The potential bout between Nick Diaz and Jorge Masvidal for UFC 235 remains unsigned and very much unofficial, but that hasn’t stopped the oddsmakers from getting involved and providing opening odds for the bout, with Oddshark reporting that Jorge Masivdal has opened as a very slim -120 favorite over Nick Diaz, with the comeback on Diaz being an even money payout. This may come as a surprise for some fans, with Nick Diaz’s name status and achievements in the sport, but this is not the first time Nick Diaz has been an underdog in the UFC. In fact, Diaz has opened as the underdog in each and every one of his UFC fights:
Vs. B.J. Penn (+285)
Vs. Carlos Condit (-105; Condit was -125)
Vs. Georges St. Pierre (+310)
Vs. Anderson Silva (+190)
To say the above list reads as a murderers’ row is an understatement, however, so this fact may not assuage the confusion some fans may have about this opening line.
Nick Diaz has not won a fight since 2011 and last competed in January of 2015 against Anderson Silva. The fact that it will be over four years since Diaz competed and that the comeback will be against a very experienced and proven welterweight in Jorge Masvidal almost surely played a role in these opening numbers. But with the fanbase the Diaz brothers carries as well as the respect Nick Diaz garners across the world, this opening line may not last long.
What’s your take on the opening line for Jorge Masvidal vs. Nick Diaz?
