The anticipation is building towards UFC 236 this week with one of the most promising cards in front of us. The festivities will take place on Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia and they’ll be headlined by the undisputed UFC Featherweight champion Max Holloway, who will make the move to the lightweight division to try to become a two-division champion. Let’s take a closer look at his bout and betting odds, as well as the other important fights on the card.
Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirer
Odds: Holloway -225
Max Holloway has produced 13 straight wins, including consecutive UFC Featherweight championship defences. After dominating the featherweight division, Holloway will look to expand his championship dominance when he meets Poirer for a rematch that’s been long in the making. It’s been seven years since Poirer beat Holloway via submission back at UFC 143 and a lot has changed since then. While Poirer has certainly made a name for himself as a title contender, he is still set to be a significant underdog versus Holloway, who has grown significantly since their last bout. Holloway is the better striker with the better resume. The assumption is he should have no problem making the transition to lightweight and beating Poirer to become a two-division champion.
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Israel Adesanya
Odds: Adesanya -175
All of the momentum is behind Adesanya following an incredible 16-0 run, which includes a signature win over Anderson Silva earlier this year. Gastelum will probably be the toughest opponent he has faced, considering he is still in the prime of his career.
Gastelum is the better wrestler, but his limitations in other areas will make this a very difficult test for him. Adesanya has a major height and reach advantage, and he is also a much better striker. Considering his punching power and the size advantage he has heading into this bout, it would be surprising if Adesanya didn’t extend his perfect record and improve to 17-0 with a win at UFC 236.
Eryk Anders vs. Khalil Rountree
Odds: Anders -200
Anders is a sizable favourite to beat Rountree in this light heavyweight bout. He’s coming off back-to-back losses to Thiago Santos and Elias Theodorou, which means he has now dropped three of his last four.
Rountree is 3-3 in his last six bouts and is coming off a devastating knockout loss to Johnny Walker. It was a vicious elbow that put Rountree to sleep, so we’re not quite sure how he’s going to respond.
Rountree could be a live dog, though, as he’s the better striker here. Anders will try to take him down and win this on the ground, but this fight could be closer than the odds suggest.
Ovince Saint Preux vs. Nikita Krylov
Odds: Saint Preux -115
Like Anders, Saint Preux is another light heavyweight fighter at a crossroads. He’s lost two of his last three bouts heading into this contest. He’ll have a tough test in front of him as a desperate Nikita Krylov tries to get back on track. Krylov is also coming off a loss, which ended his four-fight winning streak. Each of his last four victories were via stoppage, including three in a row via knockout or TKO. If Krylov performs to his potential at UFC 236, he should be able to beat Saint Preux.