With no UFC event scheduled for this upcoming weekend, I figured it was the perfect time to take a look ahead at some of the big fights heading our way in October. There are three events scheduled for next month with two Fight Night cards from the Apex followed by UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. Let’s take a look at some fights you won’t want to miss and their current betting odds:
Islam Makhachev vs Charles Oliveira 2 (UFC 294): The highly anticipated rematch between these two for the UFC Lightweight title will take place almost one year to the day from their first meeting, which saw Makhachev pick up a second round submission to win the belt. Can Oliveira get things done this time around or will Makhachev prove to be too much for the former champ once again? The sportsbooks seem to like Makhachev’s chances to retain, with the best line currently available for him at -345 on DraftKings. Oliveira’s money line is sitting at +275.
Paulo Costa vs Khamzat Chimaev (UFC 294): Both fighters are making their first walk to the octagon in over a year when they meet in Abu Dhabi. This is going to be a high-stakes matchup in the middleweight division with the winner likely finding himself high on the list of contenders for a shot at recently-crowned champ Sean Strickland. Chimaev has primarily competed at welterweight in the UFC while Costa has been a staple in the Top 5 at middleweight, so this should be a very interesting fight. The sportsbooks currently have Chimaev as a pretty sizable favorite with his money line at -360 on DraftKings, while Costa’s ML is at +285.
Magomed Ankalaev vs Johnny Walker (UFC 294): Huge matchup between two highly-ranked title contenders to determine the pecking order in the light heavyweight division. With Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira scheduled to compete for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight title next month at UFC 295, there’s a good chance the winner here between Ankalaev and Walker could find themselves next in line for a shot at the belt. This fight will be Ankalaev’s first since coming up short in a title opportunity last December in a draw against Jan Blachowicz, while Walker will enter on a three-fight winning streak. Odds aren’t currently available for this one.
Sodiq Yusuff vs Edson Barboza (UFC Vegas 81): One of the best non-PPV matchups of the month, this should be an extremely entertaining fight between ranked featherweights. Yusuff is 7-1 thus far in the UFC heading into this matchup where he’ll be facing one of the all-time greats in the division in Barboza, who will be making his 29th walk to the octagon. Featherweight is a pretty deep division with a stacked Top 10, but the winner of this matchup will likely make the jump into that range of contenders. Yusuff’s ML is -165 at Caesars, while Barboza is at +140.
Grant Dawson vs Bobby Green (UFC Vegas 80): This will be our first main event of the month and should be a pretty fun matchup between lightweight contenders. Dawson is 9-0-1 in the UFC and currently sitting at #10 in the rankings with an opportunity to jump a bit higher with another victory. Meanwhile, Green will be looking for a second straight win that could potentially get him back into the top 15 in the division. Grant is currently a sizable betting favorite in the matchup with his best available line set at -390 on FanDuel, while the return on Green is +280.
