Leon Edwards, Jiri Prochazka and Alexandre Pantoja open as favorites ahead of upcoming title fights

Leon Edwards, Jiri Prochazka and Alexandre Pantoja all opened as favorites in the first betting odds released for a trio of title fights that UFC CEO Dana White announced on Wednesday.

Edwards defends his title against Colby Covington in the UFC 296 main event, while Pantoja clashes with Brandon Royval in the co-main event with the flyweight belt going up for grabs. As for Prochazka, he faces Alex Pereira to crown a new light heavyweight champion in the UFC 295 co-main event on Nov. 11.

The biggest favorite out of the bunch is Pantoja, who already holds a submission win over Royval from their previous encounter in 2021. That victory helped propel Pantoja into title contention and he made the most of his opportunity by claiming gold when he faced Brandon Moreno earlier this year.

Here are the opening odds for Pantoja vs. Royval courtesy of BetOnline.ag.

Brandon Royval +200

Alexandre Pantoja -260

Based on those odds, it would require a $260 bet on Pantoja to earn back $100 if he’s victorious, while a $100 bet on Royval would win back $200 as the underdog.

Meanwhile, Prochazka opened as a very slight favorite over Pereira in a battle between two former UFC champion. Prochazka returns for the first time since suffering a significant shoulder injury that forced him to relinquish his UFC light heavyweight title.

Now, he returns to face a former middleweight champion in Pereira, who made a successful debut at 205 pounds with a win over Jan Blachowicz.

Here are the opening odds for Prochazka vs. Pereira

Alex Pereira -110

Jiri Prochazka -120

Finally, Edwards enjoys favorite status in his second title defense when he faces Covington in December. It’s been nearly two years since Covington competed with a win over Jorge Masvidal, while Edwards wrapped up a pair of wins over Kamaru Usman to win the UFC welterweight title and then defended it in a rematch.

Here are the opening odds for Edwards vs. Covington

Colby Covington +125

Leon Edwards -145

The betting lines for all three fights could shift dramatically between now and the time when the bouts take place. For now, the two current UFC champions and the former UFC light heavyweight champion will all enjoy favorite status.