UFC 266 Volkanovski v. Ortega Odds, Analysis: The Champion Is A Moderate Favorite
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC. Pictured: Alexander Volkanovski, Brian Ortega
- Alexander Volkanovski has become even more of a favorite since the beginning of this month, with his odds shortening from +165 to +160.
- Brian Ortega's odds have lengthened from +140 to +145 to take Volkanovski's belt.
- Valentina Shevchenko's odds have shortened to a ridiculous -1500 for Saturday's bout.
UFC 266 Betting Odds
Odds via DraftKings
| Favorite | Underdog | Line |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Volkanovski | Brian Ortega | -165 / +145 |
| Valentina Shevchenko | Lauren Murphy | -1500/ +850 |
| Robbie Lawler | Nick Diaz | -110 / -110 |
| Curtis Blaydes | Jairzinho Rozenstruik | -320 / +250 |
| Jessica Andrade | Cynthia Calvillo | -275 / +220 |
| Merab Dvalishvili | Marlon Moraes | -255 / +205 |
| Dan Hooker | Nasrat Haqparast | -145 / +125 |
| Chris Daukaus | Shamil Abdurakhimov | -200 / +170 |
| Manon Fiorot | Mayra Bueno Silva | -260 / +210 |
| Karl Roberson | Nick Maximov | -110/ -110 |
Two title fights and a long-awaited return highlight a loaded betting card at UFC 266 coming up on September 25 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The main event features Ultimate Fighter coaches Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega in a championship bout for Volkanovski's featherweight belt.
It will be the first title defense for Volkanovski against someone other than Max Holloway, and he's opened as the -165 betting favorite. Ortega gets his second chance at the title as the +145 underdog.
Volkanovski is undefeated in nine UFC fights, including an impressive stretch with two wins over Holloway (one in a close split decision), a win over Jose Aldo and a TKO against Chad Mendes.
Ortega earned his first title shot after a KO win over Frankie Edgar in 2018, but was pieced up against Holloway which resulted in a doctor's stoppage. He bounced back in a big way with a clear unanimous decision win over Chan Sung Jung to pave the way for his next shot.
Valentina Shevchenko, the biggest favorite on the card, returns to defend her flyweight title against Lauren Murphy.
Shevchenko is in the midst of a seven-fight winning streak since losing to Amanda Nunes in 2017.
Three of those wins are via KO, with the other coming via submission. Murphy is next in line after five consecutive wins, her last coming in a split decision over Joanne Calderwood in June.
Shevchenko is a staunch -1500 favorite, which has shortened from -1375 since the beginning of the month.
Nick Diaz returns to the UFC in what's been a highly-anticipated return by old-school UFC fans.
The brother of Nate, Nick has not fought in the UFC since his no-contest against Anderson Silva in 2015. That came after back-to-back losses to Georges St. Pierre and Carlos Condit. His last win in the octagon was against B.J. Penn in 2011.
His comeback fight is a rematch with Robbie Lawler — a rematch from 2004. Diaz won that fight by knockout, but comes in a small underdog this time around. Lawler is known as one of the toughest fighters in the business, but he's coming off four consecutive losses.
The other pay-per-view fights on the main card are heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes against knockout artist Jairzinho Rozentruik and women's flyweight contenders Jessica Andrade and Cynthia Calvillo.
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