Demetrious Johnson will step into the octagon in search of a record 12th straight successful defence of his UFC flyweight title when he battles Henry Cejudo on Saturday in the co-main event at UFC 227 as a heavy -500 favourite at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Johnson has reigned as the only flyweight champion in UFC history since claiming the inaugural belt with a split decision victory over Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152, and takes a 14-fight unbeaten streak into Saturday night’s bout at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
The 31-year-old American has finished opponents in seven of his past 10 outings, including five victories by submission, and earned both Performance of the Night and Submission of the Year honors in his last outing, a fifth-round win over Ray Borg at UFC 216 as -1200 chalk.
Cejudo will make his second bid for the UFC flyweight title pegged as a +350 underdog on the UFC 227 odds after picking up wins in his past two outings, including a second-round TKO win over Wilson Reis last September at UFC Edmonton that earned him his first Performance of the Night bonus since joining the UFC in 2014.
Cejudo owns a respectable 12-2 professional MMA record, but his first loss as a pro came against Johnson at UFC 197, a stunning opening-round TKO defeat as a +265 underdog.
A second title will be on the line in Saturday night’s main event, as TJ Dillashaw defends his UFC bantamweight crown in a highly anticipated rematch with Cody Garbrandt as a -120 UFC betting favourite.
Dillashaw claimed the belt for the second time in his career with a second-round knockout win over Garbrandt as a +175 underdog at UFC 217, and is now unbeaten in three outings since seeing his first reign as UFC bantamweight champion end with a controversial split decision loss to Dominic Cruz at UFC Fight Night 81 as a -160 favourite.
For Garbrandt, his loss to Dillashaw last November marked the first defeat of his professional MMA career. The 27-year-old had reached the top of the bantamweight division with a unanimous decision win over Cruz as a +185 underdog at UFC 207, and returns to the octagon for a second tilt with Dillashaw as a narrow -105 underdog.
Earlier in the evening, veteran Cub Swanson aims to get back in the win column after back-to-back losses as he battles Renato Moicano in a clash of featherweights as a +285 underdog, while middleweight Kevin Holland makes his UFC promotional debut, battling Thiago Santos, also as a +285 underdog.
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