Deja Vu? Bookies Bet On Oliveira Losing To Makhachev In Abu Dhabi

Bookies don’t like Charles Oliveira’s chances as he heads back to Abu Dhabi for another crack at Islam Makhachev one year later almost to the day.

Charles Oliveira will have to defy the odds if he hopes to regain his lightweight title at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.

Dana White just announced that Oliveira will rematch Islam Makhachev on October 21st when the promotion returns to the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE. That’s the exact same location where Makhachev took the belt off “Do Bronx” last October, defeating the Brazilian via second round submission.

According to the bookies, they expect a similar outcome one year later.

Opening lines for the UFC 294 main event fight (via BetOnline.ag) have Charles Oliveira opening a +285 dog to Islam Makhachev’s -350 favorite. That’s similar to what the chalk was in their first fight at UFC 280, where Makhachev made beating Oliveira look stunningly easy.

Since then the sportsbooks have been a bit unsure about “Do Bronx.” He was a slight +100 dog when fighting Beneil Dariush, but ended up cutting through the top contender like a hot knife through butter (watch the violent finish here). He promised the world that the Charles we saw losing in Abu Dhabi wasn’t the real Charles. The real Charles, he promised, will show up next time and get his belt back.

It’s going to be a tough mental battle, according to Daniel Cormier.

“The setting is set for a better fight,” he said when breaking the bout down on his YouTube channel. “But the setting is also set for a lot of memories that he’s gonna have to conquer. Same hotel, same venue, same location. He’s got to do a lot of mental preparation before he heads back to Abu Dhabi to fight this guy for a second time.”

It’s tough odds for all the incoming challengers for upcoming UFC events. BetOnline.ag also set a line on a potential Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland middleweight title fight at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia. Adesanya is a -400 favorite to the +330 dog Strickland.

Back on the UFC 294 card in Abu Dhabi, Khamzat Chimaev is a -400 favorite to beat +330 dog Paulo Costa. That’s despite Costa being the physically largest opponent Khamzat has ever faced.

What do you think of these odds, Maniacs? Do you see value there, or is it all risk for little reward? Let us know in the comments below!