UFC 335 Odds Drop With Pereira as Underdog and Bo Nickal on the Card
Opening lines for the stacked UFC 335 card in Vegas have some surprising numbers.
The UFC 335 card keeps getting better, and the oddsmakers are making things interesting.
Three marquee bouts were confirmed for Dec. 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas during the UFC 332 broadcast Saturday night, and the opening lines have some eyebrow-raising numbers.
Charles Oliveira opened as a -172 favorite to defend his "Baddest Motherf***er" title against Diego Lopes in the main event, per MMA Mania. Lopes, who is moving up to lightweight after a knockout win at UFC Freedom 250, opened at +146.
The co-main event sees Alex Pereira make his second heavyweight appearance against Sergei Pavlovich. Pereira, despite holding titles in two divisions, opened as a +111 underdog. Pavlovich is listed at -130, with some books going as high as -140. The line reflects real concerns about Pereira's heavyweight credentials after his knockout loss to Ciryl Gane in June.
A middleweight clash between Joe Pyfer and Bo Nickal rounds out the announced card. Pyfer, coming off a win over Israel Adesanya, opened at -130. Nickal, who has rebounded from his first professional loss with consecutive victories, sits at +111. Seeing Nickal as an underdog is a first for the former Penn State wrestling star.
I am about five miles from T-Mobile Arena as I type this, and December just got a lot more interesting. Three fights, three conversations.
Pereira as an underdog is wild to me. I get it. Gane starched him in June, and Pavlovich hits like a freight train with a 21-3 record. But we are talking about a guy who knocked out middleweights and light heavyweights like they owed him money. The counter-striking at range is still elite. I would not touch that line until it moves, but my gut says Pereira at plus money is a gift.
Oliveira over Lopes feels right. Do Bronx has been a different animal since winning that BMF strap, and Lopes is making a big jump coming up in weight. The Nickal-Pyfer fight is pure entertainment value. Two guys who walk forward and throw. Vegas in December is going to be loud.
