UFC lightweight contender Beneil Dariush suffered an ankle injury and was forced to withdraw from the upcoming UFC Vegas 49 main event. Stepping in on short notice to battle No. 4-ranked lightweight contender Islam Makhachev is 155-pound veteran Bobby Green, fresh off his victory over Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 271 last weekend in Las Vegas.
The bookies remain unimpressed.
Makhachev opened as the -1000 betting favorite against +600 for the underdog Green, according to the number crunchers over at BetOnline.ag. It didn’t take long for money to come rushing in for a line of that magnitude, which has since been adjusted to -600 for Makhachev and +400 for Green.
The 30 year-old Makhachev (21-1) is the winner of nine straight, including his submission victory over Dan Hooker at UFC 267 back in October. Green, 35, improved to 29-12-1 with his performance against Haqparast, having previously defeated Al Iaquinta at UFC 268. Makhachev is expected to earn a lightweight title shot with a victory at UFC Vegas 49; however, it’s unknown if the same reward awaits “King” with an upset in “Sin City.”
UFC Vegas 49 takes place on Sat., Feb. 26, 2022 inside the promotion’s APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. To see the updated UFC Vegas 49 fight card and ESPN+ lineup here.