Prediction, Odds & Betting tips for UFC 289 Oliveira vs. Dariush at UFC 289
Prediction, Odds & Betting tips for UFC 289 Oliveira vs. Dariush at UFC 289
The former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira and one of the top contenders Beneil Dariush are set to make one hell of a spectacle at the UFC 289 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver. This isn’t the main event of the night, but for sure, it is the most anticipated. These two guys have to win, otherwise, their status will be severely damaged. Oliveira needs this victory to preserve a chance to regain his title, while on the other side if Beneil fails to beat the Brazilian, he’ll have to wait for at least two more fights to challenge the champ.
Charles Oliveira
Do Bronx was the lightweight champion following Khabib’s retirement. The Brazilian got to battle for the belt against Michael Chandler, knocking out the American and getting the gold. After that, he would beat Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje both via submissions before losing to Islam Makhachev.
Oliveira holds the current UFC record in most finishes, 19 and the most submissions, 16. So far, he has the best stats in those categories, and it appears there isn’t a fighter who can endanger him, especially regarding the submissions.
In 43 pro-MMA battles, Do Bronx posted 33 wins and nine losses, submitting the rivals on 21 occasions. Oliveira’s long and athletic frame is used for squeezing out the life of the opponents, and he perfected this aspect of fighting. Also, the Brazilian’s cardio is near ideal, and he relentlessly pressures the rival for the entire battle.
Beneil Dariush
The Iranian-born has eight straight wins in the UFC and has been without a loss since 2018. Throughout that span, we’ve seen him dominate the rivals, who weren’t exactly an elite echelon of the division. Dariush lost to Edson Barboza and Alexander Hernandez both via KO, and had a draw in between against Evan Dunham before taking on this winning rampage.
His biggest victims were Thiago Moses, Drew Dober, Carlos Diego Ferreira, and most recently, Tony Ferguson, who was already on the downhill. The latest fight was against Mateusz Gamrot, one star on the rise, who presented the biggest challenge for the 34-year-old.
Dariush is a good grappler and wrestler, one of the best in the division, whose takedown defense is arguably the best among lightweights. He knows to inflict pain with fists but feels more comfortable dictating the pace on the ground. Yet, when it comes to the method of winning, he is very versatile, with nine decision victories, eight submission wins and five knockouts.
Oliveira did lose to Islam, breaking under pressure at one moment, but he wasn’t dominated in that one. He vowed to come back and win the title once again, and since, the Brazilian was preparing for this battle. Dariush didn’t have a test like this one, and we think that all the hype around him is a bit exaggerated, so our pick here is Do Bronx.
Our verdict: Oliveira wins