At UFC 280, Charles Oliveira (33-8) and Islam Makhachev (22-1) will fight for the lightweight title. The winner will be the first person to hold the title. The main event, which will be very exciting, will take place on October 22 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Fans of UFC have been wanting this fight for a while. Oliveira was the best lightweight, but he didn’t make weight for his last fight, so he lost the belt. He will now try to get his belt back from the scary Dagestani wrestler Makhachev, who is the fourth-ranked fighter in his division.
OKBet Sports Betting odds on Oliveira vs. Makhachev at Bodog are, as expected, close. The Brazilian is the underdog with odds of +135, while Makhachev is the favorite with odds of -165.
OKbet Sports Betting Odds on Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev
| Fighter | Odds |
| Charles Oliveira | +135 |
| Islam Makhachev | -165 |
When we look at the odds for Oliveira vs. Makhachev, OKBets sports betting calculator tells us that Islam’s -165 odds mean that they have a 62.26 percent chance of winning. With odds of +135, Oliveira has a 42.5% chance to win. That means that if you win a $10 bet on Makhachev, you get back $16.06, but if you win the same bet on Oliveira, you get back $23.50.
Check out our How to Bet on the UFC/MMA betting guide if you don’t know how to bet and want to get in on the action. Also, feel free to check the OKBet UFC Online betting site and our main UFC/Boxing /MMA betting news page for all the latest news from inside the Octagon.
UFC 280 is one of the best cards of the year, so don’t miss our previews and picks for all the good fights, like Petr Yan vs. Sean O’Malley and Aljamain Sterling vs. TJ Dillashaw.
OKBet Sports Betting Analysis Odds on Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev
Even though the scale broke at UFC 274, Oliveira still has the look of a champion. During his 11-fight winning streak, “Do Bronx” has beaten some very tough opponents. During this stretch, the 32-year-old hasn’t had much respect from oddsmakers, either. He was a narrow favorite against Justin Gaethje (-170) and Michael Chandler (-130), but he was the underdog against Dustin Poirier (+135) and Tony Ferguson (+140).
Makhachev, on the other hand, has won his last four fights by brutal stoppages (3 SUB and 1 KO/TKO). He has won his last 10 fights in a row. During that run of wins, he saw odds as low as -400. (vs Drew Dober). He is loved by sportsbooks, and for good reason. People have said that Islam is Khabib Nurmagomedov’s second coming. We’ll find out how he does in his first shot at the title.
What to Expect From Oliveira vs. Makhachev: How Do You Beat Islam?
Makhachev has only lost once in the UFC, and it was to a guy named Adriano Martins in 2015. Islam lost badly in that fight. He and Martins exchanged some light blows before Martins exploded with a left hand that knocked Makhachev out.
That was a long time ago, and Islam has only gotten better since then, but Oliveira’s style of being aggressive tends to lead to some crazy fights. This is where Charles has a clear advantage. Oliveira will throw with authority because he is a good grappler and doesn’t mind being taken down. Makhachev is still dangerous if he wants to bang in the middle of the cage, which is a bad idea (Oliveira has a four-inch reach advantage).
Islam will probably go for a takedown right away, but Oliveira’s chances are better if the fight stays on its feet for as long as possible. He will try to get in front of you by using overhand punches, his underrated left hook, knees, and elbows.
A wrestling match with style
Fans of fighting don’t often get to see world-class grappling, let alone in a title fight with huge stakes. At 155 pounds, Oliveira and Makhachev are two of the best ground fighters. Do Bronx has won 16 times by submission, while Islam has won five times by submission.
This fight will probably come down to how well Oliveira fights off his back and how creatively the Brazilian uses his jiu-jitsu.
Islam is a fierce top-mount fighter, just like his coach Khabib. He’s slow and heavy, so it won’t be hard for him to choke Oliveira as he tries to pass guard and get a D’arce choke or kimura on him. Oliveira has been in the UFC for a long time, but he has lost by submission three times (two rear-naked chokes and a leg bar).
How will Oliveira fight from the bottom? Makhachev is very unlikely to give up, so he’ll have to switch to defensive jiu-jitsu. Charles will have to keep his guard up and make sure that Makhachev doesn’t step on him. Oliveira can win if he tries to tire out Makhachev, who has never been in a fight for five rounds. Oliveira’s long arms and legs do give him an advantage, and we expect him to try to submit us just for fun.
Oliveira vs Makhachev Betting Pick
This is a great battle. It’s hard to pick a winner, but it’s a great fight between two of the best fighters in the world.
It’s hard to bet against Charles because he always seems to beat the odds, but Makhachev is a special case. The Russian is really Khabib 2.0, but he can hit even better. We think he will take the Brazilian to the ground, where the fight will end quickly.
OKbet’s pick: Makhachev (-165) by submission (TBD); OVER 2.5 Rounds (+125).
