Jose Aldo and Max Holloway both feel that they have a legitimate claim to be called the featherweight champion after Conor McGregor relinquished the belt over a year ago. The main event of UFC 212 will settle those claims in the octagon this Saturday night.
UFC 212 odds: Aldo betting favorite vs. Holloway in main event of card in Rio
Jose Aldo and Max Holloway will fight for the featherweight championship in the main event of UFC 212 on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images
Aldo is a -150 betting favorite to win this unified title fight in Rio de Janeiro at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Aldo was the undisputed featherweight champion for over five years, successfully defending the title seven times en route to a 25-1 record as a professional. His title reign came to a shocking end at the hands of McGregor in a 13-second knockout loss at UFC 194.
It is unclear whether McGregor will ever return to the featherweight division, but Aldo hopes to be waiting for him as the champion if he does.
Holloway earned his share of the interim featherweight title with a win over Anthony Pettis at UFC 206. Since losing to McGregor back in August of 2013, Holloway has collected 10 straight wins with only three fights going to the cards thanks to five knockouts and two submission victories. Holloway will be facing a hostile crowd in Brazil, Aldo’s native country, and is going off as a +120 underdog to pull off the upset.
Another Brazilian who will have the home crowd behind her on Saturday night is Claudia Gadelha, a -350 favorite on the UFC 212 odds squaring off against Karolina Kowalkiewicz (+265) in a strawweight bout. With a 14-2 record as a professional with both of her losses coming against Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Gadelha can make a strong case that she is the second-best fighter in this division.
At 10-1, Kowalkiewicz has also picked up her only loss to Jedrzejczyk, and will try to make the same argument on Saturday.
Other bouts on the card include Marlon Moraes (-170) vs. Raphael Assuncao (+140), Erick Silva (+110) vs. Yancy Medeiros (-140), Paulo Borrachinha (-300) vs. Oluwale Bamgbose (+230), and Vitor Belfort (-160) vs. Nate Marquardt (+130).
The matchup between Borrachinha (9-0) and Bamgbose (6-2) should be a slugfest as the two have a combined 15 knockout wins between them.
UFC 212 Betting Odds (see the complete list at OddsShark)
Claudia Gadelha -350 vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz +265
Paulo Borrachinha -300 vs. Oluwale Bamgbose +230
Marlon Moraes -170 vs. Raphael Assuncao +140
Vitor Belfort -160 vs. Nate Marquardt +130
Jose Aldo -150 vs. Max Holloway +120
Yancy Medeiros -140 vs. Erick Silva +110
