There’s a lot of championship hardware on the line in the next month, with no less than five titles that will take place by July 9. It’s a good time to get an early look at the odds, before late betting surges possibly drive money lines out of your favor. Let’s break down all the upcoming title bouts.
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Please note, the odds at BookMaker are updated daily. The lines listed here may have changed since this article was posted.
TUF 23 FINALE, July 8
Women’s Strawweight Championship
Claudia Gadelha +160
Joanna Jedrzejczyk -200
Over/under 4.5 rounds, over -250, under +210
The best striker in the women’s strawweight division, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, meets its best grappler in Claudia Gadelha. The best part is these two girls cannot stand the sight of each other. J-Check has been playing mind games with the Brazilian ever since winning their first encounter, and you have to assume that Gadelha cannot wait to unleash holy hell.
As far as line movement goes, I’d expect a late surge on Gadelha, considering many feel that she won the first time around. If you were planning to back Claudia, it’d probably be a good idea to do it now before she gets more expensive.
UFC Fight Night 90, July 7
Lightweight Championship
Eddie Alvarez +325
Rafael Dos Anjos -400
Over/under 3.5 rounds, over +125, under -145
Kicking off the UFC 200 festivities is a FIght Pass card featuring a lightweight title fight between Rafael Dos Anjos and Eddie Alvarez. The Brazilian is a huge favorite, as he’s been lighting up top contenders like Nate Diaz, Donald Cerrone and Benson Henderson and making it look easy. Alvarez is one of the toughest outs at 155, but he’s not a dominant fighter in any area. The question is whether he can gut out another tough win.
The Brazilian champion is flying under the radar in terms of popularity, but oddsmakers aren’t fooled. I only expect him to get more expensive from here on out.
UFC 200, July 9
Light Heavyweight Championship
Daniel Cormier +245
Jon Jones -300
Over/under 4.5 rounds, over -145, under +125
Jon Jones might be the only fighter who can dominate a top-10 opponent like Ovince St. Preux and still disappoint fans. That just goes to show how high our expectations are for him. But if he can beat Daniel Cormier as easily as he did in their first scrap, we should get ready for another long championship run from Bones.
For some reason, Jones’ line keeps going up -- two weeks ago he was at -315. I don’t get it, since some rust should have been expected. Perhaps he’ll get cheaper in the next few weeks.
UFC 200, July 9
Interim featherweight championship
Frankie Edgar -107
Jose Aldo -113
Over/under 4.5 rounds, over -120, under +100
Although this matchup for the interim belt, let’s call it what it really is: The Conor McGregor sweepstakes. Frankie Edgar has been straight up mauling the division’s best recently, while Aldo is the best featherweight in history and coming off his first-ever loss under the UFC banner. Whoever wins gets McGregor, a giant payday, and all the publicity they can handle.
The Brazilian owns a win over Edgar, which explains his status as a favorite, but Frankie’s recent performances demand that the lines remain close. Don’t be surprised if this ends up as a pick’em.
UFC 200, July 9
Women’s bantamweight championship
Amanda Nunes +210
Miesha Tate -255
Over/under 1.5 rounds, over -235, under +195
Miesha Tate isn’t waiting around to make her first title defense. Coming off her March upset of Holly Holm, the new champion faces a fearsome striker in Amanda Nunes. Much like welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, Tate has made a habit of thrilling last-round comebacks, giving her fights a can’t-miss quality.
But like Robbie Lawler, Tate cannot rely on comebacks. Nunes is a far better striker and has improved her takedown defense to the point where it might neutralize Tate’s wrestling. The Brazilian is an intriguing underdog play.
