Poirier vs Oliveira Opening Odds – After Defeating McGregor, “The Diamond” Opens as -158 Favorite to Win Lightweight Title

• Dustin Poirier will fight Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title later this year after winning at UFC 264
• Poirier beat Conor McGregor in the trilogy fight after the Irishman broke his leg
• See the opening odds for the potential Oliveira vs Poirier fight below

Ahead of UFC 264, Dana White made it clear that the winner of Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor 3 would earn a lightweight title shot against Charles Oliveira.

It was a highly-anticipated fight, and many were torn on who would win between Poirier and McGregor. Early on, the Irishman had success and landed some good calf kicks and a good left hand. However, “The Diamond” eventually took McGregor down and landed some vicious ground and pound. Unfortunately, in the dying seconds of the first round, McGregor threw a kick, and when he stepped back on his leg and threw a punch it snapped and the fight was over.

Although it wasn’t the ending many wanted, Poirier still got his hand raised and will face Oliveira later this year for the belt. It will be Poirier’s second time fighting for the undisputed belt and he’s the betting favorite over the champ.

Dustin Poirier vs Charles Oliveira Opening Odds

Odds as of July 12

Are the Odds Surprising?

I am surprised by the odds but not that Poirier is the betting favorite.

Poirier is coming off back-to-back stoppage wins over Conor McGregor, and his star power is at an all-time high. Oliveira, meanwhile, is not a star, and not many casual fans know who he is, so the oddsmakers have to put Poirier as the favorite as he would likely get bet hard by fans who watched him knockout and then dominate McGregor.

What I am surprised by is Poirier being nearly a -160 favorite. This will be a very competitive fight. Oliveira has the skillset to be able to beat Poirier so, at plus-money, I wouldn’t be surprised to see sharp money come in on the champ who has looked phenomenal over the past couple of years.

I do expect the odds to get tighter when the official fight gets announced. December is the date that was floated around before UFC 264 so there is a ton of time before the bout for bettors to lay money. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Poirier close as the betting favorite, but I think he’ll be around a -120 favorite.

How Do Poirier and Oliveira Matchup Against One Another?

Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier is a very intriguing stylistic matchup.

Poirier is arguably the best boxer in the lightweight division and has an underrated ground game. Oliveira, meanwhile, is a long, lanky fighter who uses his unorthodox striking to land weird shots and then get the fight to the ground. The Brazilian is a phenomenal jiu-jitsu fighter, and if he gets ahold of his opponent’s back, it’s likely over as he will find a submission.

Ultimately, this fight really comes down to where the fight takes place. Although Oliveira knocked out Michael Chandler to win the belt, Poirier has good striking defense and has a good chin. On the feet, Poirier also has the power to shut the Brazilian’s lights off. Yet, if it hits the ground, Oliveira has a good chance of catching Poirier in a submission like the Khabib Nurmagomedov fight. Regardless, this should be a fantastic fight when it happens.