Featherweight champion Max “Blessed” Holloway (19-3, 9 KOs, 2 SUBs) will defend his title against No. 1 contender Brian Ortega (14-0, 3 KOs, 7 SUBs) at UFC 231 on December 8, 2018 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada. The card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10 p.m. ET following the FS1 prelims.
Life as a champion is about to get really tough for Max Holloway. After beating Jose Aldo twice - both times with relative ease - the featherweight champ must now meet a violent jiu-jitsu master with explosive punching power. Worse, he’s got to do it while recovering from mysterious concussion-like symptoms that led to a scary withdrawal from UFC 226.
Brian Ortega has been carving a trail of destruction through 145, finishing every one of his six UFC fights in the process. “T-City” is the real deal, and now he gets the chance to prove that he’s the best in the world this Saturday. This is one of the most compelling featherweight fights in recent memory, with a young dominant champion holding court against a young stud.
The featherweight title fight serves as the co-main event of a stacked UFC 231, with another title fight between Valentina Shevchenko and Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the co-main.
The UFC odds at BookMaker.eu show Ortega as a slight underdog, while Holloway is a clear favorite coming into the matchup. Let’s take a look at your betting options and break down the scrap. Live UFC betting is also available the night of to hedge your bets.
UFC 231 Betting at BookMaker.eu
Brian Ortega: -104
Max Holloway: -126
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +140 / -170
Striking Stats
Significant strikes landed p/m: Holloway 6.2 / Ortega 3.65
Accuracy: Holloway 43.98% / Ortega 32.25%
Significant strikes absorbed p/m: Holloway 3.9 / Ortega 5.27
Defense: Holloway 65.06% / Ortega 56.8%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Holloway 0.28 / Ortega 0.22
Takedown accuracy: Holloway 80% / Ortega 14.29%
Takedowns defended: Holloway 83.33% / Ortega 58.33%
Submission average: Holloway 0.49 / Ortega 1.75
Bet Holloway / Ortega odds at BookMaker.eu
Holloway’s best weapons are his cardio, chin and dynamic striking offense. The 26-year old is one of the handful of fighters on the roster with a weaponized gas tank - he has the ability to pour on non-stop pressure until opponents crumble under the relentless assault. That pace is reflected in his striking stats: 6.22 strikes landed p/m is an extraordinary number for a guy whose only been fighting the division’s best.
A tall, lanky fighter, Holloway utilizes his reach beautifully, fighting long and keeping guys at the end of his punches. While he doesn’t move his head much, the Hawaiian puts on a masterclass in footwork, cutting angles and finding clean openings to launch multi-strike combinations. When he gets hit, it only seems to make him angry as he will retaliate on the spot.
Though the champ is a solid clinch-fighter and a good grappler, he will likely want to avoid tangling with Ortega in those areas. There’s no other way to put it: Ortega is a straight up monster when it comes to jiu-jitsu. Against world-class fighters in Cub Swanson and Renato Carneiro, “T-City” was able to almost instantly force frantic taps as soon as it went to the ground. His grip and squeeze is otherworldly, especially when he traps the head.
The scary part about Ortega is that his striking power could be every bit as dangerous. While not as polished as somebody like Jose Aldo or Holloway, the 27-year old showed that his fight-ending power could make up the difference. Most recently, he became the first person to stop Frankie Edgar, and he did it with a beautifully timed uppercut that launched the former lightweight champion off his feet. Thor himself woud’ve been dropped by that hammer.
UFC Odds Pick: Ortega to win at -104
Doctors never figured out what went wrong with Holloway, and it’s assumed that he head a mini-stroke. The way he was slurring his words in interviews along with the lazy eye seems to have confirmed it. Whatever happened, it was bad and it was enough to bring Holloway up from -170 in their original matchup to the near even play here. It’s also a big enough question makr for us to lean Ortega.
Bet on UFC 231 Odds at BookMaker.eu
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today. UFC 231 takes place on December 8, 2018 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada. The card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10 p.m. ET following the FS1 prelims.
