UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway will have his sights set on a 12th straight victory in the octagon when he puts his belt on the line on Saturday in a highly anticipated rematch with former champion Jose Aldo as a heavy -300 favourite on the UFC 218 odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Holloway claimed the unified UFC featherweight crown with a stunning third-round TKO victory over Aldo as a +135 underdog at UFC 212, and currently sits alongside the legendary Royce Gracie in fifth place on the list of the UFC all-time longest win streaks going into Saturday night’s match at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Holloway also earned Fight of the Night honours in his victory over Aldo in early June, marking the fourth time the 25-year-old Hawaiian has taken home a bonus during his 11-win run. The champion has also finished opponents inside the distance on eight occasions during his rise to the top of the featherweight division. However, Holloway has scant experience in lengthy battles inside the cage, with just one of his 21 career fights going beyond three rounds.
Aldo will be seeking redemption following his recent loss to Holloway as -165 chalk. The 31-year-old Brazilian veteran saw his five-year reign as UFC featherweight champion ended in humiliating fashion with a stunning knockout just 13 seconds into his clash with Conor McGregor as a -125 bet at UFC 194.
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt would later briefly reclaim the title after escaping with a unanimous decision win over Frankie Edgar as a -105 underdog at UFC 200, but has managed to finish an opponent just once in his past seven octagon appearances, a fourth-round TKO of Chan-Sung Jung over four years ago at UFC 163 .
In other UFC 218 betting action, Francis Ngannou looks to extend his undefeated streak in UFC clashes to six fights as he takes on fellow heavyweight Alistair Overeem as a heavy -240 favourite, while Tecia Torres aims for a third straight victory as she battles Michelle Waterston as -240 chalk in a clash of women’s strawweights.
Ngannou has rapidly climbed the UFC heavyweight rankings following a trio of first-round victories, including a devastating TKO victory on punches over Andrei Arlovski as -290 chalk in his last outing at UFC on Fox 23, and has earned Performance of the Night bonuses in his past two appearances.
Overeem settled for a majority decision win over Fabricio Werdum in his last outing at UFC 213. However, the No. 1 heavyweight challenger trails as a +190 underdog on the UFC 218 odds.
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