All the details you’ll need to make the best picks for UFC 280, headlined by Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title.
UFC 280 is right around the corner, just one week after a delicious appetizer of fights from UFC Vegas 62. This time, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is stacking the card with the vacant lightweight title and the bantamweight title on the line at the Ethiad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Charles Oliveira will headline the event against Islam Makhachev, with both competitors hoping to win a UFC championship and keep a double-digit streak of victories alive.
In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will look to further establish his reign as the champion against former title-holder TJ Dillashaw. Dillashaw is back to complete form after defeating Cory Sandhagen last summer, returning from knee surgery in 2021, and serving a two-year USADA suspension that cost him UFC gold.
Diving deeper into the card, Petr Yan will look to earn his way back to the belt that he lost to Sterling by taking on a surging star on the rise in “Sugar” Sean O’Malley. With so many premier bantamweight contenders on the card, expect each fighter to showcase a dominant, fan-favorite performance to punch their ticket to 135lb gold.
With the help of our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook, let’s run down everything you need to know about a loaded UFC 280 card.
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UFC 280 at a Glace
The Big Storyline: Even with three premier matchups at the top of the card, Oliveira versus Makhachev still reigns supreme as the card’s biggest storyline.
The 33-year-old Brazillian faces Makhachev as both fighters look to continue over 10-fight win streaks. For Islam, each victory has been secured by a clear-cut, dominant decision, relentless ground-and-pound, or the sheer toughness and drive to force a submission. For Oliveira, he’s continued to rack up signature wins, against all odds, against box-office opponents such as Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, and Gaethje.
Now, the pair will meet in the center of the octagon in an all-out effort to win the UFC’s vacant lightweight championship, which Oliveira lost on the scales, missing weight by less than a pound just five months ago.
There’s no deep-rooted beef or back-and-forth social media commentary here. No messy pettiness on social media or unnecessary personal digs to initiate physiological warfare. Just the most refined form of mixed martial arts in its purest state. Two of the world’s best lightweights plan on respectfully yet brutally scratching and clawing their way to the apex of one of the UFC’s most profound divisions.
Where: UFC 280 takes place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
When: Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. Prelims begin at 10 a.m. ET and the PPV-only main card starts at 2 p.m.
How to Watch: The preliminary bouts will air on ESPNNEWS, with the main card running exclusively on ESPN+ PPV.
UFC 280 Card & FanDuel Betting Odds Guide
We’ve already discussed how to read lines so you have a sense of the different kinds of bets to place in MMA. Now, it’s time to add some context for Saturday’s card to assist in making your betting picks for the event.
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UFC 280 Main Card Odds
Odds can change over time. Visit FanDuel Sportsbook for the latest figures.
Lightweight: Charles Oliveira (+136) vs. Islam Makhachev (-174)
Bantamweight: Aljamain Sterling [c] (-186) vs. T.J. Dillashaw (+144)
Bantamweight: Petr Yan (-265) vs. Sean O’Malley (+200)
Lightweight: Beneil Dariush (+162) vs. Mateusz Gamrot (-210)
Flyweight: Katlyn Chookagian (+172) vs. Manon Fiorot (-225)
Main Card Betting Analysis
- Despite one loss out of 23 matches, Makhachev has been a betting favorite in every single fight. The streak continues against the former champion in Oliveira.
- Throughout 26 matches, Daruish has won every fight (five times) attached to the performance or fight of the night award.
- A fight against a former champion in Yan marks the first time Sean O’Malley is a betting underdog.
UFC 280 Prelim Card Odds
Welterweight: Belal Muhammad (+114) vs. Sean Brady (-146)
Middleweight: Makhmud Muradov (+186) vs. Caio Borralho (-245)
Light Heavyweight: Nikita Krylov (-188) vs. Volkan Oezdemir (+144)
Featherweight: Zubaira Tukhugov (-156) vs. Lucas Almeida (+122)
Lightweight: Magomed Mustafaev (-620) vs. Yamato Nishikawa (+400)
Welterweight: Abubakar Nurmagomedov (-196) vs. Gadzhi Omargadzhiev (+152)
Middleweight: Armen Petrosyan (-250) vs. A.J. Dobson (+190)
Flyweight: Muhammad Mokaev (-1000) vs. Malcolm Gordon (+560)
Bantamweight: Karol Rosa (-310) vs. Lina Länsberg (+230)
Prelim Betting Analysis
- Malcolm Gordon (+560) is the biggest underdog of the night in his flyweight bout against the most considerable favorite in Muhammad Mokaev (-1000).
- Out of eight Russian fighters on the card, Gadzhi Omargadzhiev is the only underdog. Ironically, against another Russian fighter in Abubakar.
Boardroom UFC 280 Betting Disclaimer
Boardroom’s editorial staff does not predict the outcomes of fights for readers, so the information in this column shall not be considered betting advice. We provide tools a bettor can choose to consult to better understand the types of available bets, odds, and relevant facts before making wagers based on their judgment. All bettors assume their own risk.
The current odds listed within this article are subject to change over time. The odds reflected in this piece may not be the final odds before fight night and can be verified by visiting FanDuel Sportsbook.
Historic fight odds data comes via Best Fight Odds.
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