UFC betting online: It’s time for another go-round between bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw (11-2, 5 KOs, 3 SUBs) and the man he took the belt from, Renan Barao (33-2, 8 KOs 15 SUBs).
The first time these two met, Dillashaw pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory and dominated the Brazilian over the course of five rounds for an easy victory. It’ll be interesting to see how Barao responds to the worst loss of his career.
CURRENT ODDS
Dillashaw is a significant favorite in our UFC odds at minus-220, with Barao is at plus+185. The over/under is typically listed a few days before fight night, but given that their first bout went five rounds I’d expect the over/under to be set at 3.5 or 4.5 rounds.
IS DILLASHAW FOR REAL?
For nearly two years, Barao reigned supreme at 135 pounds, at one point climbing into the top-5 in the pound-for-pound discussion. White infamously declared him “the best pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC” right before the Brazilian was thoroughly outclassed by a shockingly improved Dillashaw.
However, if we consider Barao’s body of work at bantamweight, it’s clear that he’s the greatest bantamweight ever. “The Baron” went undefeated for nine years, racking up a 31-fight unbeaten streak while facing the best in the division. At 28 years old, he’s nowhere near washed up and remains an elite athlete with explosive striking and world-class grappling.
Nobody expected Dillashaw to beat Barao, much less run through him the way he did. The Team Alpha Male rep credited new striking coach Duane Ludwig for the drastically improved striking and footwork that Barao could not seem to figure out. Prior to facing Barao, Dillashaw was merely considered a good fighter in the class, easily beating mid-tier guys like Issel Tamura and Mike Easton.
FIGHT PICKER
Dillashaw is a significant favorite based on how easily he won their first matchup. But if you compare their resumes, Barao far outshines the champ. It’s entirely possible he could have been overlooking Dillashaw, as nobody gave him much of a shot. Oddsmakers tabbed Barao as high as a -500 favorite going into their first bout – now he’s a plus+185 underdog.
I love Barao’s odds going into the bout. There’s two factors to consider here. The first is that Dillashaw floored the Brazilian in the first round, possibly concussing him and irrevocably altering the course of the bout. Second, there’s no way that Dillashaw can take him by surprise again. Barao is familiar with his fight style now and knows what to expect.
The value pick here is Barao, who has the better all-around tools to work with. I see Barao applying a game plan specifically tailored to Dillashaw’s stick-and-move style and winning on rounds.
HOW TO BET
Sign in to get the latest Dillashaw vs. Barao odds. With daily updates to money lines, over/under, prop bets and more, Bookmaker is the premier site to bet on UFC cards. The championship bout takes place at UFC on FOX 16 on July 25, 2015 at the United Center in Chicago Illinois. The card will be televised on FOX starting 10 p.m. ET. Because it’s a free card on a major network, it’s a great opportunity to bet without having to purchase a pay-per-view.
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