UFC 280 Prop Bets: Loaded Card Features A Bit of Everything
Finishes Are Tip of the Iceberg for UFC 280
The UFC has stacked the card in its return to Abu Dhabi. Headlined by a title fight between lightweights Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev, UFC 280 also features another title fight plus 12 ranked fighters and top-rated prospects. Going by the UFC 280 prop bets, we should see plenty of action and finishes. Overall, expect UFC 280 to be one of the best UFC events this 2022.
Oliveira and Makhachev Won’t Need Judges
Alternatively, Makhachev is not expected to finish Oliveira quickly as a round 1/2 KO prop is at 10-1 and submission is at +390.
It’s rare to see the two best fighters in a division fight for a title these days. Both Oliveira and Makhachev are the consensus two-best lightweights and they’ll meet for the vacant lightweight belt. While Makhachev is Russian (Dagestani), the United Arab Emirates is essentially his home country as his Muslim background will make him the local favorite. It’s why he’s favored to win and a UFC 280 prop bet on him to finish Oliveira pays at even money.
On the flip side, Oliveira to finish Makhachev is not much longer at +160. The decision props are significantly more lucrative at 4-1 for Makhachev and 12-1 for “Do Bronx”. The former champion has the UFC record for both finishes (19) and submissions (16) while Makhachev has finished his last four fights. The UFC 280 prop bet on this fight not going the distance is at -400, which is the longest of all 13 bouts.
It’s also worth noting that in Oliveira’s last 17 fights, 15 finished and 12 finished before round 3. Oliveira to knock Makhachev out before round 3 pays at 8-1 while a submission in these first two rounds is at 4-1. Alternatively, Makhachev is not expected to finish Oliveira quickly as a round 1/2 KO prop is at 10-1 and submission is at +390. Either way, it would be a surprise to see both fighters last for 25 minutes.
High Stakes For Featured Fights
In the co-main event, Aljamain Sterling and T.J. Dillashaw fight for the bantamweight title. Sterling defends his belt for the second time while Dillashaw looks to regain the title for the third time. The odds favor Sterling in what is expected to be another decision victory for him. The Jamaican-American won three of his last five fights by a decision. Dillashaw, on the other hand, has had five of his last seven five-round fights at 135 pounds finished. The props favor a decision here.
The other three featured bouts, all on the main card, are all potential title eliminators. Former bantamweight champion Petr Yan fights Sean O’Malley in a striker’s delight. Despite both fighters’ prolific striking output, a combined 13.2 significant strikes landed per minute, this one is expected to reach the judges since it is just three rounds. A knockout prop on either could be one of the best UFC props.
Beneil Dariush and Mateusz Gamrot are lightweights who could be auditioning to get the first crack at the winner of the main event. This fight will hit the scorecards per the UFC props. Dariush has a 53.3 percent finish-to-win ratio though his last two wins went to a decision. Gamrot finished three of his four UFC victories but needed all five rounds in his last one.
And to open the main card is a women’s flyweight tilt between former title challenger Katlyn Chookagian and Manon Fiorot. The former has been the division’s top gatekeeper but could earn a rematch against Valentina Shevchenko if she convincingly beats Fiorot. The Frenchwoman is known as a knockout artist with six of her nine wins coming via TKO. However, she needed the judges in her last two bouts. If this fight finished, a prop bet on that would pay over 2-1.
Top Prospects Dominate Prelims
Prior to the main card, prospects dominate the UFC 280 prelims. The likes of Caio Borralho, Armen Petrosyan, and Abubakar Nurmagomedov compete with different betting lines. Borralho is favored to beat fellow prospect, Makhmud Muradov. This bout is a toss-up as far as going the distance as either has a decent chance at finishing.
Petrosyan, a Muay Thai fighter, is expected to outstrike AJ Dobson. This banger of a fight is likely to produce a knockout and the UFC odds do not have this going the distance. And on the opposite end is an all-Russian prospect battle between Nurmagomedov, Khabib’s cousin, and Gadzhi Omargadzhiev. These strong grapplers are likely to strike if they cancel out their wrestling though the odds expect a decision.
