UFC 262 predictions — Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira: Fight card, odds, expert picks, prelims

On Saturday, UFC 262 takes place at Toyota Heart in Houston with a battle between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler for the vacant light-weight championship sitting atop the cardboard. The occasion is stacked and there’s not a single combat that’s an anticipated blowout, with solely two fighters on the cardboard at the moment listed as greater than -200 favorites.

Chandler, a three-time champion in Bellator MMA the place he’s spent the vast majority of his profession, is lastly getting the prospect on the largest stage in UFC. He enters this title bout 10-2 since 2015 and after making a thunderous debut in January when he stopped Dan Hooker within the first spherical. He will get a tricky opponent in Oliveira, although, because the Brazilian is among the many greatest submission specialists within the sport. Oliveira lately broke the report for many submissions in UFC historical past as he enters on an eight-fight win streak.

There’s loads of different fights to get enthusiastic about on this card. Rising light-weight contender Beneil Dariush is again when he takes on former interim champion and perennial contender Tony Ferguson within the co-main occasion. Ferguson will enter on the primary two-fight shedding streak of his profession. Plus, motion fighters Shane Burgos and Edson Barboza meet in a featured contest at featherweight. And Matt Schnell takes on Rogerio Bontorin in a flyweight bout to open up the PPV festivities.

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With a lot occurring on Saturday night time, let’s take a more in-depth have a look at the total combat card with the most recent odds from William Hill Sportsbook earlier than we get to our employees predictions and picks for the PPV portion of the festivities.

UFC 262 combat card, odds

Odds through William Hill Sportsbook

• Charles Oliveira -135 vs. Michael Chandler +115, light-weight championship
• Beneil Dariush -160 vs. Tony Ferguson +135, light-weight
• Katlyn Chookagian -135 vs. Viviane Araujo +115, ladies’s flyweight
• Shane Burgos -150 vs. Edson Barboza +125, featherweight
• Matt Schnell -165 vs. Rogerio Bontorin +140, flyweight
• Ronaldo Souza -125 vs. Andre Muniz +105, middleweight
• Antonina Shevchenko -120 vs. Andrea Lee +100, ladies’s flyweight
• Mike Grundy -120 vs. Lando Vannata +100, light-weight
• Jordan Wright -110 vs. Jamie Pickett -110, middleweight
• Gina Mazany -210 vs. Priscila Cachoeira +175, ladies’s flyweight
• Tucker Lutz -120 vs. Kevin Aguilar +100, featherweight
• Christos Giagos -220 vs. Sean Soriano +180, light-weight 

With such a large principal occasion on faucet, the crew at CBS Sports activities went forward with predictions and picks for the principle card. Listed below are your decide makers: Brent Brookhouse (Fight sports activities author), Brian Campbell (Fight sports activities author, co-host of “Morning Kombat”), Matthew Coca (producer), Jack Crosby (editor), Michael Mormile (producer) and Brandon Smart (senior editor).

UFC 262 picks, predictions

Campbell on why Chandler will win: Oliveira has rebuilt himself right into a power of nature throughout a powerful eight-fight win streak within the sport’s deepest division. His means to complete fights in dramatic methods, notably on the bottom, makes him a small but very comprehensible betting favourite. However did I point out the home cash that Chandler seems to be taking part in with after blasting Dan Hooker with one punch in his UFC debut earlier than skipping the road towards a title shot? Chandler is working at a supreme degree of confidence and has the mandatory benefit in energy punching to lure Oliveira right into a firefight and truly end it. 

Brookhouse on why Chandler will win: Chandler’s wrestling feels prefer it could possibly be the deciding issue on this combat. Oliveira isn’t doubtless to have the ability to outwrestle Chandler like he did Ferguson. And why would Chandler look to place the combat on the ground? Which means this can be a stand-up combat and that’s the place Chandler ought to be capable of draw Oliveira into some high-risk exchanges the place he has the facility to complete the combat. In fact, Chandler isn’t impervious to being stopped and Oliveira has the talents to attain the end, however the extra that Chandler can power the motion, the extra doubtless it’s he walks out with the championship.

Campbell on why Dariush will win: Have the wars and accidents caught up with Ferguson at age 37? Dariush is the right opponent to search out out simply that, which makes this a terrific piece of matchmaking. Ferguson has misplaced two straight in notably one-sided fights. The aggressive Dariush, in the meantime, has received six in a row and needs to lastly be thought of among the many light-weight elite. Whereas Dariush isn’t a technical dynamo, he’s aggressive and hits arduous, which could possibly be sufficient to ship Ferguson utterly into the twilight of his profession. 

Brookhouse on why Ferguson will win: Dariush is a gifted fighter who’s a fixture on the second tier of the light-weight division due to his aggression and having simply sufficient method to thrive towards everybody however the guys on the high. Until Ferguson is totally shot, he’s a step above the fellows Dariush excels towards. Likewise, Dariush is a step beneath guys working on the elite degree like Oliveira and Justin Gaethje — and precisely the sort of man Ferguson has at all times dealt with properly. Whereas time is catching up with Ferguson, it appears like an excessive amount of is being learn into his having merely come up towards two guys absolutely clicking in career-best performances. If Ferguson nonetheless has gasoline within the tank, that is the sort of combat he wins.

Campbell on why Barboza will win: Burgos has been off for practically a full yr following a heartbreaking loss to Josh Emmett wherein he fought courageously but got here up simply brief whereas taking up a considerable amount of harm of their fight-of-the-year contender. Can he summon the identical degree of resolve towards an much more harmful striker in Barboza? There’s a minimum of sufficient cause to query it, with Barboza being the mistaken sort of opponent to be something lower than your greatest whereas going through. Barboza proved in his final two fights that the transfer right down to 145 kilos fits him properly at 35. A win right here might make him a darkhorse within the title image. 

Who wins Chandler vs. Oliveira? And which underdog is a must-back? Go to SportsLine now to get detailed UFC 262 picks, all from the last word insider who’s up practically $9,500 on MMA picks prior to now yr, and discover out.