Leon Edwards, Jiri Prochazka, and Alexandre Pantoja are the favorites in their respective UFC title fights against Colby Covington, Alex Pereira, and Brandon Royval, according to the first betting odds released.
On Wednesday, UFC CEO Dana White announced the first betting odds for the imminent trio of title matches. As the favorites to win, athletes Leon Edwards, Jiri Prochazka, and Alexandre Pantoja debuted in the odds. Edwards will compete against Colby Covington as part of the UFC 296 primary event, while Pantoja goes head-to-head with Brandon Royval in the event’s secondary part, where the flyweight belt will be available. In the UFC 295 secondary event on Nov. 11, Prochazka will face Alex Pereira to name a new light heavyweight champion.
Pantoja, who already has a submission win under his belt against Royval from 2021, is the biggest favorite. His previous victory against Royval set the stage for his title contest, allowing him to seize gold when he went up against Brandon Moreno earlier this year. The opening odds for Pantoja vs. Royval are now available on BetOnline.ag. Based on these rates, betting $260 on Pantoja would yield a $100 return if he wins, while a $100 wager on underdog Royval could net $200.
Meanwhile, Prochazka is only slightly favored over Pereira. The match between these two former UFC champions marks Prochazka’s first time back since a severe shoulder injury forced him to give up his UFC light heavyweight title. He now prepares to face Pereira, a former middleweight champion who successfully debuted at 205 pounds with a win over Jan Blachowicz. The opening odds for Prochazka vs. Pereira are also available.
Finally, Edwards is set to face Covington in December for his second title defense, which he enters as the favorite. Covington hasn’t seen action for nearly two years but scored a win over Jorge Masvidal in his last appearance. On the other hand, Edwards scored a pair of victories against Kamaru Usman to claim the UFC welterweight title, which he successfully defended in a rematch. The opening odds for the Edwards vs. Covington matchup have also been released. The betting odds for all three fights are subject to notable fluctuations leading up to the actual bouts. For the time being, both, current UFC champions and the former UFC’s light heavyweight champion are all favorites.