UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev received good news from the bookies ahead of his upcoming title defense at UFC 330.

On Wednesday, the UFC officially announced that Makhachev will fight Ian Machado Garry in his first welterweight title defense at UFC 330, which takes place on August 15 in Philadelphia.

Soon after the fight was announced, the oddsmakers opened up the betting odds for the fight, and Makhachev is favored to win the fight and successfully defend his title for the first time.

Islam Makhachev Opens As Moderate Favorite at UFC 330

According to FightOdds.io, which tracks the opening betting odds for UFC fights, Makhachev opened as a -278 favorite, while the No. 1 contender Machado Garry opened as a +225 underdog.

Makhachev has won 16 straight fights and is 17-1 overall in the UFC, so of course he is the favorite to win this fight. He is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and he has shown very few flaws in his game while dominating the competition at 155 lbs and now at 170 lbs.

With a win over Machado Garry, Makhachev would break the all-time UFC wins streak record with 17, as he is currently tied at 16 wins in a row with the great Anderson Silva.

As for Machado Garry, he has won his last two fights and is 10-1 overall in the UFC. He has looked great as of late, defeating Belal Muhammad and Carlos Prates in his last two outings, and he now gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he battles Makhachev for the UFC welterweight title.

This fight will ultimately come down to whether or not Machado Garry can stop Makhachev’s takedowns. If Makhachev can get the fight to the mat, then it becomes a very difficult fight for Machado Garry to win. But if he can keep it standing, then it will likely be a very competitive bout with the UFC welterweight title on the line.

Mackenzie Dern Favored to Defeat Gillian Robertson

The other title fight announced for UFC 330 features UFC women’s strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern taking on No. 5-ranked contender Gillian Robertson.

Dern opened as a -142 favorite for her first 115 lbs title defense, while Robertson opened as a +120 underdog for her first UFC title bout.

Since Dern is the champion, it’s not surprising at all to see her favored to win this fight. After all, she is the more well-rounded of these two fighters, since she has an elite ground game but also solid striking skills.

Robertson, meanwhile, is as good as it gets on the ground, but her striking leaves a lot to be desired.

If this fight goes to the mat, it could be very interesting as it might be decided on which of these two fighters can secure the top position. But if it stays standing, you would have to give Dern the edge since she is the far superior boxer.

Ultimately, this is likely going to be a competitive fight between two of the best women’s strawweights the UFC has ever seen, and it’s a terrific co-main event for UFC 330.