Opening UFC 262 Odds & Early Picks – Chandler Listed as Small Underdog
- The vacant lightweight title is on the line in the main event of UFC 262
- The pay-per-view card goes down in front of a sold-out Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on May 15
- See the current odds for the main card, below
The UFC returns to a sold-out crowd in Houston, Texas on Saturday, May 15 for a very good UFC 262 card. In the main event, Charles Oliveira battles Michael Chandler for the vacant lightweight title. In the UFC 262 opening odds, Chandler is listed as a small underdog. The co-main event sees perennial lightweight contender Tony Ferguson takes on rising contender Beneil Dariush.
UFC 262 main card airs live on pay-per-view at 10 PM EST on May 15. The table below shows odds for the main card at DraftKings and early picks for the card.
UFC 262 Opening Odds
| Fighter | Odds at DraftKings |
|---|---|
| Charles Oliveira | -134 |
| Michael Chandler | +110 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Tony Ferguson | +125 |
| Beneil Dariush | -152 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Jack Hermansson | -175 |
| Edmen Shahbazyan | +135 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Katlyn Chookagian | -150 |
| Viviane Araujo | +120 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Shane Burgos | -130 |
| Edson Barboza | +105 |
All odds taken May 10
|
Promo: Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets + NBA No Sweat SGP | Learn More |
|
Promo: Bet $5 Get $150 in Bonus Bets | Learn More |
|
Promo: Up To $1,500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back | Learn More |
Who Wins UFC Gold?
After Khabib Nurmagomedov’s win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, the Dagestani native announced his retirement. It was not until a couple of months into 2021 that UFC president Dana White officially accepted his retirement and booked a vacant lightweight title fight between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler.
Oliveira & Chandler Recent Fights
| Tony Ferguson, win by decision | Fight 1 | Dan Hooker, win by TKO |
| Kevin Lee, win by submission | Fight 2 | Benson Henderson, win by KO |
| Jared Gordon, win by KO | Fight 3 | Sidney Outlaw, win by TKO |
| Nik Lentz, win by TKO | Fight 4 | Patricio Pitbull, loss by KO (title fight) |
Oliveira is on a lengthy eight-fight winning streak, but his level of competition has not been the highest. Other than his last two wins, which are very good wins, he has been fighting a lot of unranked opponents. A knock on the Brazilian is many believe when the going gets tough, he quits as evidence by his losses to Paul Felder and Max Holloway.
However, Oliveira is a phenomenal grappler who has gotten better striking wise and given he has been in the UFC since 2010, this is finally his chance to breakthrough.
Michael Chandler, meanwhile, has been saying he’s the best lightweight alive for years, and he finally gets to prove it on Saturday night.
Chandler is the former Bellator lightweight champion who many have called for to come over to the UFC for years. He has beaten the likes of Eddie Alvarez, Benson Henderson, Marcin Held, Patricky Pitbull and made good of his UFC debut with a TKO win over Dan Hooker in the first round.
As of right now, the UFC 262 opening odds are about where I thought they would be as many UFC fans still are unfamiliar with Chandler, and he was an underdog to Hooker back in January. However, he has a great wrestler and striker so he does pose some problems for Oliveira which is why people can’t completely write him off here.
Early Pick: Michael Chandler (+110)
Does Ferguson Get Back Into The Win Column?
Tony Ferguson was on a 12-fight winning streak, and set to finally fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the belt in April of 2020. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit, and he took a short-notice fight against Justin Gaethje and suffered a fifth-round TKO loss. He then took another short-notice fight in December and was dominated by Charles Oliveira.
Beneil Dariush, meanwhile, has been the darkhorse in the lightweight division for years and he finally gets his chance to become a top contender at UFC 262.
Ferguson & Dariush Recent Fights
| Charles Oliveira, loss by decision | Fight 1 | Diego Ferreira, win by split decision |
| Justin Gaethje, loss by TKO (interim title fight) | Fight 2 | Scott Holtzman, win by KO |
| Donald Cerrone, win by TKO | Fight 3 | Drakkar Klose, win by KO |
| Anthony Pettis, win by TKO | Fight 4 | Frank Camacho, win by submission |
This is a very intriguing matchup because it’s a case of Ferguson getting a much-needed step down in competition while Dariush gets a massive step-up in competition. It’s also interesting to see Dariush be the betting favorite in the UFC 262 opening odds because Ferguson is a fan favorite and has only lost to the elite of the lightweight division.
Both men are well-rounded and expect this fight to be a grappling and kickboxing fight. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this close as a pick’em as both men have clear paths to victory.
Early Pick: Beneil Dariush (-152)
Other UFC 262 Early Picks:
- Edmen Shahbazyan (+135): Shahbazyan needs to get it done early and I think he can.
- Katlyn Chookagian (-150): Chookagian is the more well-rounded fighter and can make it a boring fight by outpointing the Brazilian.
- Edson Barboza (+105): This is such a close fight and could come down to who lands the first big shot.
Cole graduated from Sheridan College in April of 2019 with a diploma in journalism. He now is a full-time freelance writer, focusing on MMA for sites like BJPENN, while also covering the Toronto Blue Jays as a credentialed media member. At SBD, Cole covers the four major sports and MMA.
