Charles Oliveira might be the new UFC lightweight champion, but the oddsmakers think it could be a short reign if he runs into Dustin Poirier or Conor McGregor next.
Poirier and McGregor are set to headline UFC 264 on July 10, a matchup that will resolve their trilogy (currently tied at one win apiece) and also potentially set up the first challenger for Oliveira. On Saturday at UFC 262, “do Bronx” claimed a vacant lightweight title with a thrilling second-round TKO of Michael Chandler.
According to opening odds from BetOnline.ag, should Oliveira end up facing the Poirier-McGregor 3 winner, he is an underdog against either man. Currently, Oliveira is +155 for a matchup with Poirier and +145 for McGregor; Poirier is a near 2-to-1 favorite at -180, while McGregor is a -165 favorite.
Oliveira has won nine straight fights, with eight of those victories ending by knockout or submission, but he lacks the mainstream cachet of Poirier or McGregor. Poirier is a former interim UFC champion who is coming off of a second-round TKO of McGregor, while McGregor is a former two-division champion who is not only the biggest draw in all of MMA but was recently listed as the world’s highest-paid athlete by Forbes.
See the opening odds for Oliveira’s potential matchups with Poirier and McGregor below.
Charles Oliveira +155
Dustin Poirier -180
Charles Oliveira +145
Conor McGregor -165