UFC Odds – UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie

A battle between ranked featherweight contenders serves as the main attraction Saturday at UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie. A former division champ and the No. 1 ranked contender, Max Holloway is looking for another shot at current title holder Alexander Volkanovski, who he lost to three times in his last six fights. Holloway enters as a huge favorite on the UFC betting line to beat Chan Sung Jung, otherwise known as The Korean Zombie. It’s been over 16 months since Jung last entered the Octagon when he was pummeled by Volkanovski in a fourth round TKO loss, his second in three fights.

With his most recent losses and not stepping inside the Octagon for an extended period, oddsmakers have soured on Jung with UFC betting sites positioning him as a +550 underdog. The hiatus was by design, though, giving him additional time to recover from lingering injuries after he took a beating from Volkanovski. Both fighters have been around for some time loitering at the top of the rankings yet this is the first fight between them. And like we saw last week at UFC 292, upsets can and do happen.

There are no title fights but several intriguing bouts highlight the main card. The co-main event reunites light heavyweight contenders Anthony Smith and Ryan Spann. Smith won the first meeting with a first-round submission but hasn’t won since, which is why he’s a slight underdog. Erin Blanchfield takes an 8-fight winning streak into her women’s flyweight matchup with Taila Santos with the winner likely receiving a shot at the belt.

The action starts early on Saturday, August 26 from Singapore with the main card scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. ET on ESPN+. You can bet on UFC online at BetRivers sportsbook with odds for every fight.

UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie Main Card Odds

Chan Sung Jung +550 vs. Max Holloway -800

Anthony Smith +108 vs. Ryan Spann -128

Alex Caceres +206 vs. Giga Chikadze -241

Fernie Garcia +550 vs. Rinya Nakamura -800

Talia Santos +122 vs. Erin Blanchfield -142

Parker Porter +121 vs. Junior Tafa -141

After two straight losses, Holloway ( 24-7, 10 KOs, 2 SUBs ) began his ascent as a featherweight in Singapore with a TKO of Will Chope, starting an impressive 13-fight winning streak. Included was a TKO of Anthony Pettis at UFC 206 to claim the interim title and a third-round stoppage of Jose Aldo in his next fight to win the unified championship. Following two successful title defenses, Holloway went after the interim lightweight title but lost to Dustin Poirier by unanimous decision.

Returning to flyweight resulted in a unanimous decision win over Frankie Edgar and if not for Volkanovski, Holloway would still be the champ. His last three setbacks were all to the current champ losing the strap at UFC 245 and dropping the rematch at UFC 251. Two wins got him another shot at the title only to lose by decision for the third time. Holloway rebounded from his most recent setback to Volkanovski beating Arnold Allen by UD in April.

Holloway has been able to maintain a lengthy and successful career by avoiding getting beat up thanks to his exceptional footwork and quick hands. Each of his last eight fights went to the judges and he’s never lost by KO. And while TKZ ( 17-7, 6 KOs, 8 SUBs ) has a big heart and is an aggressive striker, the UFC odds tell us all we need to know about this matchup.

At 36 and in the latter stages of his career, it’s hard to call Zombie a contender. He’s currently ranked eighth in the division more because fighters outside the top 5 haven’t really separated from the crowd. Zombie will be the fan favorite and he should be energized after not fighting in 16 months, but that also has a negative impact.

If you’re into backing longshots drop a few coins on TKZ, but his price is what it is for a reason. I’m not betting Holloway straight up at his price and neither should you. Instead get more specific with a method of victory and a round to shorten the odds. With a win probability of almost 90 percent and being one of the top fighters in the UFC, Holloway shouldn’t lose this fight.

While most of Holloway’s bouts have gone the distance, Zombie invites fighters to swing away. Jung earned his nickname by his zombie-like approach in the ring. He will continue to come after opponents with an aggressive style despite taking repeated heavy blows. And while that may have worked in his younger days, that’s not a wise strategy today.

UFC Prediction: Max Holloway / (T)KO Round 3

Check out the latest UFC betting odds at BetRivers.