Tsarukyan Favored vs Oliveira in Number One Contender Fight

It’s a number one contender’s bout to determine who is next in line for a shot at Islam

Makhachev’s UFC lightweight championship. Both Charles Oliveira and Arman

Tsarukyan are legitimate competition for Makhachev who is expected to return this

summer after spending time recovering from an injury. Makhachev is number one in the

pound-for-pound rankings and has just a single loss in his pro career prior to a

13-match win streak.

Charles Oliveira (+190)

Slotted in at six on the UFC pound-for-pound rankings, Oliveira was originally scheduled

to contend for the lightweight title in a rematch with Makhachev at UFC 294, but was

forced to pull out due to injuries prior to the fight. The two originally met at UFC 280 for

the vacant lightweight championship which saw Oliveira submit to Makhachev in the

second round. The loss broke an eleven fight win streak that lasted eight years. Since

then, we saw Oliveira score a first-round TKO victory over Beneil Dariush last June to

get back on to his winning ways.

You have to hand it to the veteran who’s built up his resume with victories over the likes

of Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje recently. The last two wins on

that shortlist came via a rear-naked choke, which brings the submission specialist to a

total of 21 in his career and an overall win/loss tally of 34-9-0.

Arman Tsarukyan (-225)

While he is 21-3-0 in his pro career, Tsarukyan has dropped just one fight through his

past 9 contests. The odds-on favourite for this bout enters the octagon on a three-fight

win streak, picking up finishes over Joaquim Silva and most recently Dariush. Similarly

to Oliveira, Tsarukyan finished Dariush in the first round but via KO at the end of 2023.

The 27-year-old is looking to earn his first shot at a UFC championship with a win here.

The championship is not the only thing on his mind. He dropped a hard-fought decision

in his debut to Makhachev, five years ago. Tsarukyan has publicly spoken about his

need for a rematch with the champion in an effort to redeem one of the few blemishes

on his career. That being said, he’d be wary not to get too far ahead of himself in

thinking about the future while getting knocked out in the present.

For the latest UFC 300 odds, visit BetOnline.