A lot of people thought Stipe Miocic beat Junior dos Santos the first time they fought, despite JDS being a healthy favorite in the eyes of bookmakers. This time around, ahead of their rematch, it’s Miocic that has opened as the favorite.
According to veteran linemaker Joey Oddessa (@MMAOdds on Twitter), Miocic has opened at -205, while Dos Santos is at +167 (info via MMA Junkie) for their UFC 211 heavyweight title fight.
The fortunes of both men have taken dramatic turns since their first meeting in late 2014 at a UFC on Fox event in Phoenix. Dos Santos was the victor via hard-fought unanimous decision that night, but it was pretty close. Dos Santos’ next fight was a one-sided loss to Alistair Overeem, which was a big setback. He has rebounded to beat fellow UFC 211 participant Ben Rothwell since then.
Miocic has won four straight fights by KO or TKO since dropping the first JDS fight, defeating Fabricio Werdum for the UFC heavyweight title along the way and defending it against Overeem in his hometown in September.
It remains to be seen if the major books fall into line around the same odds or have a different take on things, but for now, Miocic is favored to defend his belt again on May 13th in Dallas.
More News
UFC269: Venezuelan Julianna Peña Submits Brazilian Amanda Nunes, Becomes the new UFC World Champion
Oliveira, Poitier Make Weight for UFC World Title
Hot UFC269: this Saturday Oliveira vs Poirier Ready for War in Las Vegas