The final fight card in the latest trip to Fight Island is UFC 254, headlined by the lightweight title fight between champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim champion Justin Gaethje. The UFC 254 odds have Nurmagomedov as the favorite and Gaethje as the underdog.
This event, wrapping up five weeks in Abu Dhabi on Yas Island, aka Fight Island, will take place on Saturday, October 24, in the afternoon. We have a full event preview and the UFC 254 odds here.
It has been just over a year since we saw Nurmagomedov (28-0) compete when he defended his lightweight strap with a third-round submission win over Dustin Poirier. “The Eagle” was scheduled to fight Tony Ferguson in the cursed fight that eventually was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The man who did fight Ferguson, though, was Gaethje and he handed El Cucuy his first loss in eight years. With that, “The Highlight” earned his title shot. Since back-to-back losses to Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier, Gaethje has gone on a run of four straight knockout wins.
Online sportsbook [Sportsbook not available for your region] has released the UFC 254 betting odds and in the main event, Nurmagomedov is a sizable -335 favorite with Gaethje coming back as a +255 underdog.
This means you would have to wager $335 to profit $100 with a Nurmagomedov win, while a $100 bet on Gaethje would profit you $255. You can find out all of your potential winnings with our sports betting calculator.
New to betting on the fights? Check out our UFC betting guide to get you in the action. Also, keep an eye on our UFC odds page for the latest up-to-date UFC betting lines.
UFC 254: Nurmagomedov vs Gaethje Broadcast Information
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Justin Gaethje Odds
Fighter
Odds
Khabib Nurmagomedov
-335
Justin Gaethje
+255
Will Justin Gaethje (+255) be the one to hand Khabib Nurmagomedov (-335) the first loss of his pro career? The Highlight has been more active recently, having two fights since we last saw the Eagle in action. Gaethje knocked out Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson, while Nurmagomedov suffered a loss outside of the cage when his famed father passed away this summer, which could prove to provide more motivation for the champ.
Prediction: Khabib Nurmagomedov (-335) via submission
Robert Whittaker vs Jared Cannonier Odds
Fighter
Odds
Robert Whittaker
-115
Jared Cannonier
-115
Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has already pointed to Jared “The Killa Gorilla” Cannonier (-115) as the next to challenge for his title if Cannonier can get past his next fight. That’s a big IF as the man standing across from him is the man that Adesanya took the belt from, Robert “The Reaper” Whittaker (-115), who returned to the win column in July against Darren Till one fight after losing his gold.
These are two heavyweights looking to return to the win column after tasting defeat their last time out. For Walt “The Big Ticket” Harris (+150), his knockout loss to Alistair Overeem in May ended his four-fight unbeaten streak that included three knockout wins. Meanwhile, Alexander “Drago” Volkov (-185) has been on a win-one, lose-one streak over his last four fights, most recently losing by decision to Curtis Blaydes in June.
Prediction: Alexander Volkov (-185) via decision
Jacob Malkoun vs Phil Hawes Betting Odds
Fighter
Odds
Jacob Malkoun
+200
Phil Hawes
-260
Set to make his UFC debut on a big PPV stage is Jacob “Mamba” Malkoun (+200) as he looks to keep his perfect 4-0 record intact. He will be taking on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series standout Phil “Megatron” Hawes (-260), who is riding a four-fight winning streak of his own.
Prediction: Phil Hawes (-260) via knockout
Lauren Murphy vs Liliya Shakirova Betting Odds
Fighter
Odds
Lauren Murphy
-200
Liliya Shakirova
+160
Liliya Shakirova (+160) has stepped up on late notice to make her UFC debut after Cynthia Calvillo tested positive for the coronavirus. Shakirova has won her last three fights and looks to continue her winning ways against Lauren “Lucky” Murphy (-200), who also is on a three-fight winning streak.
Prediction: Liliya Shakirova (+160) via decision
Magomed Ankalaev vs Ion Cutelaba Odds
Fighter
Odds
Magomed Ankalaev
-310
Ion Cutelaba
+240
I hesitate to even write this preview as this fight originally took place in February at UFC Fight Night: Benavidez vs Figueiredo and this happened…
Obviously controversial, was Ion “The Hulk” Cutelaba (+240) playing a little cat-and-mouse trying to drag Magomed Ankalaev (-310) in or was he in fact hurt and wobbled? Given the controversy, they were rebooked for UFC 249 in April, then the coronavirus postponed the event.
They were rescheduled for UFC 252, but Cutelaba tested positive for COVID-19. They then were rescheduled for UFC Fight Night: Smith vs Rakic, but once again Cutelaba tested positive. So here we are with another shot at these two coming together – maybe don’t hold your breath.