Alexander Volkanovski opens as betting underdog to both Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev at UFC 280

Alexander Volkanovski will be the betting underdog if he does step into fight at UFC 280.

On Tuesday, Volkanovski revealed he was confirmed to be the backup fighter for the vacant lightweight title fight between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev. The event will take place on October 22 in Abu Dhabi, Dubai.

“Yeah, so we’re locked in as the backup fighter. I’ve been calling for it, I said I wanted it. I just had to make sure the hand was all good, so, we’re all good,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “We’re locked in, we’ve got the clearance to fight, the UFC is on board, everyone is on board. I’ll be at UFC 280 to make weight, and I’m looking forward to it. We’ll see what happens. If someone doesn’t make it, I’m there to save the day. If not, I’m locked in as the next guy to fight for the lightweight title, and that’s that.”

Now, after it was confirmed that Volkanovski would be the backup fighter for the lightweight title fight, odds were released for both potential matchups. In both potential fights, Volkanovski opened as the betting underdog.

UFC 280 odds:

Alexander Volkanovski +110
Charles Oliveira -130

Alexander Volkanovski +300
Islam Makhachev -400

If Alexander Volkanovski steps in to face Charles Oliveira he would be a +110 underdog meaning a $100 bet would net you $110 if he wins. If he faces Makhachev, he’s a +300 underdog and if he pulls off the upset it would win you $300 on a $100 bet.

Alexander Volkanovski (25-1) is coming off a dominant decision win over Max Holloway to defend his featherweight title for the fourth time. The Aussie is undefeated in the UFC and hasn’t lost since 2013 when he fought at welterweight. In his UFC tenure, he holds notable wins over Max Holloway, three times, Jose Aldo, Korean Zombie, Brian Ortega, and Chad Mendes among others.

Are you surprised Alexander Volkanovski is the betting underdog to both Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev?