Tyron Woodley will enter the octagon as the underdog when he puts his UFC welterweight title on the line against Darren Till, sporting a line of +130 on the UFC 228 odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Woodley has been sidelined by injury for over a year since claiming a unanimous decision win over Demian Maia as -235 chalk at UFC 214 that lifted his professional mixed martial arts record to 18-3-1 going into Saturday night’s bout at American Airlines Center.
Woodley claimed the title with a stunning first-round knockout of Robbie Lawler at UFC 201 that paid out on +110 odds. The 36-year-old American was forced to settle for a draw with Stephen Thompson in his first title defence at UFC 205, but earned a majority decision win in a highly anticipated rematch with Wonderboy at UFC 209 pegged as a virtual pick ’em.
Till looks to remain undefeated when he takes on Woodley as a -130 favourite. A knockout specialist early in his career, Till has demonstrated endurance since joining the UFC three years ago. Four of his past five fights have gone the distance including a draw with Nicolas Dalby at UFC Fight Night 76, which represents the only blemish on his 17-0-1 pro MMA record.
The Englishman earned a unanimous decision over Thompson as a +120 underdog in his last outing, a five-round clash at UFC Fight Night 130. That marked the first time Till has seen championship rounds in UFC competition, but also the second time that he has missed weight in four appearances.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHoLt31SRx4
(UPDATE: Montano vs. Shevchenko has been cancelled)
Earlier in the evening, Nicco Montano will defend her newly minted UFC women’s flyweight title for the first time as she faces No. 1 contender Valentina Shevchenko as a +825 underdog on the UFC 228 odds.
Montano claimed the inaugural women’s flyweight crown with a unanimous decision win over Roxanne Modafferi as a -200 favourite at The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale, and has gone the distance on four occasions while amassing a 4-2 pro MMA record.
Shevchenko sits perched as heavy -1200 chalk in her second fight since returning to the flyweight division. The Russian has lost two of four contests, but recorded a second-round submission win over Priscila Cachoeira as a -1200 bet last time out at UFC Fight Night 125.
And while their UFC 229 clash remains four weeks away, the buzz continues around the upcoming battle for the UFC lightweight title between champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Irishman Conor McGregor. Nurmagomedov continues to hold the edge as a -170 favourite on the Khabib vs. McGregor odds while The Notorious lags as a +140 underdog in his first octagon appearance since 2016.
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