Betting Lines: Charles Oliveira Opens As Underdog Against Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor

Mandatory Credit: Josh Hedges - Zuffa LLC & Jeff Bottari - Zuffa LLC

Following his UFC lightweight title coronation on Saturday night against Michael Chandler, Charles 'Do Bronx' Oliveira has opened as an underdog against upcoming headliners, both Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor -- with the Brazilian expected to meet his first title defence opponent against one of those former division gold holders

Extending his winning spree to a whopping nine fights, the current divisional best run, Oliveira rallied early in the second round opposite former three-time Bellator champion, Chandler, stopping him with a barrage at the fence to claim the vacant lightweight championship. The stoppage win also propelled Oliveira to the top of the list as the most prolific submission, and now overall finisher in UFC history with seventeen separate stoppage successes.

Surviving some adversity in the opening round, Oliveira was dropped at the fence himself with a minute remaining in the opening round, having struggled with the incoming power from the hands of the #4 ranked Chandler. Starting the second frame as quickly as he started the first, Oliveira clipped Chandler with a counter left hook, before swarming at the fence with a barrage to finish the Missouri veteran. 

Despite his crowing achievement opposite Chandler on a run that now stretches to nine straight wins, Oliveira has opened as an underdog per bookmakers, BetOnline.Ag.  

At the time of writing, Oliveira sits at a +155 underdog against former interim champion, Poirier, who sits as a favourite at -180. In a potential showdown against former undisputed featherweight and lightweight titleholder, McGregor, Oliveira, whilst still an underdog, the gap isn't as severe as he comes in at +145 as McGregor currently sits at -165.

Likely set to match with either of those two in his first attempted title defence toward the closing months of this year, Poirier and McGregor are slated to headline UFC 264 on July 10th. from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada -- with the victor widely expected to challenge for undisputed lightweight gold.