UFC 284 Featherweight Title Fight Odds

UFC 284 Featherweight Championship Odds & Expert Picks

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 10 February 2023

Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

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Yair Rodriguez Vs. Josh Emmett Overview and Background

The current featherweight champ, Alexander Volkanovski, is set to face off against lightweight king Islam Makhachev. Late last year, he said he had no problems with an interim championship fight taking place. After all, it only makes sense and will be a healthy move for a division where he has beaten practically everyone in the higher rungs.

The interim championship will be contested between the number 2-ranked Yair Rodriguez and the number 5-ranked Josh Emmett. It’s nearly a foregone conclusion that the winner will fight the possible double champ Alexander Volkanovski when he returns to the division. This interim championship fight also sets up several prospective fights in the 145-pound division that will set up the facing off of new talents against established high-level fighters.

At the time of writing, Yair Rodriguez is favored by THE best betting sites for UFC as a -170 favorite. Emmett, on the other hand, is a slight underdog at +145. The winner of this fight will almost definitely have to face off against Volkanovski next, so who will it be?

Yair Rodriguez Vs. Josh Emmett Preview

Nicknamed “El Pantera”, Yair Rodriguez has firmly established himself as a dynamic fighter who never seems to put in a dull or lackluster performance. A striking expert with a record of 15-3, Yair has made a name for himself for having fast hands, powerful kicks, and unorthodox strikes. In 2018, he finished Chan Sung Jung in the last few seconds of their fight with an unusual elbow strike and put the division on notice.

In his last fight, Rodriguez ‘defeated’ no. 3-ranked Brian Ortega dislocated his shoulder towards the end of the first round and could not continue fighting. Unfortunately for Ortega, he was given the TKO loss despite being in a dominant top position when the injury occurred.

Despite ending up on the bottom, Rodriguez was in top form in the first round, scoring several punches and kicks to Ortega’s chin. After taking the first half of 2021 off to recover from injuries, Rodriguez has looked to be a serious contender, despite his decision loss to former champ Max Holloway. In that match, he clearly demonstrated that he has one of the most creative striking games in all of the UFC. Despite the loss and win against Ortega due to injury, Rodriguez is well deserving of the title shot that he has been awarded.

Regardless, Rodriguez still looked really good in the first round, and he landed a few hard shots with both his hands and feet on Ortega’s chin. Since coming back from his injury layoff in 2021, Rodriguez has looked elite over his last two fights, even though one was a loss to Holloway. His kicking game is one of the best in the UFC, and he is one of the most creative strikers in the division.

In the other corner, we have Josh Emmett, who has established himself as one of the hardest-hitting and grittiest 145-pounders in the game today. Emmet’s record of 18-2 is decorated with 6 knockouts, proving that he has the power to put opponents away should they get too comfortable standing in front of him. Despite the power in his hands, Emmett has won most of his fights by decisions.

He holds wins over notable featherweight fighters such as Shane Burgos, Dan Igue, and Kalvin Kattar. However, it seems that this may be Emmet’s last push toward gold as he is 38 years old, which could be seen as too old for the fast-twitch featherweight division. It’s difficult to see how Emmett could bounce back from a knockout loss and mount a championship run at this stage of his career as a fighter.

Yair Rodriguez Vs. Josh Emmett Prediction

This matchup should prove to be a treat for the fans as both fighters like to keep things on their feet and use strikes to find a way to victory. Those wanting to bet on UFC fights such as this should take note of their most recent fights for indication of who could come out on top. Both fighters possess the ability to end the fight with one clean shot. However, Rodriguez may have the edge in the striking department as Emmett has never faced someone as unorthodox or crafty on the feet as him before. Emmett’s grappling skills may prove to be the equalizer, as he has demonstrated an ability to take opponents down and keep them there if things aren’t going his way on his feet.

If Rodriguez can control the distance and keep Emmett from clinching up, we see him outstriking the American over 5 rounds. It’s also highly probable that he can score a knockout if it turns into a brawl. If the opposite happens and Emmett decides to be a wrestler, he might just get the decision to win at the end of the fight. One thing is for sure – this is a great matchup that the fans will enjoy, and we can’t wait to see who the new Interim UFC Featherweight Champion will be.