Tony Ferguson vs. Charles Oliveira is the co-main event for UFC 256 betting on Saturday, December 12 at the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This should be a banger between a pair of highly-entertaining lightweight contenders. UFC odds have Ferguson as a -158 favorite, while Oliveira comes back at +134.
We break down the UFC betting odds for this lightweight battle and give our best picks and predictions for Ferguson vs. Oliveira at UFC 256.
Ferguson vs Oliveira Fight Odds
| Method of Victory | Tony Ferguson | Charles Oliveira |
|---|---|---|
| Win outright | -158 | +134 |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Ferguson vs Oliveira Betting Preview
Tony "El Cucuy" Ferguson is currently No. 3 in the lightweight rankings, despite getting pummeled in his previous fight against Justin Gaethje in May. Prior to that TKO loss, El Cucuy had won 12 consecutive fights in the UFC—with nine of those victories coming by finish.
Ferguson is one of the most entertaining fighters around, combining unpredictable striking with incredible pace and high-level submissions. He has received Fight of the Night or Performance of the Night bonuses in eight of his previous nine bouts.
Charles "Do Bronx" Oliveira is No. 6 in the lightweight division and is on a seven-fight winning streak, most recently a submission win over Kevin Lee in March.
With an extensive background in BJJ, Oliveira is one of the best grapplers in the world and holds the UFC record for wins by submission with 14. Like El Cucuy, Do Bronx is also a fan favorite, taking home Performance of the Night honors in six of his last seven fights.
Ferguson vs Oliveira Tale of the Tape
| Tony Ferguson | Charles Oliveira | |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | Age | 31 |
| 6-foot-0 | Height | 5-foot-10 |
| 155 lbs | Weight | 155 lbs |
| 76.5 inches | Reach | 74 inches |
| 25-4 (12 KO) | Record | 29-8-1 (8 KO) |
Ferguson vs Oliveira UFC Prediction and Betting Pick
PREDICTION: Ferguson to win -158 - Oliveira is 7-0 in his last seven bouts but he didn't face many fighters with the same pedigree as Ferguson's opponents. Most of Oliveira's toughest matchups came before this winning streak when he took on guys like Paul Felder, Ricardo Lamas, Anthony Pettis and Max Holloway—and lost decisively.
Ferguson has more impressive wins under his belt and this line is only this low because of how badly El Cucuy was pieced up by Gaethje. Gaethje was able to disrupt Ferguson's timing with his heavy hands but Ferguson displayed a ton of heart and Oliveira isn't in the same stratosphere as a hitter.
Oliveira may be an incredible submission specialist but Ferguson is no slouch on the mat himself, with six of his last 12 wins coming by sub. With how close both fighters are on the ground I'm expecting much of this fight to stay standing up, where Ferguson has a clear advantage.
Ferguson is the more powerful and accurate striker and attacks from a variety of angles. He also has an insane cardio level, which allows him to maintain that high output in the later rounds. Back Ferguson to win at a decent price.
Where Can I Bet on UFC Odds?
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