He might not be the odds-on favorite to fight Jake Paul next, but if Vitor Belfort gets that matchup he already has the support of the oddsmakers.
Less than 24 hours after making quick work of heavyweight boxing legend Evander Holyfield at Triller Fight Club’s “Legends 2” event on Saturday, Belfort has opened as the favorite in a potential matchup with Paul, coming in at -180 in the opening odds set by SportsBetting.ag. Paul is a +150 underdog.
For betting purposes, a $180 bet on Belfort would be required to win $100, while a $100 bet on Paul would yield a return of $150. The current odds roughly translate to Belfort having a 64 percent chance to beat Paul.
Belfort, 44, competed in boxing for the first time since 2006. He was originally scheduled to fight Oscar De La Hoya, but Holyfield, 58, was brought in as a replacement on a week’s notice after De La Hoya was hospitalized with COVID-19.
“The Phenom” has already begun his campaign for another big money boxing match, calling out both Paul and current world champion Canelo Alvarez. Paul, 24, is coming off of a split decision win over former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. The social media star-turned-pro boxer is unbeaten in four pro bouts, with wins over Woodley, Ben Askren, and former NBA player Nate Robinson.
Following Paul’s win over Woodley in August, the opening lines for Paul’s next opponent included Belfort at a long shot bet of +2000.