UFC 266 Betting Odds: Alex Volkanovski Favored Over Brian Ortega in Championship Fight

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC. Pictured: Alexander Volkanovski, Brian Ortega

UFC 266 Betting Odds

Odds via DraftKings

Favorite Underdog Line
Alexander Volkanovski Brian Ortega -160 / +140
Valentina Shevchenko Lauren Murphy -1375 / +800
Robbie Lawler Nick Diaz -120 / +100
Curtis Blaydes Jairzinho Rozenstruik -305 / +240
Jessica Andrade Cynthia Calvillo -280 / +225
Merab Dvalishvili Marlon Moraes -235 / +190
Dan Hooker Nasrat Haqparast -180 / +155
Chris Daukaus Shamil Abdurakhimov -180 / +155
Manon Fiorot Mayra Bueno Silva -300 / +235
Karl Roberson Nick Maximov -120 / +100

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 -160 betting favorite. Ortega gets his second chance at the title as the +140 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.

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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.

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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