset. You’d need to bet $150 on Saint Denis to get back $100.
Switching gears, there’s a new fight booked for UFC 300. Arman Tsarukyan is the favorite over Oliveira in a No. 1 contender’s fight. The winner’s expected to fight for the 155-pound title after their April 13 clash in Las Vegas.
Charles Oliveira +170. Arman Tsarukyan -200.
Tsarukyan’s the favorite, thanks to his first-round demolition of Beneil Dariush in December. That win made it three in a row for him.
Oliveira? The former UFC lightweight champ also scored a win over Dariush last May. He was supposed to face Islam Makhachev in October, but a nasty training gash knocked him out of the fight. Now, instead of that rematch, he’s taking on Tsarukyan, one of the top lightweight prospects. It’s a big deal for Tsarukyan, potentially the biggest win of his UFC career.