Oddsmakers have Dariush as the early -140 (5/7) betting favorite over Oliveira, according to BetOnline.ag, while “Do Bronx” clocks in ♠ as the +120 (6/5) underdog. As with most opening lines, you can expect these numbers to fluctuate — in both ♠ directions — as we inch closer to fight night.
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Dariush, 33, improved to ♠ 22-4-1 by outlasting Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280, his eighth straight victory and a performance dominant enough to solidify his ♠ spot at No. 4 in the official lightweight rankings. Still not good enough for Dustin Poirier, but that’s an entirely ♠ different story.
Oliveira, 33, fell to 33-9 (1 NC) after getting submitted by Islam Makhachev, also at 280, coughing up his ♠ lightweight strap in the process. The Abu Dhabi defeat snapped an 11-fight win streak for “Do Bronx,” who may be ♠ able to build a case for a Makhachev rematch with a victory over Dariush.
UFC 288 is expected to be headlined ♠ by the bantamweight title fight between current 135-pound champion Aljamain Sterling and former division titleholder Henry Cejudo. Elsewhere on the ♠ card, battle-tested strawweight sluggers Marina Rodriguez and Virna Jandiroba collide at 135 pounds.
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