The best USA sportsbooks have their faves and their dogs for the main card at UFC 262, an upcoming MMA event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It will take place on May 15, 2021, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, United States.
Charles Oliveira vs Michael Chandler
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Chandler | +115 |
| Oliveira | -130 |
Charles Oliveira is favored at the best online sportsbooks. We have seen him develop in front of our eyes. He made his promotional debut when he was 20. Charles scored a first-round submission win over Darren Elkins.
Oliveira has a 30-8 record. 27 of his wins come by finish (eight KOs, 19 subs). Seven of his eight losses were stoppages, with four KOs and three subs. He is as balanced as they get with top-level submission and powerful strikes when on his feet.
What he displayed in his last performance was an evolution in his grappling game. He took down Tony Ferguson three times. Oliveira’s striking is almost disdaining of his opponents. He walks straight forward and lets his strikes fly.
He is willing to go blow for blow. Oliveira decides whether he wants to fight standing or on the mat. He doesn’t have a lot of footwork but if you get within his range, he will throw demolishing strikes. On his feet, his kicks are his chief weapon.
His punches are direct and powerful. If the fight goes to the floor, he aggressively searches for a submission. Oliveira’s last three fights were Jared Gordon (won by knockout), Kevin Lee (won by submission) and Tony Ferguson (won by unanimous decision).
Pick
Oliveira (-130) by submission.
Tony Ferguson vs Beneil Dariush
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ferguson | +135 |
| Dariush | -185 |
Tony Ferguson is the favorite of the best USA sportsbooks. Before his most recent losses, Ferguson had been on a 12-fight winning streak. He was poised to take on Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title.
Unfortunately, that fight was canceled five times. El Cucuy is 25-5 with 20 of his wins stoppages (12 KOs, eight subs). Only two of his losses have been stoppages, one by KO and one by submission. He has great conditioning.
This has led him to an average of 5.46 significant strikes landed per minute. He absorbs 3.94. Ferguson never loads up on strikes, but his opponents look as if they were in a fight with a woodchipper afterward.
He has creative strikes with many spinning attacks and elbows. El Cucuy has awkward footwork, which keeps his opponents on edge and makes openings to hit. Ferguson’s last three fights were Donald Cerrone (won by knockout), Justin Gaethje (lost by knockout) and Charles Oliveira (lost by unanimous decision).
Pick
Ferguson (+135) via decision
Jack Hermansson vs Edmen Shahbazyan
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Hermansson | -165 |
| Shahbazyan | +140 |
Hermansson is the favorite to win at the best USA sportsbooks. He was quickly climbing the middleweight ladder thanks to a four-fight winning streak. However, he is 1-2 in his last three outings.
Jack has a 21-6 record. 17 of his wins have been by stoppage (11 KOs, six subs). Four of his six losses were finishes, with two KOs and two subs. The Joker is a hostile fighter. He averages 5.03 significant strikes per minute.
Hermansson absorbs 3.46. He also goes for many takedowns with 1.96 takedowns per 15 minutes. He is a direct fighter. Jack closes the distance and looks to get into a wrestling exchange. Hermansson has a nice jab and throws in a low leg kick nicely too.
At times, his stamina has been a problem. This causes him to go for takedowns from long distance which are easily avoided. Hermansson’s last three fights were Jared Cannonier (lost by knockout), Kelvin Gastelum (won by submission) and Marvin Vettori (lost by unanimous decision).
Pick
Hermansson (-165) by decision.
