"Bro the Disrespect on Usman" - UFC fans react as Khamzat Chimaev opens as huge favorite over former champ Kamaru Usman
The betting odds for Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev and Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski have been revealed.
An X account named MMA Orbit has shared the UFC 294 betting odds where Makhachev is a -205 favorite against Volkanovski, who is a +170 underdog.
In the co-main event, Chimaev has opened as a huge -290 favorite, while former UFC welterweight champion Usman is a +235 underdog.
The news of Usman being such a big underdog drew reactions from several MMA fans, who took to the comments section to share their thoughts on the betting odds.
One individual stated that the odds were disrespectful toward 'The Nigerian Nightmare'.
"Bro the disrespect on Usman... Underdog."
Another person commended the former UFC champion for stepping up on short notice but predicted the 36-year-old would suffer a knockout loss on October 21.
"Usman getting slept... Respect for stepping up tho."
One person claimed that betting on Usman to win via knockout could prove to be a profitable deal.
"Usman by KO is easy money."
Check out a compilation of a few more reactions below:
Khamzat Chimaev was originally scheduled to lock horns with Paulo Costa in the co-main event of UFC 294, but the Brazilian had to pull out of the fight due to an injury.
As a result, Kamaru Usman stepped in on short notice to go toe-to-toe with 'Borz' in a middleweight clash on October 21 in Abu Dhabi.
Could the winner of Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight for the title next?
Many MMA fans have been speculating as to who will face Sean Strickland in 'Tarzan's' first middleweight title defense. A rematch against Israel Adesanya and a clash against Dricus du Plessis were among the options being discussed. But now it seems that there is more clarity on the matter.
Journalist Kevin Iole recently uploaded a post on X speaking about a conversation he had with UFC CEO Dana White. Iole said that according to White, the winner of Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev could possibly be next in line to fight for the middleweight gold.
"Dana White just told me that the Chimaev-Usman winner will get the next title shot barring injury, etc"