Cris Cyborg opens as significant betting favorite over Holly Holm

After months of back and forth and discussion, the first title defense of UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg Justino is finally set. The champ will defend her title against former women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm at UFC 219 this December 30.

While this fight is still some time away, the early betting odds for it have now been released via veteran oddsmaker Joey Odessa. These odds have the champ Cyborg identified as a -400 betting favorite, while Holm has been pegged as a +300 underdog.

“I’m probably in the minority, but I think Holly Holm has a legit shot at beating Cyborg,” Odessa told MMAjunkie of the logic behind these odds. “Most of Cyborg’s opponents dread standing and striking with her, but that’s where Holly is at her best.

“Unlike 18 of Cyborg’s opponents in the past who got crushed on their feet, Holm’s best path to victory may be by keeping the bout standing.”

“Holly really has nothing to lose. She’s only been an underdog in an MMA fight once time. In her 2015 upset win (over) Rousey, many people, including me, wrote her off and didn’t give her much of a chance of winning.”

Cyborg will enter this fight having last fought in July, when she defeated the always game Tonya Evinger to win the vacant UFC women’s featherweight title. With this win, she extended her win-streak to a ridiculous 18 straight. This streak is highlighted by decisive defeats of fighters like Gina Carano, Marloes Coenen, Jan Finney, Charmaine Tweet, Leslie Smith, Lina Lansberg and Evinger. She’s 18-1 overall with one no contest.

Holm, meanwhile, recently rebounded from consecutive losses to Miesha Tate, Valentina Shevchenko and Germaine de Randamie with a beautiful head-kick induced knockout of former women’s bantamweight title challenger Bethe Correia.

Who do you think wins this Cris Cyborg vs. Holly Holm UFC 219 title fight? Do you like the betting odds?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 19/11/2017.