UFC on ESPN+ 32: Lewis vs. Oleinik takes place on Saturday, August 8 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The offshore sportsbooks recently opened up the betting odds for the full card, and here they are.
UFC on ESPN+ 32 Opening Odds
Derrick Lewis -200
Aleksei Oleinik +170
Omari Akhmedov -150
Chris Weidman +130
Darren Stewart -150
Maki Pitolo +110
Yana Kunitskaya -175
Julija Stoliarenko +135
Beneil Dariush -160
Scott Holtzman +140
Kevin Holland -275
Joaquin Buckley +235
Laureano Staropoli -155
Tim Means +135
Nasrat Haqparast -205
Alex Munoz +175
Wellington Turman -160
Andrew Sanchez +130
Gavin Tucker -220
Justin Jaynes +185
Youssef Zalal -320
Peter Barrett +240
Irwin Rivera -185
Ali Al Qaisi +145
Here are my initial thoughts on the UFC on ESPN+ 32 Opening Odds:
- The main event between Lewis and Oleinik is a truly intriguing fight that I see ending in one of two ways. Either Lewis gets the knockout or Oleinik gets the submission. With five rounds to work, I can’t see these guys going the distance. Lewis has always been known for his incredible knockout power but we saw what happened when he fought an elite grappler in Daniel Cormier and got submitted. As for Oleinik, his chin has always been an issue but his submission game is second to none. I think this fight is a lot closer than the odds suggest because Oleinik has a clear path to victory. As it stands, this is a dog-or-pass situation.
- In the co-main event, I find it hard to back Weidman, a loser of five of his last six fights by knockout. We all know how talented Weidman is, but his chin is a huge problem at this point in his career. Akhmedov has gone undefeated over his last six fights and while he hasn’t been knocking anyone out, he does have the power needed to put Weidman out. I have a lot of respect for Weidman but I favor Akhmedov to become the latest fighter to knock him out.
- One of the best fights on the card sees lightweights Dairush and Holtzman go at it. Dariush has won four straight fights, including a crazy KO over Drakkar Klose in his last fight, while Holtzman has won five of his last six. Both men are trying to break into the top-15 so this is a huge fight for both guys at this point in their careers. Although I have been impressed by Holtzman as of late I still have to favor Dariush here as I believe he’s more well-rounded.
- On the prelims, a pair of exciting welterweights go at is as Means meets Staropoli. Means is coming off of an upset loss against Daniel Rodriguez while Staropoli lost a decision to Muslim Salikhov. Both guys are very talented strikers but at this point in Means’ career, it is becoming hard to back him. I favor the younger Staropoli to get his hand raised in this one.
- And finally, for a dog, I favor Jaynes to beat Tucker. Jaynes has won five straight fights by knockout and looked incredible in his win over Frank Camacho. Tucker, meanwhile, has one fight in the last three years and seems like fade material against a heavy hitter here.
