Oddsmakers are expecting Magomed Ankalaev to leave UFC 282 as the new light heavyweight champion.
After Jiri Prochazka suffered a serious shoulder injury that forced him to relinquish UFC gold, the promotion set up a vacant title bout between Ankalaev and former champ Jan Blachowicz as the headliner for its final pay-per-view event of the year, which takes place Dec. 10 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Ankalaev (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) brings a nine-fight winning streak into the contest against Blachowicz (29-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC) , who has won his lone fight since dropping the belt in October 2021. One will look to become a first-time champ, while the other looks to climb to the top of the mountain for the second time.
The public is currently laying its money on Ankalaev to get the job done, because he’s currently a -240 betting favorite, according to DraftKings sportsbook. The means a $240 bet on the Russian will net $100 in profit.
Blachowicz, meanwhile, currently stats as a +200 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the Polish fighter would net $200 with a win.
Whether those odds will sway in the final weeks leading up to UFC 282 remains to be seen, but as of now Ankalaev is a definitive favorite to exit the event with the strap.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 282.
